Day: April 27, 2009

Day: April 27, 2009 JUMP DAY
Weather report: mid-80’s today, humidity 40% wind 10 SSE

This morning was an early one. I started at 0245hrs with my alarm clock blaring and my day began. I had two Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts with a canteen of water and headed out for formation. Formation and manifest call for the jumps. We were counted and recounted several times. It was crazy but called for. We then headed for the PIT. At the PIT everyone in the Company had to perform a proper front, left, right, and rear PLF to move to the harness shed. After everyone had successfully completed the exercise we ran one mile to the harness. I thought it was crazy to make us run that far before a jump but found out that it helps loosen you up and gives the instructors of personal that may have injuries.

In formation at the harness shed and MRE’s for breakfast. I had the beef stew one for breakfast. Now on your feet and inside the harness shed. We finally got in the harness shed at 0700hrs and the HURRY-UP and WAIT began. We had another accountability check and then moved out by our new chalks to acquire our parachute harness and reserve chute. We placed our arm thru the harness straps with our right arms and placed our right hand on our helmet. We carried our reserve in our left hand by the reserve carrying handle located on the top. When we returned to the harness shed we were back in roster order number and standing by our bench. The orders were to disconnect all the attachments and fully extend them, fold the aviator kit bag, and place the reserve on the top of the bench with the rip cord grip facing away from you. Once that is completed you are on a ten minute break. After the break we were instructed to size our parachute to fit our body. This is done by unsnapping the buttons on the back of the parachute tray and moving it into another hole. You do this one strap at a time to avoid twisted our rerouting the back straps. There are five slots available for adjustment. The very bottom one is the largest adjustment; then you move up to size four, size three, size two, and small. My chute harness fits me best in size three. I think that the majority of the Company is a size three. We did the buddy rigging again, but this time it was for real. We were very careful with ensuring everything was properly hooked-up and routed to ensure we were safe. Then the fun started. JMPI!

Jumpmaster Pre-jump Inspection! We had jumpmasters all over the place. The demonstration was dead on the money, just like everything else here at the school. The jumpmasters went through each and every member of the Company and initialed our helmets after they had completed the task. We were instructed to sit down and place our right hand on the rip cord grip and not to touch anything. After about an hour of sitting there we were allowed to stand up and adjust our leg straps and anything else that needed to be adjusted. At this time the jumpmasters conducted a front and rear inspection. This is the final check before loading the aircraft. Then the waiting continued.

After some shouting over the intercom a movie started to play on the TV’s in the harness shed. The movie was the MACON brief. This explains the demotions of the drop zone, any possible hazards, or hazard areas. Soon after the planes fired up and started rolling toward the harness shed. They started loading the aircraft at 1000hrs and started with chalk 12 and 11. I am in chalk three so I waited a long time. Each time one of the two C-130’s from the Air National Guard would roll-up two chalks would get up and leave. The two planes were from Alaska and West Virginia. Pretty soon it was my time. My chalk stood up and headed by two’s to the aircraft. My first jump was going to be out of the left door. That means we exit the left rear door facing the back of the aircraft.

The doors rolled up and the plane turned to approach the loading area. We started towards the rear of the aircraft to load up the ramp at 1230hrs. When we started to approach the heat from the engines and the JP 8 aircraft fuel, along with the jet was propelled us backward and made us dig down and lean into the draft to load. We moved toward the nose of the aircraft and set in the cargo seats. Not in the netting they actually had the seats in the aircraft. This was a first for me, every C-130 I have ever been on one had the cargo netting for seats. Lift off, we were airborne and the only way off the plane was through a door on the side. The sounds rand out, TEN MINUTES! It was almost time to go. The jumpmasters continued, GET READY. I was in the second pass so I watched as all my new friends performed the drill and prepared to exit the aircraft. OUT BOARD PERSONAL, STAND-UP! INBOARD PERSONAL, STAND-UP! It was getting close. HOOK-UP! This means go time, no turning back now. CHECK STATIC LINE! Trace down from the point of attachment, four in the hand, two below, and trace it to your shoulder, then trace it from the jumper in front of you down their shoulder into the first loop, and hit them on the helmet and sound off with, SAFE. CHECK EQUIPMENT! Our little jingle, Helmet, Chin Strap, Chest Strap, Left and Right Leg Strap, at each point of the jingle you touch the piece of equipment and ensure that you have everything completely closed and that nothing has come loose during movement to and on the aircraft. SOUND OFF FOR EQUIPMENT CHECK! A slap will start at the back of the jump stick and each jumper will slap the person in front of him on the fourth of contact (buttock) and send it up the line until it reaches the jumpmaster. The jumper in the door position will sound off with, ALL O.K. JUMPMASTER! Then the nerves started kicking in for some of the jumpers. ONE MINUTE! THIRTY-SECONDS! STANDY-BY! The jumpmasters are waiting on the green light. It flashes and with a smack on the number one jumpers’ buttock he disappeared out the door. A flash of daylight and then another one left the aircraft, then another, until they were all gone. All that was left swinging in the air was the static line that pulled their chutes open. The plane turned and headed back around for the next pass. It was my turn to exit now. The process started over. At first, this morning I thought about things and wondered what would happen if my chute didn’t open and my reserve failed. The things that come to mind before you exit an aircraft. I prayed about it last night and this morning and had peace like I have never felt before. I was not nervous at all and was a comfort to some of my fellow jumpers. It was amazing to follow the commands and get ready to exit the C-130 in fight for the first time. THIRTY-SECONDS! The time was here. My chalk began to move out the door, I was number seven. I handed off my static line and pushed hard and out the door I went. WOOSH! I forgot to start counting. So did everyone else I talked to on the ground. At first I felt the heat of the jet blast and then the wind, I saw my feet, the rear of the plane go by and then a sharp smooth tug above me. A beautiful silk green mushroom was above me. My parachute opened and I had no twists or any malfunctions. The wind picked-up and I started drifting to the edge of the drop-zone. While I was floating at 1200’ it was so peaceful, no sound at all, until I heard the jumpmasters on the ground yelling at us to pull the correct slip. I was drifting towards the trees. They were only six to ten feet high, but they were still trees. I pulled as much rear left diagonal slip as I could and my feet hit the ground. I did my PLF on the dirt road next to the tree line. My parachute covered four small long needle white pine trees on the west side of the DZ. I had made it, now it was time for me to recover my parachute. I was pulling on static lines, bending the small trees over and finally secured my canopy from the tree line. My buddy drifted way off into the trees and I didn’t see him until we got back to the assembly area. I reported it to the Blackhat’s as soon as one came by to check on me. They went and picked him up.

At the assembly area we had an MRE for lunch, this time it was Cheese Manicotti. Not bad at all. I was starving, anything would have been good. We put our chutes into the back of a tractor trailer and got on a bus back to the harness shed.

At the harness shed we had our reserves checked and got a new parachute. Back to the benches to gear up for the next jump. The other chalks that left the assembly area before us were already JMPI’d and ready for the bird. We started the buddy rigging again. JMPI, sit watch the video again, front and rear check, and get ready to go again. It was 1550hrs when my bird came to throw me out again. On the aircraft much of the same but this time we switched doors. I was to exit out of the right door and was the number three man. The guy in front of me had been real nervous and acting funny, he said that he was fine. All the commands went off without a problem. We started to the door and he stopped after the first person jumped and stutter stepped and caused me to get out of rhythm. I jumped and began to twist in air. This is not a problem, but it kind of a wild ride. I counted this time and got to three thousand and that wonderful tug on the shoulders, my parachute blossomed open nice and round. I had about eight twists and was wound up like a kid on a swing in the yard. I checked my canopy and it was good, and then began the process to correct my risers. I reached back behind my head pulled down and out on the risers and began bicycling my feet. This motion made me start to spin and the twists came right out. Now it was time to prepare to land again. I found myself drifting and was able to correct my drift and land almost center of the drop zone. It was a prefect PLF and I quickly gathered my gear and started to move out when Petty Officer First Class Pierce started down. I went to a knee and waited for him to land. A PLF and he was on the ground, the wind gusted and began to drag him down the drop zone. I yelled at him to activate a canopy release and he did. It continued to drag him. I ran a jumped on the partially deflated the chute and it died down. I then checked on the Petty Officer. We was grateful, it had pulled him over twelve feet and would have continued to drag him unless someone helped him out. He had dirt all over him and this fine powdery dust here made him look like a cinnamon coated sailor. We gathered hi gear a headed for the assembly area. On the way two soldiers collided in air and their parachutes collapsed. They followed all the proper steps, activated their reserves and made a successful landing. We all made it through jumps one and two. A few rolled or twisted ankles from improper landing procedures, but nothing else at this time. GOD was with each of us today and I thank him for all that HE does for us and will continue to do!

It is time for me to get to bed and try and get some rest. Formation will be at 0350hrs in the morning and we will conduct a combat jump in the morning starting at 1000hrs followed by another jump starting at 1500hrs. It will be an extremely long day tomorrow. We must get all the parachutes that the company has jumped out and shake the chutes out. This is done to help the riggers fold and put the chutes back in the harness pack trays. We will be out in the harness area until at least 2200hrs tomorrow night. The good thing we will be able to sleep the following the morning and formation will be at 1300hrs on Wednesday.

Enough for now, more adventure tomorrow.

PULL-UPS for the day: 20