Military Jumps...

[Da_SKiES_R_BLu 0]

I am leaving for my Basic Training for the Army (active Duty) in august. I want to have my B license before i leave. I am going air borne and i find it funny that for three weeks i will be doing static line jumps. This should prove interesting. i have been jumping since i turned 16 and it will be fun to watch everyones nerves so high when they're doing the basics...

[SEREJumper 1]

Quote

I am going air borne and i find it funny that for three weeks i will be doing static line jumps.

Your reading or have been told very wrong. You will be there for three weeks, but only make 5 jumps the last week. I'll let you guess as to what you will be up to for the first two weeks

Also, civilian skydiving is a far cry from military static line. Even a D license will not prepare you for a night, mass tactical (read, lots of dudes exiting at the same time), combat equipment jump, with a non-steerable ROUND canopy. The military can always find a way to take the fun out of anything, especially jumping It is still an interesting experience.

"JUMPER'S HIT IT"

We're not fucking flying airplanes are we, no we're flying a glorified kite with no power and it should be flown like one! - Stratostar

[timmyfitz 0]

Quote

it will be fun to watch everyones nerves so high when they're doing the basics

You will be one of them. Military static line jumps vs. sport jumps=apples to oranges

[wolfriverjoe 1,523]

Quote

Quote

it will be fun to watch everyones nerves so high when they're doing the basics

You will be one of them. Military static line jumps vs. sport jumps=apples to oranges

Especially the exit altitiude. 1200ft IIRC.

How's it going to feel going out the door well below your hard deck??

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[riggerrob 643]

I had to do two weeks worth of push-ups before I was allowed to do static-line jumps for two days.
I graduated from the Canadian Forces Parachute Centre with six static-line jumps.
Most jumps were done from 1,000 feet, with a ruck-sack, rifle and snowshoes. The fourth jump was at night and I couldn't PLF because I landed in knee-deep snow!
And my rifle was a full-sized FN-C1A1 ... up hill ... both ... ways in the snow.

[Bertt 0]

Be sure to tell Sgt. Airborne that you have lots of skydiving experience....Oh wait, what I meant was - bite your tongue every time the subject comes up.

You don't have to outrun the bear.

[JALUV2 0]

Quote

Be sure to tell Sgt. Airborne that you have lots of skydiving experience....Oh wait, what I meant was - bite your tongue every time the subject comes up.

Very Good Advice, especially the bite your tongue part, Unless of course you really want to punish yourself!
However I can guarantee you one thing... You will become an expert at PLF's

[SEREJumper 1]

Here are a few videos to keep you motivated!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fs5of7a-u3Y&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYMsJvaDXNo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHj9CLLb-yY&feature=related

We're not fucking flying airplanes are we, no we're flying a glorified kite with no power and it should be flown like one! - Stratostar

[riggerquo 0]

Skydiving is a sport. Military static line parachuting is just another way to commute to work! When you've completed training you will be an airborne soldier, and you'll know what that means when you graduate.

All the way!

[BrianM 1]

Quote

Especially the exit altitiude. 1200ft IIRC.

How's it going to feel going out the door well below your hard deck??

My first military static line (had about 300 sport jumps at the time) - we're all standing there with our static lines hooked up, waiting for the green light. Everyone is looking out the window at the ground 1000 feet below, sounding nervous and saying "look how high we are!" I am looking out the window at the ground 1000 feet below, scared out of my mind, thinking "Don't they know this is way too low to jump? Someone tell the pilot to climb!!!"

Good thing I got over that after the first jump - because on the second, I was the first jumper on a tailgate jump. Standing with my toes an inch from the edge of the tailgate at 1000' as I waited for the green light was a really cool view - but if I'd had to do that on jump #1 I probably would have needed to deploy my reserve underwear!

BTW, that was the same course that riggerrob did - except I had a C7 instead of an FN (Rob is a little more... ahem... mature than I). Rob - landing in snow on the night jump doesn't sound so bad. The night jump on my course was hard, frozen ground with no snow - and zero winds, I almost nailed my ruck when I landed.

"It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

[BrianM 1]

Quote

Quote

Be sure to tell Sgt. Airborne that you have lots of skydiving experience....Oh wait, what I meant was - bite your tongue every time the subject comes up.

Very Good Advice, especially the bite your tongue part, Unless of course you really want to punish yourself!

I didn't say a word until the course was done - then I handed the course warrant my civilian logbook for signature. He casually flipped through a few pages, then signed the jumps and handed it back without saying a word. Later that day, in the break area, some of the instructors (who had been my sworn enemies for three weeks) had lots of questions for me, as they had just started working towards their civilian A licences, and they were finding it very different from the jumping they were familiar with.

Quote

However I can guarantee you one thing... You will become an expert at PLF's

Very true! I thought I knew how to PLF before the army taught me - I couldn't have been more wrong! I'm very glad to have that skill now.

"It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

[skygnat 0]

I agree military vs civilian is an apples and oranges thing. Each is different and offers opportunities to do things the other doesn’t, and each present their own challenges and different types of “fun”

Most civilian skydivers are just earning their B license at 50 jumps.

By the time I reached 50 jumps many moons ago in an army ranger battalion, I had exited helicopters, transport planes, and C141 jets and dropped into DZ’s ranging from knee deep snow to slightly deeper swamps to deserts. This included night jumps with full combat gear. Flying in a cramped cargo plane for seven hours, then rigging up in-flight and jumping into a unknown DZ was exciting on some levels, a little scary on other levels.

The injury rate was pretty high with a lot of tree landings, broken bones, and worse. Landings are occasionally rough if you are unable to detach your gear before you land, and hence the need for good PLF skills.

In my opinion basic Army jump school was pretty candy-ass with a lot of non-combat type folks and even ROTC and academy students going there just to earn their wings. That’s not to say jump school is easy, since there is a physically and mentally challenging aspect of it that leaves a few folks wimpering.

However, if one progresses into jumping with special forces type units, then you get into what is arguably more “fun jumping”. And if lucky HALO jumps.

So while prior skydiving experience is nice before going into the military, to suggest that having only 50 or even 200 jumps under your belt will make your training a lot easier or put the instructors in awe is a bit of a stretch.

But have fun and enjoy, and good luck...

[LouDiamond 1]

It's a saying older than dirt but you can still find T-shirts around Ft. Benning with the following saying:

"I don't care how many sky dives you have, until you have jumped out of a plane into pitch black darkness at 800ft with 100 lbs of gear and 40lbs of parachute you are still just another LEG!"

"It's just skydiving..additional drama is not required"
Some people dream about flying, I live my dream
SKYMONKEY PUBLISHING

[hookem0321 0]

yea its def alot different haha wait until you gotta do a JFEX from 800ft at night full combat load not very fun at all atleast at airborne school you jump from 1200 when you get to your unit you prob wont ever see that alititude again unless your jumping from a helo..

[skydivr 0]

+1000 Do NOT Mention to the Blackhats that you skydive or you will be setting yourself up for abuse...wait til it's over.

P.S. Always better to be the first out "stand in the door" as you only have to worry about the guy behind you getting out on top of you...in the middle of the stick you have to worry about the everyone around you...I told the guy in front of me I was going to give him a 'pause', and the guy behind me that he'd better give me a 'pause' - not enough to get kicked out of the Aircraft, but enough for a little separation and clean air. Good luck and have a great time!

AIRBORNE!

Keith Abner
D-17590

"Those who do, can't explain; those who don't, can't understand"

[matthewcline 0]

To the OP

From Me as a Former, Jump Branch Master Trainer of the U.S. Army Airborne School.

DO NOT Give any one a Pause if you are doing the Mass Exit jumps though or you'll Fuck the jumpers on the other side of the Aircraft.
Best to be first or last if you are that concerned over it, but in 200+ Army Static Line jumps I only had 1 Mid air collision and I was the lower jumper.

Do it once you get smoked by SGT ABN, twice and kicked out for unsafe jumper conduct.

Matt

An Instructors first concern is student safety.
So, start being safe, first!!!

[riggerrob 643]

"...

Very true! I thought I knew how to PLF before the army taught me - I couldn't have been more wrong! I'm very glad to have that skill now.

[skygnat 0]

Quote

To the OP

From Me as a Former, Jump Branch Master Trainer of the U.S. Army Airborne School.

DO NOT Give any one a Pause if you are doing the Mass Exit jumps though or you'll Fuck the jumpers on the other side of the Aircraft.
Best to be first or last if you are that concerned over it, but in 200+ Army Static Line jumps I only had 1 Mid air collision and I was the lower jumper.

Do it once you get smoked by SGT ABN, twice and kicked out for unsafe jumper conduct.
Matt

I concur 100% on that. One such mid-air collision in my old Army unit in the late 70's resulted in my battalion Sergeant Major and a Spec 4 dying together after they become entangled.

[theonlyski 8]

Quote

Quote

Be sure to tell Sgt. Airborne that you have lots of skydiving experience....Oh wait, what I meant was - bite your tongue every time the subject comes up.

Very Good Advice, especially the bite your tongue part, Unless of course you really want to punish yourself!
However I can guarantee you one thing... You will become an expert at PLF's

I slipped up, I was talking to the drill sgt that was next to me in my chalk, we were stocking the harnesses at tower branch (SLT's you're gonna love it) and he was talking about how he is going to jump out and he will fall straight down.

I told him its not that simple, you have to take into account the forward throw of the aircraft and the winds as the bigger factors, then I hear "How the fuck do you know about that, november?"

I tried to deny it, saying it was a lucky guess... no dice, so I told him I jumped.

After jump 3 or 4, he seemed surprised I was still there and the 'Still here huh?' but he never really fucked with me... it was the end of tower week, so maybe I just slipped by.

I actually managed to stay under the radar, being the middle of the first stick, first platoon, running right next to the instructor every day, and the only one in the company with a tan helmet... They didnt know I was there, and I liked it that way.

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

[Da_SKiES_R_BLu 0]

Ha! with the way things go for me i wont be that lucky. i think i will stick to the bitting my toung but as soon as i graduate airborne school im gunna ask Sgt. Airborne if he wants to do a two way :) :)

[theonlyski 8]

Quote

Ha! with the way things go for me i wont be that lucky. i think i will stick to the bitting my toung but as soon as i graduate airborne school im gunna ask Sgt. Airborne if he wants to do a two way :) :)

Not all the black-hats are skydivers... and some of them really dislike 'those freefall pussies'. Youll know which is which on graduation if the silver wings jump in... they will talk about it with the students and you can see whos who.

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

[Ron 10]

I wrote an article about the experience in Skydiving mag back in 1999. Maybe you can find a copy it will explain everything you are going to do... I'll look to see if I have it in Word somewhere and send it to you if I find it.

Week one: PLF's
Week two: PLF's
Week three: 5 jumps.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[skybill 22]

Quote

It's a saying older than dirt but you can still find T-shirts around Ft. Benning with the following saying:

"I don't care how many sky dives you have, until you have jumped out of a plane into pitch black darkness at 800ft with 100 lbs of gear and 40lbs of parachute you are still just another LEG!"

Hi Lou,
I've heard that many times. Dig around in the archives and find the old Steve Moran Cartoon of some troops doin' S/L out of a '119 and in the middle of the stick are these two skydivers with gutter gear almost in a 2-man one of them just discarded his M-16 and is saying to the other,"I thought there was something funny about it when that Recruiter said we could get all the jumps we want for free business??"

PS, I got it stashed somewhere but right now I hear a beer callin' my name!! If'n ya' can't find it, let me know and I'll dig for it.

SCR-2034, SCS-680

III%,
Deli-out

[Da_SKiES_R_BLu 0]

thanks i would appreciate it

[theonlyski 8]

Get a bottle of motrin for all the bumps and bruises that you probably will get (although, the t-11 gear should be pretty new and still have padding, the t-10 gear is painful) get running, should be able to run about a mile and a half in boots with your helmet and a full canteen, as well as 5 miles at a pretty slow pace (like 9 min/mile +/- 15seconds)

The rest is really a gutcheck and it was just miserable for me (the time I was there it was cold, raining and just crappy)

If you want a day by day, let me know, Ill see if I can remember the overalls for each day.

Oddly enough, the hardest part is keeping your feet and knees together, think about holding a piece of paper between your knees and another piece between your ankles, that should keep you putting pressure where it needs to be to keep them together

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message