United States Army Airborne School
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The United States Army Airborne School — widely known as Jump School — conducts the basic paratrooper (military parachutist) training for the United States armed forces. It is operated by the 1st Battalion (Airborne), 507th Infantry, United States Army Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia. The Airborne School conducts the Basic Airborne Course, which is open to soldiers of both genders from all branches of the US Army, its sister services, and allied military personnel.
The purpose of the Basic Airborne Course is to qualify the volunteer (all students volunteer for this school) in the use of the parachute as a means of combat deployment and to develop leadership, self-confidence, and an aggressive spirit through mental and physical conditioning.
The course is three weeks long and consists of "Ground Week", "Tower Week" and "Jump Week". Rigorous physical training (PT) is emphasized throughout the entire course. The initial entry PT test consists of the standard Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT). All age groups must pass this test using the 17-21 age group standards. The pullup requirement was lifted in October 2006.
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[edit] History
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[edit] Curriculum
[edit] Ground Week
During Ground Week, students begin an intensive program of instruction to build individual airborne skills, which prepare them to make a parachute jump, and land safely. They train on the mock door, practice parachute landing falls (PLF), exit the 34-foot (10 m) tower, and train on the lateral drift apparatus (LDA). To go forward to Tower Training Week, students must individually qualify on the 34-foot (10 m) tower, the LDA, successfully complete all PLFs, and pass all PT requirements.
[edit] Tower Week
A team effort is added to the training with the "mass exit" concept. The apparati used this week are the 34-foot (10 m) towers, the swing landing trainer (SLT), the mock door for mass exit training, the suspended harness,
[edit] Jump Week
During Jump Week students make five parachute jumps into Fryar Drop Zone (DZ) located in Alabama, which is part of the Fort Benning Military Reservation. Trainees must run to the air field, conduct pre-jump training, and then get into their harnesses and await their turn to jump. Generally, two of the jumps are "combat equipment jumps", in which the jumper carries a ruck sack and a dummy weapon. The other three jumps are "hollywood", in that the jumper only wears the parachute and reserve. At least one jump is required to be at night, although weather and other factors, such as holidays, may result in all five jumps being hollywood day jumps.
[edit] Personnel
[edit] Instructors
The Airborne School instructors are commonly referred to as "Black Hats", due to the black baseball cap with their dress uniform rank insignia and parachutist badge that is the distinguishing part of their uniform. However, all students within the school are required to call them "Sergeant Airborne" (or Petty Officer Airborne in case of a Navy instructor). Unusual for an Army school, instructors may come from the United States Army, Marine Corps, Navy or Air Force.[1] The reasoning behind this is because students from all four main branches of the military are able to attend, so each branch insists that they have at least one representative to ensure quality instruction. They train students in the use of static line deployed parachutes.
The battalion is organized into six companies: Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) for administrative actions and command and control; four Line Companies (A, B, C, and D) execute the Basic Airborne Course Program of Instruction (POI) and Company (E) provides parachute rigger support.
[edit] Students
The vast majority of students at Airborne School come from the U.S. Army. These include soldiers on assignment to the 82nd Airborne Division, XVIII Airborne Corps, 4th BCT 25th Infantry Division, 173rd Airborne BCT, 75th Ranger Regiment, or the Special Forces Qualification Course. Recent BUD/S graduates also attend the school in order to be jump qualified. Summer classes are frequently made up of substantial numbers of cadets from ROTC and West Point. Excess seats go to other personnel at Fort Benning on assignment to Officer Candidate School or the Basic Officer Leaders Course. The United States Parachutist Badge (commonly referred to as "Jump Wings") is awarded to U.S. Armed Forces personnel upon completion of Airborne School regardless of branch or MOS.
Upon arrival, students are given roster numbers which must be put on their equipment. Since military rank is not taken away during training, enlisted, cadets, NCOs, and officers are distinguished by a plain number, C, N, or A placed in front of their roster number, respectively.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
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