Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit (CNATTU) Lemoore service members assisted in Operation Homefront's Holiday Toy Drive in Lemoore Dec. 5 when more than 18,000 new toys were distributed to military families.

CNATTU Lemoore staff members participated in the event at the NAS Lemoore Chapel -- an effort CNATTU Lemoore instructor and event leader Aviation Electronics Technician 1st Class (AW/SW) Jerry Shelton said is designed to provide assistance to military families.

"This can help parents during this time of year," he said. "We like to make a positive impact on the community during the holiday season, and seeing all the little kids come through and pick out the [toys] they like is a great feeling."

CNATTU Instructor and Operation Homefront Toy Drive participant Aviation Elecronics Technician 2nd Class (AW/SW) Yevgeniy Rozhanskiy said the annual campaign not only provides assistance to service members but employs a sense of teamwork for the volunteers.

"It definitely helps with camaraderie and can help people lighten the load during the holiday season," he said.

The Operation Homefront Annual Toy Drive is one of two annual programs the organization runs that is targeted toward children. The Back-to-School Brigade is another nationwide effort designed to provide backpacks and school supplies for military children.

Operation Homefront, a nonprofit 501(c) organization providing emergency assistance for U.S. military troops, their families and wounded service members, was created in 2002 and has provided assistance to more than 741,000 needs of military families and military personnel returning from duty. Headquartered in San Antonio, the organization currently provides services to military families across the nation with 23 locations serving 43 states.

CNATTU Lemoore is a training unit specific to the FA-18 Hornet platform, and is part of the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training, headquartered aboard Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. CNATT develops, delivers, and supports aviation technical training at 27 sites located throughout the continental United States and Japan.

CNATT is a technical training agent for the Naval Aviation Enterprise (NAE) an organization designed to advance and sustain Naval Aviation warfighting capabilities at an affordable cost, and is the largest training center under Naval Education and Training Command (NETC).

For more news from Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training, visit www.navy.mil/.