Santa’s not the only one spreading Christmas cheer in the Indo-Pacific! Operation Christmas Drop started in 1952 as a spur-of-the-moment supply drop, and it’s now the Defense Department’s longest-running humanitarian operation, spanning generations of volunteers, service members and islanders.

Since 1947, the Marine Corps Reserve has been making the holidays brighter for American children and their families through the Toys for Tots program. Today, Toys for Tots distributes an average of 18 million toys to 7 million less-fortunate children each year.

At Fort Bragg, N.C., Christmas is a time for family, friends, food … and jumping out of aircraft. The 82nd Airborne Division's Presents from Paratroopers and the U.S. Army Special Operation Command's Operation Toy Drop both give troops a chance to practice their craft in exchange for donating toys to children in need.

No sleigh? No reindeer? No problem. Over the decades, many Navy ships have transformed into festive, twinkling vessels during the holidays, fit for a seafaring Santa. Just think of them as giant sleighs on beds of melted snow.