Soldiers earn foreign jump wings, donate toys in Army’s Operation Toy Drop

More than 800 soldiers lined up over the weekend to earn a spot in the 20th annual Operation Toy Drop at Fort Bragg.

The airborne operation runs through Friday at the North Carolina post, and it allows paratroopers to earn their foreign jump wings while giving back to children in the community.

The soldiers are encouraged to donate a toy before training with jumpmasters from eight countries. This year’s participants are Colombia, Canada, Latvia, the Netherlands, Sweden, Italy, Germany and Poland.

After the airborne operation, the toys are donated to local children in need.

The Operation Toy Drop tradition was established in 1998 by then-Staff Sgt. Randy Oler, a U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command soldier. Operation Toy Drop began as a training event, with more than 1,200 soldiers participating and donating 550 toys.

In 2004, Oler suffered a heart attack and died while performing jumpmaster duties, but support from the Army and community allowed the event to continue. The event nets thousands of toys each year for local children.

In Other News

Two former Marines to serve prison time for neo-Nazi power grid plot

Five men, including four with military experience, have been convicted in the plot.

Here are the munitions Navy jets used for first time against Houthis

Fighter jets flying off the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower used a variety of munitions for the first time ever in combat, according to the Navy.

B-1 bomber crash report blasts crew mistakes, culture of ‘complacency’

“Many failures leading to this mishap were not a one-time occurrence or an aberration," the report into a January B-1 bomber crash concluded.

Naval aviator becomes first American woman to secure air-to-air kill

The incident was one of more than 20 where Strike Fighter Squadron 32 deployed air-to-air missiles against Iran-backed Houthi one-way attack drones.

Military families overseas scrambling as U.S. dog travel rules change

Some airlines are no longer allowing dogs to be shipped on the same flight with their owners back to the states due to new U.S. CDC rules.

Load More