Airmen bring holidays to remote village

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jared Marquis
  • 3rd Wing Public Affairs
ARCTIC VILLAGE, Alaska (AFPN) --  For the 38th year, Airmen from Elmendorf Air Force Base have brought the holidays to a small village in northern Alaska.

The tradition started in 1967 when, due to migration changes, Arctic Village hunters were unable to get the caribou that sustained them. That year, the 17th Tactical Airlift Squadron transported the hunters to a location closer to the caribou herd, and then took them and their bounty back to the village.

While a lot has changed since then, some things remain the same.

“The village is a bit of a (contradiction). On the one hand, they have wireless Internet access, snowmobiles and generators and there are children walking around listening to Walkman radios,” said Capt. Marc Woodworth of the 517th Airlift Squadron and the organizer for this year’s trip.

“On the other hand, they largely live off the land and the caribou herd is still vital to their survival,” he said. “Their houses are very small by our standard, and have very few of what we would consider normal amenities. Outhouses, as opposed to toilets, are the standard and running water is a luxury. 

“Yet, they are happy and content,” the captain said. “It just goes to show you that happiness does not walk hand in hand with material wealth.”

Arctic Village resident Lorane Nikolai said living without running water is not nearly as tough as getting supplies.

“We have a small general store here, but it’s really expensive and doesn’t have a large selection,” she said.

So, the villagers make trips to Fairbanks to load up on supplies.

“It costs about $350 to $400 to go to Fairbanks,” she said. “Because of the cost, we don’t get to go very often. We are just so grateful for the help (the Air Force) brings us.”

The trip was originally scheduled for Dec. 6, but was postponed until Dec. 13 due to weather.

“We get up early for the arrival,” Mrs. Nikolai said. “When we found out that the tradition was delayed, we were disappointed, especially the children.”

One of the highlights of the trip, especially for the children, is when Santa and his helpers pass out the presents.

“The best part of the trip for me, bar none, was the surprise and excitement on the children’s faces, particularly the very young ones, when we handed out the Christmas gifts. As corny as it may sound, it made all the hard work worth it,” Captain Woodworth said.

Along with the presents, the visitors brought food, winter clothing and company. In return, the villagers gave what they could.

“You could tell the villagers put forth a lot of time and effort into preparing a wide variety of food,” said Airman 1st Class Robert Aten, a 3rd Communications Squadron videographer. “I really enjoyed the cultural diversity.”

Captain Woodworth never had the opportunity to visit such a remote village.

“I did not know what to expect,” the captain said. “What I experienced was a sense of warmth and welcome that is difficult to describe. Here we are, people from hundreds of miles away from a different culture, and we were made to feel at home within minutes of our arrival. It was a unique and valuable experience.”

The villagers sang song and fed the Airmen and family members.

Organizing the event has gotten easier in the last 38 years.

“We have a long-standing relationship with Arctic Village (residents), and since they have Internet access and reliable telephone service, correspondence is now only a keystroke or phone call away,” Captain Woodworth said.

The captain said teacher Rebecca Hansen has been the village’s primary point of contact with the Airmen.

“She has made the coordination process run as smoothly as we could have hoped for,” he said.

Toward the end of the day, Brig. Gen. Hawk Carlisle, the 3rd Wing commander, thanked the villagers and said he hoped to continue the tradition.

“It’s been a great 38 years, and we will keep doing it as long as possible.”

--Contributing to this story was 1st Class Garrett Hothan, a 3rd Communications Squadron photographer.