Day: April 16, 2009

Day: April 16, 2009
Weather report: low-70’s today, humidity 94% again, sunny and mild, very little wind

Wake up 0430hrs. I was awake a lot earlier than that. I am paranoid that I will oversleep and be late to a formation and get a negative counseling. I sleep pretty well though.

Formation went well and we all showed up in full PT gear, shorts with pants on top, short sleeved shirts with jacket on. We (off-post personal, anyone not staying in the barracks) were not told that the uniform had changed. We were then made to take the pants and jackets off. It was a we bit chilly. We all look like we have been in a car accident. Our necks have a mark across the right side from exiting the 34’ tower and the risers striking it at least six times. It appears that we have been in a car accident as a passenger and the seatbelt gave us a nasty little mark. That all changed as soon as we began running. We made it to our training area and started as usual with ten and ten (ten pull-ups and ten push-ups). Our task for PT today was the circuit course. We got water, stretched and off we went. First station was the overhead clap (102 four count), then the military press (30 four count), off to the next station, the bear crawl up hill for 30 meters, the next station was the inch worm push-up (you start in the push-up position and complete a push-up, move your feet toward your hands, walk your hands forward back to the push-up position and completed another push-up) you continue this cycle until you reach the stopping point, about another 30 meters, next station alternating crunches (30 count each side), then flutter kicks (102 four count, he got pissed for people dropping their feet and we did an additional 50 four count), leg lifts and we were up and running to the next station. Forward lunges or better known as Iron Mikes for a long way, to the next station and jog in place, our next event was crazy, the one legged hope to a point and then switch legs and hope to the finish. Jog in place, stop! Fall-in on your canteen and drink water, make sure you stretch. After a short run back to the company area we were released and told to report back at 0845hrs ready to train on PLF’s.

A bowl of raisins bran, gogurt and bottle of water, shower and I am off to train! Man, am I sore? We worked off a training aid called the Lateral Drift Apparatus today. It is a medal sled mounted to a cable about 10’ off the ground. There is a step system that is placed in the bottom of the pit to allow us to reach the bars on the sled. After mounting the bars in the fashion you would do a pull-up, the instructor will tell you slip right/left and land. At land you let go of the bar and drop into a PFL. This is painful after about the sixth, tenth, fourteenth time. During the initial train up they made us draw a circle around our feet in the rocks and extend a line as long as we are tall in the direction we were to fall. The instructor had a jingle after we went thru the crawl phase of the training and went in the run phase. The walk phase is pretty much out of the picture here with the number of troops they train. This instructor will start with, “check your feet (we must bend at the waist, look at our feet to ensure they are together, stand up straight and slap our thighs) he will then say check YOUR feet and then the jingle begins, “hit shift and rotate, kick it up and over, activate, recover, one thousand, two thousand, three thousand, four thousand, recover.” After the jingle is completed you should have executed a PLF and be in the starting position back in your circle ready for, “CHECK YOUR FEET”. I am bruised up pretty good today, but feel great about my accomplishments. My experience with the younger soldiers yesterday on the hill has them looking to me for advise and support during training. The instructor said my PLF were close to perfectly performed. I was very proud of that. A properly completed PLF will keep you from getting injured on the DZ (drop zone). We completed left/right PLF’s and front drift left/right PLF’s today during training. Everyone in my stick was a pass. Two more soldiers quit today, another soldier dropped out of a run hurt and went home, and an additional soldier has been having migraines and was dropped from the course as well today. The instructors also brought out a sled hooked onto the back of a harness that two soldiers pull, to represent your canopy catching air and dragging you down the DZ. At this station you are required to perform both types of static line releases. The first is the single hand release (your hand on the same side of your body, do not reach across, will move to the static line release and pull out on the release, you will then make a fit on the same hand keeping your thumb exposed reach up and insert your thumb into the wire loop and pull out and down while turning your head in the opposite direction). The second method is the assisted release (you will do the same motions as above but reach over with your other hand and brace the hand holding the release to apply additional pressure). If at some point the canopy does not collapse with one set of risers disengaged you would then release the other side. If the canopy is dragging someone down the DZ and is knock-out, or having additional problems you will jump on them and release the static lines.

We went over how to repack the chute after the PLF and releasing the risers. After hitting the DZ and getting ready to put your parachute and harness away you must first lay on your back, release the chest strap and the leg straps. You will then take one arm out of the harness and place all the metal buckles, riser attachments underneath the packing tray. The smooth side of the packing tray should be smooth side up and the waist band exposed out of the aviator bag. You will then go to the end of your chute find the apex of the canopy and insert your thumb thru the ring. After placing your thumb thru the loop you will figure eight the chute until you reach the riser attachment and the aviator’s bag, do not pull the bag to you. The only time you will pull anything to you is on a combat equipment jump and you will pull the chute as you pack it. Once you have completely gathered the entire chute you will pack it and close it using the snaps on the bag. Do not zip it as you may damage the chute and it will have to be mended by the riggers.

We finally finished all of today’s training and dismissed to return for another round of PT in the morning at 0530hrs. I am going to shower up, eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, some popcorn, and down some more water, lay down and drift off into a happy place were my butt doesn’t hurt from landing on it.

PULL-UPS for the day: 50