Photo By Ana Henderson | Yuma, Ariz. — On the morning of Sept. 18, Soldiers from the Yuma Test Center...... read more read more
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The Airborne Soldiers at U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) have a dangerous enough job of jumping from an aircraft onto solid ground yet they recently upped that by adding a body of water as their drop zone.
“We never know what [test mission] is going to come down,” explained Joe Castillo, Test Parachutist Program Manager for the Airborne Test Force (ATF). “So being inventive in what we are doing with the Soldiers, keeping them current and proficient and putting our heads together to ask ‘what haven’t we done’” was the why behind the idea.
ATF presented the plan for a static line deliberate water jump from two types of aircraft to Yuma Test Center Commander Lt. Col. Kevin Hicks who “loved” the idea.
“I am an Airborne guy, so anytime our jumpers can jump in different scenarios, it’s just going to make them better and safer as they go from Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) back in the Army in other units, they can bring that experience with them.”
ATF Soldier Sgt. 1st Class Cody Lavalla vetted Senator Wash Reservoir, a water source just west of YPG, as the location after conducting a drop zone survey ensuring the location was safe to use for both aircraft and jumpers. The Bureau of Land Management also approved the use of the reservoir.
Yet with ATF no longer owning boats to recover the jumpers, they reached out to local law enforcement for support to mitigate some of the danger.
“It’s just been open arms,” described Castillo, when he got in contact with local law enforcement about their support.
With commitments from the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office (YCSO), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the Yuma Sector Border Patrol (BP), ATF set the date. BP enlisted the help of BORSTAR, the elite Border Patrol, Search, Trauma, and Rescue unit and YCSO provided support at the command post for evaluators, instructors, and assistance with safety and water rescue operations.
Leading up to the jump, ATF ensured their Soldiers and those of the Military Freefall School (MFFS) were strong swimmers. They each underwent a rigorous Combat Water Survival Training modified for parachute operations. While wearing physical training gear and shoes, Soldiers had to pass a top water swim test using a side stroke, tread water and float for two minutes, quickly release a harness, jump into the water and swim underneath for a measured distance, and finally create a V-shaped air pocket under the canopy of the parachute.
“If they fail, they just can’t jump. They are a high hazard risk,” explained Lavalla.
A few weeks later on Sept. 3, the Soldiers, deputies and agents met at Senator Wash to do a dry, or rather a wet run of how to pull the Soldiers on to the rescue jet skis and boat while fully submerged with their gear.
Agents learned how to help the Soldiers quickly remove their parachutes, where it’s safe to grab hold of their chute without the risk of it deploying, and how to safely recover their equipment.
On the morning of Sept. 18, anticipation was high. Each unit was focused on their mission. YCSO, CBP and BP provided support in the water from boats and jet skis manned with Soldiers, deputies, agents and members of BORSTAR.
One by one Soldiers from ATF and the MFFS glided through the air and into the water. ATF jumped from an UH-60 and MFFS from a CASA-212.
ATF Staff Sgt. Jonathan Harris was one of those jumpers.
“It was a nice easy landing compared to landing on the ground like we usually do,” he said.
It took roughly 20-30 seconds for the jumpers to reach the water. In that time, jumpers are doing more than just taking in the view explained Harris.
“As you are coming down, you are adjusting to the wind. Making sure we are steering your canopy in the right direction to stay over the water and have a nice safe landing. We always try to face our canopies into the wind at about 200 feet to make sure that we are going to land straight down to the area that we are targeting.”
Each jumper landed safely and crews standing by picked them up.
YPG Commander Col. John Nelson and Command Sgt. Maj. Joshua Holthus supported the jumpers throughout the preparation process. Nelson said he is proud of the Soldiers and what this means for YPG’s mission.
“It was great to see such a capability being brought here to Yuma Proving Ground, which hasn’t existed for nearly 20 years, just based on the initiative of the Airborne Test Force reaching out to external agencies like the border patrol and sheriff’s department to make sure everything is done properly and safe.”
Hicks said while the initial intent was for ATF’s training, he sees benefit for the other participants.
“It’s not just good for our testers to be able to jump in the water and maintain that capability but to give these other agencies to work with us, to understand, what does it look like when you have someone coming out of the sky and landing, because that could easily be a skydiver, or a wingsuit jumper, or a civilian comes in and how do they help support them. So, it’s great to bring awareness to the entire community.”
Local law enforcement participated because they also see the value in joint training.
“We value the strong working relationship that has always existed between our organizations, and we continue to rely on one another to operate effectively as a team,” said Tania Pavlak on behalf of the YCSO with Sheriff Leon Wilmot adding, “We are proud to support the warfighter ethos.”
BP Assistant Chief Patrol Agent Michael Wisniewski added, "Joint training with the U.S. Army Airborne Test Force enhances our operational readiness and strengthens interagency cooperation. These exercises ensure our agents are prepared to respond swiftly and effectively in any situation while reinforcing the trusted partnership between the U.S. Border Patrol and the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground."
| Date Taken: | 09.18.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.18.2025 17:34 |
| Story ID: | 548678 |
| Location: | YUMA PROVING GROUND, ARIZONA, US |
| Web Views: | 168 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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