JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska — In its 68th year, the Alaska National Guard’s annual community outreach program, Operation Santa Claus, continues to bring the magic of the season to the remote communities of Fort Yukon, Golovin, Koyuk, and Tuluksak.

Teaming up with The Salvation Army, this year’s program is set to deliver gifts and tidings of good cheer to approximately 560 children.

Jenny Ragland, a service extension and disaster services director with The Salvation Army, highlighted the organization’s long-standing partnership with the Alaska National Guard, particularly through Operation Santa Claus.

“The Salvation Army’s role is really the gift collector. We receive gifts, we wrap gifts, we pack them in backpacks, provide some snacks and some stocking stuffers and get them all ready,” said Ragland, who began supporting the program in 1996. “So, when we show up in a community with Santa, there is a gift with every child’s name that we share with them.”

While The Salvation Army oversees the donation and festivity coordination, the Alaska National Guard, within the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, plays a key role in the logistical support of the operation.

“Operation Santa wouldn’t happen without the partnership between The Salvation Army and the Alaska National Guard,” said Ragland. “First and foremost, our Guard partners provide the transportation and the logistics and the planning.”

Gifts earmarked for the western Alaska communities were palletized by National Guardsmen at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson before embarking on their journey to Bethel or Nome. The Alaska Air National Guard’s C-17 Globemaster III and the Alaska Army National Guard’s C-12 Huron fixed-wing aircraft facilitated the transport.

Upon reaching the hub locations of Bethel and Nome, Santa, Mrs. Claus and their helper elves continued their journey to Tuluksak Nov. 14 and Golovin Nov. 30 via Army Guard UH-60L Black Hawk helicopters loaded with all the gifts.

Hanna Alexie, a kindergarten teacher in Tuluksak, witnessed the genuine enthusiasm of her students as they eagerly awaited the arrival of Santa and Mrs. Claus looking out the classroom window.

“The students were very excited for this day, and today they were very anxious waiting,” said Hanna Alexie, as she highlighted the infectious excitement that spread through the classroom. “They didn’t want to take off their coats too, waiting in our classroom. They couldn’t wait for you guys.”

Jerry Hawk, a community member, expressed gratitude for the rare gathering. He emphasized the significance of bringing the community together to celebrate the holiday.

“The best part was bringing my grandkids over here with everybody, with the community,” said Hawk, reflecting on sentiments of unity and joy. “The peace of joy, the peace of God is within us.”

“I’d like to thank everybody that came over, the [National Guard], Santa Claus, and all the presents, and all the people that came here,” said Hawk. “I’d like to wish everybody a Merry Christmas. Thank you.”

Two weeks later, the jolly bunch continued the heartwarming journey to Golovin, where local cheerleaders led chants and performed choreographed routines while welcoming the festive visitors.

The community’s enthusiasm was not only visible in their cheers but also in their preparations. Donna Katchatag, tribal coordinator, said, “They prepared desserts, cookies, lemonade, and all the decorating was the help of the kids also.”

Katchatag, who was a young student the last time Operation Santa Claus was here, shared her special significance of welcoming the program back after so many years.

“I don’t have any memories besides him leaving, and I was wondering why is Santa leaving in a helicopter?” said Katchatag, who has been preparing to tell her children about Santa’s rotary-wing departure. “We are [going to watch him leave], and I have been telling them all this time.”

Katchatag was grateful for the new memories she now has to share with her family and community.

It is an Operation Santa Claus tradition that the festivities kick off with everyone singing “Jingle Bells.” Students were then called one by one to meet with Santa, where they received personalized gifts, candy canes, and had the opportunity for photos. Volunteers donned Santa hats, and the Christmas spirit filled the gym, creating a joyful atmosphere for all involved.

Katchatag expressed gratitude for the collaboration and outreach from The Salvation Army and National Guard. She said that the entire community is happy to have Santa come again.

In the interior, gifts destined for Fort Yukon were loaded onto the Black Hawk at Ladd Army Airfield on Fort Wainwright, ensuring a direct and efficient delivery Dec 1.

The program is set to visit the community of Koyuk over the first two weeks of December, promising more holiday magic for these remote areas.

An off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot accused of trying to disable a jet’s engines during an October flight was indicted by a grand jury, a district attorney said on Tuesday.

The Multnomah County, Oregon grand jury charged Joseph Emerson with one count of endangering an aircraft and 83 other counts of recklessly endangering another person but decided on Monday that Joseph Emerson did not attempt to injure anyone, and therefore declined to charge him with the 83 counts of attempted murder originally sought by the state, the pilot’s lawyer said in a statement.

Emerson, who was riding as a standby employee passenger in the cockpit “jump seat” of the Oct. 22 Horizon Air flight, en route from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco, when the airborne altercation occurred, authorities said.

After a brief scuffle inside the flight deck with the captain and first officer, Emerson ended up restrained by members of the cabin crew and was arrested in Portland, Oregon, where the flight was diverted and landed safely.

Emerson told police afterward he was suffering a nervous breakdown and had not slept in 40 hours.

Lawyers for Emerson say he never intended to hurt another person or put anyone at risk – “he just wanted to return home to his wife and children.” The lawyers added they are “crafting a release plan and expect that he will finally return home to his family by the end of this week.”

Emerson has also been charged in U.S. District Court in connection with the incident and a hearing on his detention is set for Wednesday.

The incident sparked new concerns about pilot mental health.

The Federal Aviation Administration said last month it is naming a pilot mental health committee to provide recommendations to address barriers preventing pilots from reporting mental health issues while the National Transportation Safety Board is convening a forum on pilot mental health on Wednesday.

Emerson came close to shutting down hydraulic operation and fuel to both engines of the twin-jet aircraft, an Embraer 175.

Updated: 31 minutes ago Published: 1 hour ago

SEATTLE — News of Alaska Air buying Hawaiian Airlines sent loyal travelers dreaming of warm destinations and more international travel. But questions remained: Will I be able to use Alaska Airlines miles on Hawaiian? What about the companion fare?

Both airlines offer frequent flyers who join their loyalty programs generous rewards, including ways to collect miles and a discounted companion fare for their credit card holders. Details of how the two airlines will ultimately merge their programs were not available a day after the $1.9 billion transaction was announced. But no change is imminent.

The deal is likely to face regulatory scrutiny and is estimated to take more than a year to close, according to an Alaska spokesperson on Monday. Until then, “nothing about the Alaska Mileage Plan program or the HawaiianMiles program will change for members,” the spokesperson said in an email.

Once the deal closes, the two airlines will combine their loyalty programs. “This is going to be a journey between the two airlines,” Alaska spokesperson Ray Lane said in an email. “We don’t have all the answers yet.”

[Proposed merger of Alaska and Hawaiian airlines a promising fit, observers say]

Alaska said Sunday it will continue to operate Hawaiian under its separate brand. The merger will bring Hawaiian to the Oneworld Alliance, a global airline network that Alaska joined in 2021.

If the merger goes through, Alaska and Hawaiian will share a single loyalty program that will allow travelers to “to earn and redeem miles on more than 25 global partners and receive elite benefits on the full complement of oneworld Alliance airlines,” according to Alaska.

The current loyalty programs of the two airlines encourage travelers to accumulate points and miles that can be redeemed for air travel or other rewards. Both airlines offer additional perks for their credit card holders. Alaska’s cardholders receive priority boarding, a companion fare, 3 miles for every $1 spent on Alaska Airlines purchases and a 20% rebate on eligible in-flight purchases.

The future remains uncertain for Alaska’s companion fare, which offers cardholders the opportunity to book one ticket at $99 plus tax and fees annually when they are booking for themselves. Hawaiian also offers a one-time 50% off companion fare with its credit card, according to its website.

Alaska’s loyal program remains popular. For nine consecutive years, it ranked as the best airline reward program by U.S. News & World Report. Alaska has 9 million Mileage Plan members, according to Lane. Hawaiian had 11.7 million loyalty program members as of the end of last year, according to its annual report.

Aside from the Alaska-Hawaiian deal, tying rewards to credit cards has triggered scrutiny from lawmakers and criticism of airline loyalty programs.

Airlines have moved away from offering rewards programs as a way to build brand loyalty with customers to a way of increasing profit, according to a November article by management consulting giant McKinsey.

“Over time, many travel loyalty programs became wildly successful — not just as a way to boost sales or strengthen customer relationships but as major profit centers,” the article said. “Along the way, however, some travel players have shifted their focus away from the original purpose of these programs.”

Sens. Roger Marshall, R- Kan., and Dick Durbin, D- Ill., criticized frequent flyer programs for “unfair and deceptive practices.” In October, the two senators said the loyalty programs may have started to incentivize and reward frequent flyers, but “they have evolved to include co-branded credit cards and now often exclusively focus on dollars spent using these co-branded credit cards.”

Alaska and Hawaiian have not announced changes to perks offered exclusively to cardholders.