Photo By James Gilbert | Attendees stand for the playing of the National Anthem at a dedication ceremony for a...... read more read more
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Testing virtually every piece of equipment in the ground combat arsenal is U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground’s (YPG) primary mission.
Yet for nearly 30 years, the Military Freefall School (MFFS), part of the United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, has utilized the proving ground’s vast ranges to train thousands of the military’s most elite paratroopers.
“We are the entry-level military free fall training program for all of the United States Special Operations Command,” said Maj. Nicholas Garver, MFFS commander. “We take personnel from the Air Force, Marines, Navy, and Army and teach them the basic principles of military free fall. We also support the jumpmaster course and instructor course.”
Since the opening of one of the world’s largest vertical wind tunnels here in 2014, the MFFS’s mission has increased significantly: Fully 48% of all freefall jumps in the Department of Defense take place here.
Earlier today, a dedication ceremony took place for a two-bay hangar for the Special Operations Aviation Command flight detachment that has supported training operations of the MFFS for the past nine years.
“This is the largest military construction project we’ve done on the base so far,” said Byn Butler, a project engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “The freefall wind tunnel was about $14 million, and this one came in at just about $48 million.”
The new structure was more than two years in the making and included the construction of access aprons and improved taxiways.
“Having served in Army aviation for over 20 years, this is without a doubt the nicest hangar and operations facility I’ve ever seen,” said Lt. Col. Sean Karrels, a battalion commander of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, in remarks at the ceremony. “This will directly improve mission readiness, providing expeditious service to our maintainers and operators and, ultimately, our customer.”
“This hangar is important to the flight detachment because it helps us preserve our aircraft to make sure they are out of the elements,” said Chief Warrant Officer 5 David Jones, the detachment’s commander. “Having a hangar like this allows us to perform the maintenance on the aircraft so they are available to support the training mission for years to come.”
The flight detachment maintains and flies the C27J, formerly used as a niche cargo plane to supplement the larger C-130. The aircraft was extensively tested at YPG prior to being fielded and is regarded by many as a high-performance aircraft. It achieves altitude more quickly than the aircraft formerly used to support the MFFS prior to the creation of the flight detachment, and also accommodates two to three times as many jumpers at a time, which has contributed to a significant expansion of MFFS training opportunities in recent years.
“This is much needed,” said Garver. “Having the hangar here for the flight detachment is another signal that the Army supports them and supports our mission here.”
A contract for a new MFFS ready building near the hangar is expected to be awarded this summer, with construction commencing early next year.
| Date Taken: | 04.09.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 04.09.2024 16:58 |
| Story ID: | 468170 |
| Location: | YUMA PROVING GROUND, AZ, US |
| Web Views: | 735 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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