'Operation Christmas Drop' Takes Place on a Real Military Base

For some, the approaching holiday season means spending time with family, brainstorming gift ideas, and putting up decorations, but for others, it means watching the Christmas-themed original movie offerings on Hallmark, Freeform, Lifetime, and Netflix. 

With past hits like The Christmas Prince and The Christmas Switch, and The Holidate, Netflix has become a go-to spot for many looking to watch a lighthearted Christmas movie with no commercials. 

The streaming service's latest selection is Operation Christmas Drop, and it's already becoming a classic. It stands out from the holiday movie tropes — it doesn't take place in a small town covered in snow, the main characters aren't former best friends with undeniable chemistry, and the plot isn't entirely focused on love — and that's why it works. 

Instead, the movie takes place at a military base on Guam, which features ocean views and tropical temperatures.

Where was Operation Christmas Drop filmed? Keep reading to find out the amazing story behind the filming location, and to learn more about the plot. 

Though Operation Christmas Drop does veer from some of the typical Christmas movie storylines, it does, of course, feature a compelling love story between two wildly different people.

The main crux of the plot focuses on the real-life Operation Christmas Drop, which is a humanitarian effort when air force pilots drop goods and gifts off all around the small islands in Guam for the holidays. 

When congressional aide Erica (The Vampire Diaries star Kat Graham) is sent to Guam to potentially shut down the longstanding tradition and the base itself, pilot Andrew (Alexander Ludwig), takes it upon himself to convince her why it needs to continue.

She gives him 24 hours to prove why the Christmas endeavor is essential, and the two go from bickering to forging a romantic connection. 

The scenery featured in Operation Christmas Drop is breathtaking, to say the least. From Andrew's surfing scene in the clear ocean water to the shots of him and Erica flying over the base, many viewers have been wondering what locations were used for filming.

The movie takes place at the Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, and that is exactly where it was filmed.

According to Stars and Stripes, Operation Christmas Drop was actually the first major movie to be filmed at the base.  

The outdoor shots were taken around the island. Homes and businesses owned by military personnel on the island were used in some of the indoor scenes. 

The moments showcasing the Christmas drop were actually taken from reality — the cameramen took footage from the 2019 event. 

Director Martin Wood explained in a statement obtained by Stars and Stripes how much the cast and crew tried to take advantage of their unique filming location. 

"There is no way to build an Air Force base for a movie — you just have to move onto one," he said. 

Steve McGlothen, who worked as a producer on the film, said that everything is as it seems when it comes to the locations. 

"There is nothing faked and no green screen in Operation Christmas Drop — if you see it, it actually happened," he shared. 

Operation Christmas Drop is available to stream on Netflix now.