Operation Kids Christmas

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Airman from Team Vandenberg line up outside of the Pacific Coast Club here to welcome children to Vandenberg's Operation Kids Christmas on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009. Approximately 200 children from the local community were escorted onto the base by security forces personnel and firefighters. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Stephanie Longoria)

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Operation Kids Christmas

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- 2nd Lt. Brandon Satre, from the 30th Space Communications Squadron, escorts a little boy as Col. Steven Winters, the 30th Space Wing vice commander, greets children as they arrive at Vandenberg and are paired up with an escort for the Operations Kids Christmas event Saturday, Dec 5, 2009. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Stephanie Longoria)

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Operation Kids Christmas

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Airman 1st Class Kerelin Molina, from the 30th Space Wing, quickly bonds with Olaho Espinosa, from Lompoc, Calif., due to her knowledge of the Spanish language during Operation Kids Christmas here Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009. Event coordinators made sure that bilingual escorts were available to help Spanish speaking children. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Stephanie Longoria)

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Operation Kids Christmas

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- As children arrived at the Pacific Coast Club here to celebrate Operation Kids Christmas, they were all given a backpack with several school supplies and coloring books. Capt. Christian Gabriel, who works with 392nd Training Squadron, and Keyna Purrett ,from Los Angeles, Calif., go through the backpack while waiting for the event to start. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Stephanie Longoria)

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Operation Kids Christmas

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Lt. Col. Marne Deranger, the 392nd Training Squadron commander, assists magician Jim Wilson with a magic trick during Operation Kids Christmas here Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009. The event is an annual holiday party in support of local underprivileged children. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Stephanie Longoria)

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Operation Kids Christmas

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Lt. Col. Marne Deranger, 392nd Training Squadron commander, assists magician Jim Wilson with a magic trick during Operation Kids Christmas here Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009. The event is an annual holiday party held buy the 381st Training Group each year for local underprivileged children. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Stephanie Longoria)

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Operation Kids Christmas

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --Korina Jimenez colors a picture of Santa Claus during Operation Kids Christmas here Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009. Coloring books were given to for every child. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Stephanie Longoria)

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Operation Kids Christmas

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Senior Airman Andrew Pluim, from the 30th Security Forces Squadron, and Korina Jimenez, from Santa Ynez, Calif., color a picture of Santa Claus during Operation Kids Christmas here Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009. Coloring books were left on the table for every child to have. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Stephanie Longoria)

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Operation Kids Christmas

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The children attending Operation Kids Christmas received a visit from Star Wars characters during Operation Kids Christmas here Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009. The holiday event offered various activities, including a magician, balloon artist and a visit from Santa Claus. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Stephanie Longoria)

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Operation Kids Christmas

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- A Jedi knights teaches children attending Operation Kids Christmas how to use the force here Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009. The children showed off their skills by helping the Jedi knights defeat Darth Vader by using the strength of the force. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Stephanie Longoria)

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Operation Kids Christmas

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Alexias Garcia, from Lompoc, Calif., hands Santa Claus a letter, her escort help her write, letting him know what she wants for Christmas here Sat. Dec. 5, 2009. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Stephanie Longoria)

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Operation Kids Christmas

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Santa Claus visits Operation Kids Christmas each year,taking the wish list of local children back to the North pole. Santa has visited Vandenberg for the last 25 years. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Stephanie Longoria)

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Operation Kids Christmas

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Andrew Ruiz, from Lompoc, Calif., receives a bag of gifts from Santa Claus here Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009. Each child received four toys and a backpack loaded with different coloring books and crayons. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Stephanie Longoria)

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Mission successful: Vandenberg's Operation Kids Christmas

Published Dec. 8, 2009