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June 1980, graduated on a Thursday to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the graduation of the test platoon (who became the the original blackhats). My blood wings were hammered home by an original blackhat.
By virtue of federal holidays, post training holidays and hurricanes, my jump school consisted of EIGHT actual days of training. 5 jumps in one day on either side of a storm (by the clock, the last 2 jumps rated as night jumps), pinning on Fryar and completing ‘chute shakeout at about 0300.
We memorialized all this on our class plaque and were told that it couldn’t hang anywhere visible to students or Infantry School officials, but that our cycle’s surprising downtime/LOD ratio ensured the Black Hats would be contending among themselves for personal possession of our plaque after we left.
Last jump – Sep 2014, two weeks before my 58th birthday
Only got to twenty jumps. Spent 2004 in Iraq, went off jump status in Feb 2005, didn’t get back on until May 2012. Really glad I got the chance. The WW II paratroopers are still my hero’s. I was able to get a couple jumps in at Camp Mackall which were really special to me based on it’s history. This year I was able to finally get to Normandy for the 73rd anniversary of D Day which was an amazing trip. Airborne!
October, 1993. Delta Co. 1/507. The order came down that there would be no blood wings, as the Echelons Beyond Reality was afraid it would be offensive. The irony was that the graduation crowd was filled with WWII vets from the 507th, who were at Benning for their reunion. We were like, I don’t think they’d get offended by blood wings; they fucking invented them.
I got blood wings on Fryar in May 96, during the ceremony, from my DS who attended to see his OSUT guys graduate; I’m guessing your class was right after the “incident” that had everyone tucking their tails.
I remember there was something brewing at the time because the Black Hats did offer to do blood wings but it was an out of sight out of mind thing. I don’t think I heard about the video and the one from 91′ until I got to Bragg. Big topic of conversation at the time for us was Mogadishu.
August 1993. One-Hundred Year record heat wave! Jumped with “modified uniform”, and they had firetrucks spray us to cool down.
We had a bunch of SEALS straight out of BUDS in my platoon. Friday afternoon after Ground Week, we had a weekend safety brief: “Don’t get raped in Atlanta; no drinking and driving; and no swimming in the Chattahoochee river! Fall out!” Our platoon began discussing weekend plans – the SEALs said, “Hey, let’s go swimming in the Chattahoochie River!”. Not to be outdone, all the Alpha’s and November’s tagged along and we plunged into the flood-swollen, muddy water, dodging downed trees and dead cows, and a good time was had by all!
2 weeks for Just Cause in 1989. We did most of our qualification jumps at dawn, so that a the Ranger Regt could practice assaulting the airfield the rest of the day.
September 2006. Loved to jump in the snow up at Richardson. Missed all sorts of jumps including the Canadian wings because they didn’t want to drop us with AWADS.
I earned mine on 14 FEB 1992, which was fitting as it was St. Valentines Day, and I LOVED being a Paratrooper! I served in three different Airborne units; Army SOF, LRS, and USAF Special Tactics.
Got mine right after OSUT in 1985.
Then went to my first unit, 210 Cav (LRS)(ABN), 7th Inf Division LRS. Then went to HHC 1-505 PIR,82nd ABN DIV, then on to 1-75 and both my Sr wings and a Combat Jump Star. Then on to 1st SOCOM which became USASOC,1st SFGA,3rd SFGA,F/51st Inf LRSC,then got out of Active duty, to spend the rest of my time in the NG or USAR, and got into E/5/117th Cavalry (ABN)(LRS).NJNG,20th SFGA and my Master Wings, then onto the 404th CA Bn (FID/UW) and lastly the 478th CA Bn (SO)(ABN).
I would only change one thing, and that would be staying in LRS units if I could have.
I will be going to the ceremony Saturday at the Airborne & Special Operations Museum, then drag the GF onto Ft Bragg to check out the Museums there and whatever may be happening there,since it seems everyplace is celebrating Airborne Dat this weekend, rather than the actual day of Aug 16th.
Hope to see some of you there, wearing your “KCRF” shirts.
April 97, back when Airborne School was hard… it was the last hard class.
=)
Novice Wings ’88
Senior Wings ’96
Master Wings ’02
German, Italian, Chilian Foreign wings
Earned my Jump Wings in 2010. Earned my Star in 2017. Still chasing that wreath.
February 1991, the day the air war began
June of 1991 for me.
One month after you- March ’91.
Master Wings- May ’95
Correction, Master wings ’94. Would have been a JM for Haiti if it’d gone down.
1993!
I’m getting Old, October 1994.
I’m May 1994.
33-86 Jump or Die!
June 1980, graduated on a Thursday to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the graduation of the test platoon (who became the the original blackhats). My blood wings were hammered home by an original blackhat.
That is a cool story
!986 Mission Accomplishment is not Everything it’s the ONLY thing.
Basic Airborne: May 1984
Senior Parachutist: September 1990
Master Parachutist: May 1991
I meant to mention that I was assigned to 43rd Company.
Ft Benning NOV83
Danish Wings JUL84
British Wings JUL88
1991-09-11
Basic May 96
JM Feb 01
retired with master wings
Foreign: Thai, Thai Marine, Philippine, South Korean, Japanese, Indonesian, Malaysian
US basic wings – May 1983
Dutch basic wings – May 2004
1984.
By virtue of federal holidays, post training holidays and hurricanes, my jump school consisted of EIGHT actual days of training. 5 jumps in one day on either side of a storm (by the clock, the last 2 jumps rated as night jumps), pinning on Fryar and completing ‘chute shakeout at about 0300.
We memorialized all this on our class plaque and were told that it couldn’t hang anywhere visible to students or Infantry School officials, but that our cycle’s surprising downtime/LOD ratio ensured the Black Hats would be contending among themselves for personal possession of our plaque after we left.
Airborne School, Delta Company, June 1981
Basic Airborne – May 2003, age 45
Chilean wings – Feb 2013
Last jump – Sep 2014, two weeks before my 58th birthday
Only got to twenty jumps. Spent 2004 in Iraq, went off jump status in Feb 2005, didn’t get back on until May 2012. Really glad I got the chance. The WW II paratroopers are still my hero’s. I was able to get a couple jumps in at Camp Mackall which were really special to me based on it’s history. This year I was able to finally get to Normandy for the 73rd anniversary of D Day which was an amazing trip. Airborne!
In August 1995 as a ROTC Cadet. We were treated worse than Privates!
As God intended.
1980, retired with an even 100 jumps, German and Italian wings.
Have a great National Airborne Day brothers………..
30 years ago last week (August 1987)
C Co/1 BN/507 PIR
July 1991
sept-2011
last jump was a JFE……. just to show putin we can 🙂
Oct, 1975
1986
October, 1993. Delta Co. 1/507. The order came down that there would be no blood wings, as the Echelons Beyond Reality was afraid it would be offensive. The irony was that the graduation crowd was filled with WWII vets from the 507th, who were at Benning for their reunion. We were like, I don’t think they’d get offended by blood wings; they fucking invented them.
Checked into Alfa 1/507 on 01OCT93, the only people who came by after to see us were RI’s looking to poach people away from the 82nd
I got blood wings on Fryar in May 96, during the ceremony, from my DS who attended to see his OSUT guys graduate; I’m guessing your class was right after the “incident” that had everyone tucking their tails.
Which incident? There were a few that time frame.
Marines on videotape was the most scarring to institutional reputation IIRC.
I remember there was something brewing at the time because the Black Hats did offer to do blood wings but it was an out of sight out of mind thing. I don’t think I heard about the video and the one from 91′ until I got to Bragg. Big topic of conversation at the time for us was Mogadishu.
August 1996
August 1993. One-Hundred Year record heat wave! Jumped with “modified uniform”, and they had firetrucks spray us to cool down.
We had a bunch of SEALS straight out of BUDS in my platoon. Friday afternoon after Ground Week, we had a weekend safety brief: “Don’t get raped in Atlanta; no drinking and driving; and no swimming in the Chattahoochee river! Fall out!” Our platoon began discussing weekend plans – the SEALs said, “Hey, let’s go swimming in the Chattahoochie River!”. Not to be outdone, all the Alpha’s and November’s tagged along and we plunged into the flood-swollen, muddy water, dodging downed trees and dead cows, and a good time was had by all!
September 1988 Basic Wings. Currently on Master Chair-Borne status
November 2001.
Youngsters! November 1976 back when the companies were numbered 42, 43, and 44. A home, a home away from home….
2 weeks for Just Cause in 1989. We did most of our qualification jumps at dawn, so that a the Ranger Regt could practice assaulting the airfield the rest of the day.
er…before Just Cause
June 07 Australian, German, Italian, British, freefall 10
September 2006. Loved to jump in the snow up at Richardson. Missed all sorts of jumps including the Canadian wings because they didn’t want to drop us with AWADS.
October 1990.
Graduated Jump School Nov 93
Went to Jump Master School in 2006
earned Senior Wings in 2006
earned Master Wings in 2008
Romanian wings
El Salvadoran wings
Australian wings
August 1999
Nov 1978 with 6 rides on the 250 foot tower.
July 1998
Basic wings 1998
German wings 1999
Gold Star 2003
Senior Star 2004
I earned mine on 14 FEB 1992, which was fitting as it was St. Valentines Day, and I LOVED being a Paratrooper! I served in three different Airborne units; Army SOF, LRS, and USAF Special Tactics.
Hey, I know you!
Feb 1983 at 45th Company….
On the hot afternoon of 3 July 1979.
US Basic-Master
Polish
Jordanian
South Korean
UAE
Saudi Arabia
German Silver
GB
Quatar
Isreali
21 July, 2017
Congrats!
Thanks! Can’t wait to jump again
Got mine right after OSUT in 1985.
Then went to my first unit, 210 Cav (LRS)(ABN), 7th Inf Division LRS. Then went to HHC 1-505 PIR,82nd ABN DIV, then on to 1-75 and both my Sr wings and a Combat Jump Star. Then on to 1st SOCOM which became USASOC,1st SFGA,3rd SFGA,F/51st Inf LRSC,then got out of Active duty, to spend the rest of my time in the NG or USAR, and got into E/5/117th Cavalry (ABN)(LRS).NJNG,20th SFGA and my Master Wings, then onto the 404th CA Bn (FID/UW) and lastly the 478th CA Bn (SO)(ABN).
I would only change one thing, and that would be staying in LRS units if I could have.
I will be going to the ceremony Saturday at the Airborne & Special Operations Museum, then drag the GF onto Ft Bragg to check out the Museums there and whatever may be happening there,since it seems everyplace is celebrating Airborne Dat this weekend, rather than the actual day of Aug 16th.
Hope to see some of you there, wearing your “KCRF” shirts.
17 August 01. Basic
November 16. Senior
Working on the Master.
British, German and Italian FWs.
Had some leg status time in there with a few deployments while in Division.