Airborne demonstration

I just got back from witnessing the airborne/parachute demonstration at Gammon Field. It was held at 11:00, just as the Warfighter teams were crossing the finish line of their final event.

I arrived around 10:45 and took a seat and a moment to check things out. It was the most jovial event I’ve witnessed on post so far. The first aspect to catch my eye, or ear, was the band. I’ve seen military bands on television before, wearing elaborate uniforms and standing with impeccable posture holding polished brass instruments, playing formal events. This was different. The 399th Army Band guys were wearing their ACUs (how many of you know this acronym? See my Warfighter post for the answer) and were playing casual, fun, upbeat music. They were great and it really made the event seem like a celebration.

It wasn’t simply a party for everyone there, however. For the competitors, it was the end to a long and tough event. A large digital time clock was set up to record the teams’ time as they crossed the finish line after the 15 mile road march. When I arrived, the clock was ticking away at more than five hours and 45 minutes! I saw a few teams cross the finish line – running- wearing their ACUs and carrying huge backpacks that I’m sure weighed a ton.

Here’s a personal anecdote on this: I’m no athlete, but I once ran a half marathon. Now, that’s 13.1 miles. I was wearing running shoes and some of those sweat-wicking-away shorts and tank top. I trained for the event for months and I was able to run the entire time. By the 12th mile, I swore to myself I’d never run again. It was torture! I was so bored, and so tired, and so ready to stop running. I finished, and I was proud of my accomplishment, but that was enough for me!
Knowing how hard it was for me to run that half marathon, I cannot imagine doing what these guys did, and especially after the three days of events they’d already endured! They are obviously the best of the best.

After all of the teams crossed the finish line and the band finished its set, it was time for the airborne demonstration. The event was narrated over the loud speaker, so all of the spectators learned about the parachutes as the guys were coming down from the air.

In my mind, I think, things are always over-simplified. I went into this thinking that these guys just jumped out of the airplane, like skydivers. You get to a certain point, pull the ‘chute, and land wherever the wind takes you. If you’re smart you might start upwind of where you would prefer to land. Well, I was wrong.

Evidently these guys know how to steer the parachutes to land in their desired location, keeping the wind factor in account. The parachutes can travel up to 20 miles per hour! When they come down, they have a trail of red-clay-colored smoke following them. I was too far away to tell, but I think they had little smoke rockets on their feet. My guess is the smoke makes them more visible while they’re in the air, like reflective clothing while you jog at night. The speaker narrated each individual’s landing, and they all landed on their feet! That is, except the dog.

The tandem jump with the dog was the last to land (to build up excitement, no doubt). The dog’s name is Sergeant Major Fosco, and he was strapped in alongside the Soldier, as calm as a cucumber. That is, until he touched down and was unstrapped. Then the dog took off running towards another Soldier and attacked him! Don’t worry; it was all part of the plan. The other Soldier was wearing a padded training arm for the dog to bite. Good thing, because SGM Fosco did not let go! “You’d better not throw me out of an airplane again!” I heard someone in the audience say as the dog hung on the training arm. But I don’t think SGM Fosco was angry. As soon as he was told to let go, he let his handler hook him onto a leash and trotted obediently away. For SGM Fosco I guess it was just another day at the office.