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FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, Pa. – A drop zone here was recently enlarged and improved and can now be used for personnel drops as well as equipment drops.
King Drop Zone, located east of Bollen Air-to-Ground Range in Fort Indiantown Gap’s training corridor between Blue and Second mountains, has been in operation for about 15 years for training on airborne equipment drops.
Now comprised of 238 contiguous acres, including more than 70 acres of cleared land, King DZ can also be used for high-altitude, high-opening (HAHO); high-altitude, low-opening (HALO) and static-line personnel drops, said Capt. Michael Shea, Fort Indiantown Gap’s Range Management Authority.
“This is yet another capability that has been added to Fort Indiantown Gap’s training areas,” Shea said.
The impetus behind the enlargement and improvement project was the 193rd Special Operations Wing’s new mission.
The 193rd SOW, based at Harrisburg International Airport in Middletown, Pennsylvania, transitioned from the EC-130J Commando Solo airborne broadcasting aircraft to the MC-130J Commando II in 2023.
With the new aircraft came a new mission: to fly clandestine, low-level infiltration, exfiltration and resupply missions.
During the 193rd SOW’s conversion to the MC-130J, the decision was made to pursue a clearing project to open the clear area on King DZ in order to mitigate the risk of damage to heavy equipment platforms, said Lt. Col. Ryan Ott, commander of the 193rd SOW’s Detachment 1 at Bollen Air-to-Ground Range.
The wing secured funding from Air Force Special Operations Command for a brush and stump grinding contract, and Fort Indiantown Gap forestry conducted a timber sale for the area that was economical for logging operations, Ott said.
“With the improvements to King DZ, the 193rd SOW is now able to conduct every type of training air drop close to home," Ott said. "Being able to do the drops locally saves us the time and resources of having to travel further away and provides limitless opportunities to conduct training scenarios that integrate Bollen Air-to-Ground Range with the cutting-edge training facilities offered by Fort Indiantown Gap.”
Like most of the 193rd SOW’s operational areas in the corridor, the land that King DZ encompasses is managed by Fort Indiantown Gap’s Range Operations but maintained by Bollen Range personnel.
Additionally, Ott said, Bollen Range personnel coordinate the aircraft scheduling for the airspace and drop zone with Range Operations.
In addition to King DZ, Fort Indiantown Gap also has two other designated drop zones that are capable of supporting airborne operations: DZ Wyatt and DZ West Field.
The King DZ project was a great example of the Air Force and Army working together to establish a new training area to help meet the 193rd SOW’s training requirements, Shea said.
“When units ask us to help facilitate their training at Fort Indiantown Gap, the Training Center does everything it can to make that happen,” Shea said.
| Date Taken: | 05.14.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.14.2025 15:40 |
| Story ID: | 497986 |
| Location: | FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 111 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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