Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Kissta DiGregorio | Staff Sgt. Renaldo Lakharam checks a Paratrooper’s universal static line for...... read more read more
Staff Sgt. Renaldo Lakharam stood in the door of a C-27 aircraft, looking out over the tops of pine trees and bodies of water from an altitude of 1,200 feet. From this vantage point, he patiently waited for the small plane to fly past an irregularly-shaped lake, signaling he was only 30 seconds out from the drop zone. On the mark, he thrust his head out the door against the beating wind, checked that conditions were safe, and prepared his jumper to exit.
Lakharam, an automated logistical noncommissioned officer assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Co., 4th Military Information Support Group, was named the 4th MISG Jumpmaster of the Year during a ceremony, May 20, 2016. The honor was awarded following an intensive competition the month before.
Day one of the competition took place at Camp Mackall on April 8, 2016, with a practical work inside the aircraft exam, in which each competitor demonstrated his ability to execute the duties of a jumpmaster from loading the plane through exiting a jumper. Days two and three – which took place almost two weeks later – tested the jumpmasters’ physical fitness, proficiency at conducting jumpmaster duties on the ground, and general jumpmaster knowledge. These events consisted of an Army physical fitness test, nomenclature exam covering various pieces of airborne equipment, written exam covering various regulations, drop zone safety officer practical exam, and jumpmaster practical inspection of jumpers’ equipment.
Command Sgt. Major Michael Parrish, 4th MISG senior enlisted advisor, lauded each of the three competitors, and praised Lakharam for his dedication to the competition and to the Group.
“These types of competitions are important to build morale and esprit-de-corps within the unit," Parrish said. “Staff Sgt. Lakharam put in the work to prove himself as the Group’s Jumpmaster of the Year. I hope his success motivates other jumpmasters to compete in the future, and for young Paratroopers to aspire to complete jumpmaster school.”
That success didn’t come easy, however. Lakharam is a master-rated parachutist, meaning not only has he completed an advanced airborne course, but he has also completed more than 65 airborne operations, consisting of nighttime, combat equipment, and mass tactical operations. It is a badge normally worn by senior-ranking Paratroopers who have spent a decade or more exiting jumpers from military aircraft. Lakharam earned it only three years after completing jumpmaster school.
Lakharam said the reason he has completed so many jumps, well above the required one jump every three months, was because of his fear of doing just that. His first assignment was to an airborne unit in Italy. After his time there, he spent six years outside of the airborne community. When he reported to Fort Bragg in 2010 and began jumping again, he was worried.
“I was a nervous jumper,” Lakharam said. “I’m afraid of heights. I didn’t know if it was worth it. I thought about dropping my jump status.”
After reporting to 4th MISG a year later, his perception started to change. “I realized the best way to get over my fear was to jump as often as possible – to get comfortable. The fear motivated me to want to challenge myself,” he said.
That motivation pushed him to complete an amazing 18 airborne operations that year, about 15 more than the average Paratrooper, and 29 jumps overall. “I was more comfortable because I trusted my equipment. I trusted my training. I trusted my jumpmaster teams,” he said. “That year set the tone for me to want to be a jumpmaster.”
By October 2012, Lakharam was a young sergeant and 4th MISG’s newest jumpmaster. Over the next four months, he completed his 30th jump and the duties required to earn the senior parachutist badge, while the master wings came in 2015.
Lakharam said while he doesn’t normally talk about his earlier aversion to airborne operations, he likes to use it as a way to preach the importance of pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone. “I use it as a tool to teach Soldiers. If you’re scared of jumping, scared of heights, use that fear to achieve something positive.”
Lakharam wears his achievements on his chest – master parachutist wings, a newly awarded Army Commendation Medal, as well as the honor of being the Group’s Jumpmaster of the Year.
“It’s important for me to show my Soldiers that you have to challenge yourself,” he said. “You never truly know how good you are until you’re measured against your peers.”
-#4MISG-
| Date Taken: | 05.26.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 06.07.2016 12:50 |
| Story ID: | 200128 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, NC, US |
| Hometown: | BROOKLYN, NY, US |
| Web Views: | 125 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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