Marines, Airmen deliver Toys For Tots

by Air Force Staff Sgt. Robert Barnett
JBER Public Affairs

12/19/2013 - JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- Marines and Airmen moved snowmachines and sleds through the winter darkness, across the flight line, and onto a C-17 Globemaster III and C-130 Hercules on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Dec. 13.

The aircraft were bound for a hub of remote villages north of the Arctic Circle.
There, the Marines would travel village to village delivering toys to children as part of the Toys for Tots program.

Toys for Tots is a civilian program executed by the Marine Corps Reserves to collect new, unwrapped toys and distribute those toys as Christmas gifts to less fortunate children in the community.

The program's presence in Alaska began 19 years ago, and the Air Force has provided the airlift support to get the Marines around the state since.

"We're taking some Marines and snow machines to drop off toys for children," said Senior Airman Alan Cordell, 144th Airlift Squadron loadmaster, and a native of Wasilla. "It's awesome to help out Marines; I've never done it before. We're serving the community and giving back; it feels good."

Working with the Air Force is a great partnership, said Marine Maj. Lee Johnson, inspector/instructor, Alaska Marines.

"It couldn't be done without the Air Force airlift capability," said Johnson, senior active-duty Marine in the state, and native of Clintonville, Wisc. "They've been able to fly us into these remote sites throughout Alaska."

"We have the equipment to load their gear up," said Airman 1st Class Joseph Saulys, 732nd Aircraft Services and native of Prairie Du Sac, Wisc. "It feels really good to help Toys for Tots, like I'm accomplishing something. When things like this come up, being able to help someone, help the kids, helping anyone in general, it makes me feel like I actually joined for a good reason."

The Marines snowmachined through a hub that includes three main villages; they have to travel approximately 400 miles to Kotzebue, about 300 miles to Galena and roughly 200 miles to McGrath.

Kotzebue has a population of more than 3,300. Galena has more than 400. McGrath, more than 300.

"We deliver toys to the villages up in the Arctic Circle, to kids that don't ever get the opportunity to get toys," said Marine Staff Sgt. Benjamin Rigney, Toys For Tots coordinator for the state of Alaska, and inspector/instructor for D Company, 4th Law Enforcement Battalion. His hometown is Hazard, Ky. "We go to them, drop off the toys, and give them a good Christmas. We do that for the kids here in Anchorage, too."

Organizers purchased the toys with donations collected through various fund-raising drives; some have goals to raise as much as $30,000. The Marines delivered more than 1,700 toys to children statewide.

"It's great, that's one of the best things in the world," Rigney said. "When you've got your own kids, and you give your kids a good Christmas, it's one thing. When you actually get to help kids who don't get a Christmas, it's even better."

The villages don't normally get this opportunity, and treat the Marines as honored guests, Johnson said.

"The folks in the villages take care of us," he said. "You just can't describe it unless you're on one of these trips. It's pretty awesome. If you don't get up there to see this stuff, you may not understand what it's really like. They are very good communities; it's a program we want to continue to build if we can."