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“Dieci minuti! Preparare!”

Story by Staff Sgt. Osvaldo Equite

“Dieci minuti! Preparare!” These Italian commands meaning “ten minutes” and “get ready,” were heard echoed throughout an aircraft hangar in Pope Army Airfield at Fort Bragg, N.C. as foreign jumpmasters from around the world rehearsed airborne procedures alongside U.S. Army jumpmasters Dec. 5, 2012. 

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Christina Hipenbecker, a jumpmaster of the
 U.S. Army Civil Affairs & Psychological Operations Command
(Airborne), an Army Reserve unit at Fort Bragg, N.C., briefs jumpmasters
from around the world inside a hangar at Pope Army Airfield at Fort Bragg,
N.C. on Dec. 5, 2012. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Osvaldo Equite)



The rehearsals are part of a week long project, coordinated by the U.S. Army Civil Affairs & Psychological Operations Command (Airborne) at Fort Bragg.

The project, the Randy Oler Memorial Operation Toy Drop, is an annual event where Fort Bragg and other communities collect and donate toys to children and social service agencies in need during the holidays.

Although the event was created to help the local community and those in need, it also provides U.S. paratroopers a chance to earn foreign jump wings by conducting airborne operations with foreign jumpmasters.

Jumpmasters – expert parachutists – from Brazil, Canada, Chile, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, and Uruguay are some of those foreign jumpmasters that will be collaborating in the largest multinational airborne operation in the world slated for Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012 on Fort Bragg.
“It is great to be here,” said Dutch army Sgt. 1st Class Sander Middag, a jumpmaster of the Dutch Defense Parachute School in Breda, Netherlands.

“It is an excellent initiative,” said Chilean army Lt. Col. Aquiles Gloffka about the uniqueness of the event.

Both Middag and Gloffka are two of more than 30 jumpmasters participating in this year’s event.

During joint and combined operations like this, foreign jumpmasters are able to learn and observe some of the differences between the other countries.

“Many of the parachute drills are very similar,” explained Middag. But unlike the U.S., the Dutch parachute school provides jumpmaster support to units throughout Holland since individual airborne units don’t have their own jumpmasters like the U.S. does.

For Gloffka, what was most captivating for him was seeing the U.S. Army’s involvement within the community.

“One of the good things the U.S. Army does is it helps the community a lot,” explained Gloffka. “We should imitate that in Chile.”

This year, according to their website, Operation Toy Drop hopes to collect and distribute more than the 20,000 toys collected last year.

“They are good people – good discipline, and very experienced,” explained Middag. “And I look forward to coming again next year.”dy Oler Memorial Operation Toy Drop, is an annual event where Fort Bragg and other communities collect and donate toys to children and social service agencies in need during the holidays.

Although the event was created to help the local community and those in need, it also provides U.S. paratroopers a chance to earn foreign jump wings by conducting airborne operations with foreign jumpmasters.

Jumpmasters – expert parachutists – from Brazil, Canada, Chile, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, and Uruguay are some of those foreign jumpmasters that will be collaborating in the largest multinational airborne operation in the world slated for Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012 on Fort Bragg.

“It is great to be here,” said Dutch army Sgt. 1st Class Sander Middag, a jumpmaster of the Dutch Defense Parachute School in Breda, Netherlands.

“It is an excellent initiative,” said Chilean army Lt. Col. Aquiles Gloffka about the uniqueness of the event.

Both Middag and Gloffka are two of more than 30 jumpmasters participating in this year’s event.
During joint and combined operations like this, foreign jumpmasters are able to learn and observe some of the differences between the other countries.

“Many of the parachute drills are very similar,” explained Middag. But unlike the U.S., the Dutch parachute school provides jumpmaster support to units throughout Holland since individual airborne units don’t have their own jumpmasters like the U.S. does.



For Gloffka, what was most captivating for him was seeing the U.S. Army’s involvement within the community.

“One of the good things the U.S. Army does is it helps the community a lot,” explained Gloffka. “We should imitate that in Chile.”



This year, according to their website, Operation Toy Drop hopes to collect and distribute more than the 20,000 toys collected last year.



“They are good people – good discipline, and very experienced,” explained Middag. “And I look forward to coming again next year.”



Mission Afghanistan: UPDATE

Interested in reaching out and spreading joy in Afghanistan?

You can send an unwrapped toy (that doesn't require batteries or electricity), children's clothes, or children's shoes to

Sgt. Katie Summerhill
Task Force Titan/333 MP BDE
Bagram AF/Sabalu-Harrison
APO, AE 09354

Your toy will go to an orphanage in Bagram.

MISSION AFGHANISTAN

Confirmed: Afghanistan.

No, jumpmasters won't be coming to Fort Bragg, instead Toy Drop is putting on its battle rattle and going to Afghanistan. 

Thanks to Sgt. Katie Summerhill, a USACAPOC(A) Public Affairs alumni, and the 340th Tactical PSYOP Co. Toy Drop has spread to Afghanistan, specifically Bagram Airfield.

Summerhill, currently deployed to Bagram got the idea to bring Toy Drop to Afghanistan and has been running with it ever since.

The 340th TPC has been helping Summerhill with the logistics of the operation. All toys they collect will go to a local orphanage. We'll provide details on how you can help as soon as they are ironed out.

ATTN: Paratroopers, Here is what you need to know

The 50th Public Affairs Detachment did a great job putting together his video for the paratroopers on Fort Bragg. Even if you're not a paratrooper you should check this out, the kids do a great job and it's a great idea!

5-73rd Prepares for Operation Toy Drop



Sgt. 1st Class Michael Zurface, the signal

noncommissioned officer in charge for

Headquarters and Headquarters Troop

5-73rd Cavalry, 3rd Brigade Combat

Team, 82nd Airborne Division, shops for

the toy he will donate for the 15th Annual

Randy Oler Memorial Operation Toy Drop

 hosted by U.S. Army Civil Affairs &

 Psychological Operations Command

(Airborne) at Fort Bragg, N.C.

(U.S. Army photo by Spc. Lalita Guenther)



FORT  BRAGG, N.C. -- Paratroopers from Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 5-73rd Cavalry are starting to purchase toys for donation for this year’s 15^th Annual Randy Oler Memorial Operation Toy Drop, hosted by U.S. Army Civil Affairs & Psychological Operations Command (Airborne).



Operation Toy Drop gives an opportunity for Soldiers to donate a gift to underprivileged children in local areas for the holidays and in return allows an opportunity for that same paratrooper to train and jump with a foreign jumpmaster.

 “I send Soldiers to do it, because it’s kind of a reward,” said Capt. Jason T. Walsh, the 5-73rd HHT Commander. “The guys do well, and I think they should have an opportunity to get foreign jump wings.”

Having foreign jump wings is a connecting factor that brings Soldiers together no matter where they are from.  “Soldiers with foreign wings can look at each other and feel a sense of camaraderie knowing they both have something unique,” said Walsh. “To combine such a reward with something even more rewarding, is great for our Soldiers.”

 “We get to give toys to little kids who deserve toys at Christmas, and some of these children might even be Soldiers’ kids,” added Walsh.



Although this is an individual and voluntary effort, some units strongly encourage all of their Soldiers to take part in Operation Toy Drop and use “hard slots” as way to stimulate Soldiers’ participation.  If a Soldier is not hard slotted then they can participate in a lottery on Dec 7, where 500 slots are given to the paratroopers.

One platoon sergeant has decided to be giving in more than one way each year.

“Usually, I give my ticket to somebody else who doesn’t have foreign wings,” said Sgt. 1st Class Clark Hitchcock, a medical platoon sergeant for HHT, 5-73 Cav. Hitchcock currently holds three foreign jump wings from Chile, Thailand, and Germany, which took over nine years to accumulate.



Operation Toy Drop inspires people to give and come together in  helping needy families during the holiday season. This airborne operation has quite an impact on Soldiers and their morale throughout the post.

            “It gives them something tangible they can walk away with,” said Hitchcock. “It makes their experience here at Fort Bragg a unique one, being able to donate a toy and jump with foreign jumpmasters. One thing I like about it is you hear the stories and come back to the platoon and you see different guys comparing their different wings. They go to a ball and that’s something different they have on their chest,” said Hitchcock with a heartfelt smile from ear to ear. “That’s the nice thing about it.”


 

Aside from the excitement over the possibility of receiving foreign jump wings,  these paratroopers delight in picking out the toys they are going to donate. The children are what inspire some people as to what toy they select for donation.

“Last year I donated a bicycle, and before that it was a baseball glove and ball, and another time it was a toy train set,” said Hitchcock.

He said his method for picking a toy is to go to the toy store and ask the first kid he sees what he would want for Christmas, and this would be his decision for donation.

Other Soldiers use reflection of their personal lives to influence what kind of toy they choose for Toy Drop. Spc. Ethan Quebodeaux, a medic with the 5-73rd, decided to buy modeling clay as his toy for donation, because of his childhood experience with Christmas.

“I grew up in South Louisiana,” said Quebodeaux. “So we do a lot of evacuations because of hurricanes. I’ve evacuated so many times and there are shelters you can go to where little kids will get toys. I always remember every year getting PlayDoh – always fresh and soft and never dried out. So every time I have to get something for a child, I get PlayDoh.”

Quebodeaux said he also likes the PlayDoh option, because it caters to both a young boy and a young girl. This is important to keep in mind, because sometimes there can be too high of an influx of boys or girls toys.

From the first Toy Drop where a couple hundred donations were collected to last year’s total of over 20,000, Fort Bragg Soldiers continue on with the tradition which was started by Randy Oler 15 years ago.  For Oler it was all about the children and it stays the same for today’s Soldier.



Confirmed: The British are coming





Paratroopers participating in operation Black Warrior conduct airborne

operations in temperatures over 100 degrees onto Sicily Drop Zone at

Fort Bragg, N.C. on July 13, 2011. Black Warrior is organized

by the  U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations  Command

(Airborne) and includes members from the U.S. Army Special Operations

Command, 82nd Airborne Division, and the  British 4th Parachute Regiment.

 (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Felix R. Fimbres)



Confirmed: The United Kingdom will be making their first ever Toy Drop appearance this year as well. For those of you who didn’t know, the British jump masters are part of the Royal Air Force and not the Army, so that means RAF Jumpmasters will be kicking paratroopers out of the door. But don’t worry Army fans; the British Army will be well represented as the 4^th Parachute Regiment will be at Fort Bragg as well.

For the past few years, USACAPOC(A) and the 4th Para [A british reserve unit] have been comemorating D-Day in Normandy France, and last year expanded thier relationship with Operation Black Warrior, an intensive two week training program run  by USACAPOC(A) on Fort Bragg to help the 4th Para prepare for their deployment to Iraq.