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Might as Well Jump
By Lt Col P
Flew in last night from another highly successful drill weekend in the Sunshine State.
We did a joint indirect fire shoot with some 81mm and 60mm mortar crews from the FL National Guard, and also pushed about 40 jumpers out the back end of a Marine C-130. I was one of them.
Everyone told me that a ramp jump is much less violent and turbulent than a door jump, and that the MC-1 series chute was a better ride than the T-10. They were right on both counts! Once I got over the sensation of dropping straight down instead of being ripped along, I found the toggles and began to steer around. This was not just idle maneuvering-- I was working hard to avoid landing in the swamp next to the DZ. But all went well, and we got everyone down with no injuries. (BZs to our jumpmasters and the flying Leathernecks of VMGR-234.)
Not only did I get my first post-Airborne School jump under my belt, but I had the pleasure of meeting, sheerly by chance, a frequent reader and commenter at the Dulles Airport baggage claim! Good to see you sir, and we appreciate your visits and kind words.
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Comments
Hey, BR, you have any LNO billets for a submariner in your unit? Sounds like fun!
DoubleTapper: I'll try to get some next jump, I knew I'd have my hands full this time. But we had a photographer on the ground and I'll see if I can get some of his.
Is this why we're missing out on Gun Sundays?For drill and jumping out of perfectly good aircraft? Sacrifices must be made I guess...
There are some jump pictures and video floating around of this past weekend's ramp jump. Picture taking is easy, downloading to computer takes effort. Will keep everyone posted.
Gold Wing Watch - 4 down, 1 to go!
That sounds like a jump onto the airstrip at Camp Blanding. I remember doing the same, back about 1979 - while in the 82nd Abn. The strip was surrounded by swampy canals - we jumped just before sundown in January - and then had to seize objectives that required wading through the shoulder deep canals. Once objectives were secured, my platoon went into an ambush - lying on the sandy soil, soaking wet, air temperature about 48F and falling, with maybe a 5 mph steady breeze. We laid in ambush 'til dawn - absolutely freezing. It was the coldest I ever remember being - in FLORIDA of all places!
All the way!
The Lone Ranger
RLTW
The Army is *still* using T-10s? The only T-10s I ever jumped were in Jump School, in 1977! The MC-1B was the standard parachute used in every airborne unit I served in.
Anyway, congratulations on your jump. We always loved it when the Army would drag out a Huey for hollywood jumps on our own airfield in Vicenza, Italy.
Lone Ranger: Close! Avon Park, not Blanding. Either way, it was somewhat off-putting until I mastered the toggles, or the good St Michael intervened on my behalf.
509th Bob: Yep, T-10s at Airborne School. I wonder if I didn't jump some chute you jumped!
AIRBORNE.
Congrats! Now on to military free fall school where it should become real fun!
Good thing you didn't land in the canals because there are a lot of gators in the canals around DZ Hardluck.
Hope the next jump won't be the "PAKI-PASS."
It is getting very ugly out there as of late.
Maybe the AF can pull a sweeper train of thou-pou (blessings from MUS needed) to put the haji's in the sleep mode. Like sharks, they smell blood in the water, and the prize is NU-scary to us that know. Even the MSM is nervous.... so that makes it probable that we will have to go to the hammer very soon.
Just Thinking
Congrats on your "Cherry Jump".
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It a shame you didn't post any pictures of the jump.