Photo By Dorie Heyer | Army parachute riggers assigned to Defense Logistics Agency Distribution, Susquehanna,...... read more read more
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Army parachute riggers assigned to Defense Logistics Agency Distribution in Susquehanna, Pennsylvania, reached a pivotal readiness milestone April 30. Executing a static line jump alongside airmen from the 148th Air Support Operations Squadron—a subordinate unit of the 193rd Special Operations Wing—at Fort Indiantown Gap, the team demonstrated the rapid mobility and joint interoperability essential to Western Hemisphere and homeland defense missions.
After relying on external airborne operation support since 2018, the rigger section successfully restored its organic capabilities during a training evolution earlier this February. Their core mission is critical to rapid deployment and logistics: maintaining all Federal Stock Class 1670 Aerial Delivery Equipment and related air items in a high state of readiness and serviceability. Since skills gained from past assignments are perishable, it’s imperative that the riggers maintain currency of airborne operations.
“The progression from CH-47 Chinook operations into C-130 Hercules and UH-60 Black Hawk operations significantly increases our flexibility and operational adaptability,” said Army Staff Sgt. Edwin Perez, a parachute rigger assigned to DLA Distribution Susquehanna who served as the primary jumpmaster for the operation. “Different aircraft platforms present different procedures, timing, and mission considerations, so expanding our proficiency allows DLA Distribution Susquehanna riggers to integrate into a wider range of mission sets and support requirements.”
“Actively conducting airborne operations with multiple airframes and branches of service is vital in keeping us in touch with current trends, techniques and equipment,” said Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 William Cook, material management chief, DLA Distribution Susquehanna. “We depend on the professionalism, knowledge and expertise of our riggers to ensure that all the Federal Supply Code 1670 items shipped from DLA Distribution Susquehanna to the warfighter are ready to contribute to the mission at hand.”
Building on February’s success, this operation brought together DLA Distribution riggers, the Air Force's 148th ASOS, and a guest jumpmaster from the Army's 5th Special Forces Group. Training alongside both tactical air control and special operations forces directly translates to a stronger, more unified homeland defense posture.
“Training together builds the shared understanding and seamless interoperability required for homeland defense missions,” Cook said. “When a crisis occurs, it’s often a joint force that’s deployed that maximizes the strengths of multiple organizations. Our training aides in preparation for that type of multi-organizational effort.”
This multi-agency airborne evolution heavily emphasized collaboration. A Pennsylvania Army National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk crew provided air support and coordinated pre-mission communication, while the joint jumpmaster team, including members of the 5th Special Forces Group, ensured operations met rigorous special operations and current schoolhouse standards. For the DLA Distribution riggers managing the program, ground operations involved assisting airmen with limited jump experience—a process that underscored fundamental training, meticulous preparation, and seamless multi-branch integration.
“A unified posture depends on organizations being able to quickly integrate and operate effectively together under pressure,” Perez added. “Joint training events allow us to identify and solve friction points before they become problems during actual operations.”
This level of interoperability was hard-earned. Starting the jump program from scratch meant that the DLA Distribution Susquehanna rigger team had to overcome complex logistical challenges to regain this capability.
“The main hurdle to overcome was to get all the lines of communication open with the appropriate personnel and levels of command,” Cook said. “The incredible support from DLA Distribution Susquehanna, the 148th ASOS, 193d SOSS, the Pennsylvania Air National Guard and the Pennsylvania Army National Guard is what made these successful missions possible.”
Parachute packing operations are governed by a system of redundancy and oversight to ensure personnel safety. Each parachute pack requires a three-person team: a packer, an in-process inspector, and a final inspector. While junior enlisted Soldiers may serve as packers, inspectors must be noncommissioned or warrant officers. All personnel are required to graduate from the Parachute Rigger Course at Fort Lee, Virginia, and must complete a "shop certification" process consisting of repetitive practice, written examinations, and live packing. During the process, the packer works under constant observation and must pause at critical points outlined in the technical manual so the in-process inspector can verify the work is flawless. Only then is the command given to continue. Accountability is finalized on a DA Form 3912, or parachute log record, signed by both the packer and the in-process inspector as a guarantee that the parachute was packed exactly to standard. The final inspector then conducts a thorough exterior inspection before the parachute is ever issued to a jumper.
“The rigger motto, ‘I will be sure always,’ represents the level of responsibility and accountability required in our profession,” Perez said. “When supporting partner forces during joint operations, trust becomes one of the most important factors. Personnel from other organizations are placing confidence in the riggers’ training, certification, attention to detail and professionalism each time they use equipment prepared by our team. That trust is earned through consistency, adherence to technical standards, and maintaining a culture centered on safety and accountability.”
"We don't just hope it works, we ensure it works through a multi-layered gauntlet of professional oversight," Cook added.
Reestablishing the DLA Distribution Susquehanna parachute rigger program required building the capability entirely from the ground up. Typically, riggers arrive at a unit and integrate into an active operation where a separate staff section handles airborne planning, allowing the riggers to focus solely on packing and issuing equipment. At DLA Distribution Susquehanna, the team had to establish all aspects organically without an existing operational framework.
"Getting the program to where it is today was a massive undertaking, primarily because of the sheer scope of what we had to rebuild from scratch," Cook said.
To restore readiness, the unit executed a roadmap focused simultaneously on technical rigging proficiency, jumpmaster leadership and airborne operation planning. Riggers underwent rigorous certifications for multiple parachute systems, completed technical inspections on existing inventory and recertified as inspectors. Simultaneously, the unit reconstructed its jumpmaster program by auditing records and conducting refresher training.
“From a homeland defense and rapid-response perspective, versatility matters,” Perez noted. “Reestablishing these capabilities also reinforces confidence in the DLA Distribution Susquehanna rigger program and demonstrates that our team can safely and professionally execute airborne operations while maintaining the standards expected of Army riggers.”
Because there was no separate planning staff, riggers also assumed the responsibilities of airborne planners, coordinating aircraft, securing drop zones and managing medical coverage. Overcoming the lack of an existing framework was compounded by the zero-defect nature of the airborne mission. The team had to establish flawless operations across all three functional pillars before a single jumper could board an aircraft.
"Today, our fully restored program successfully packs parachutes and coordinates joint operations for units, representing a complete restoration of their organic airborne capabilities,” Cook said. “Seeing this team tackle this immense undertaking, all while pushing through red tape, is a testament to their absolute dedication to the airborne mission.”
| Date Taken: | 05.21.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 05.21.2026 14:04 |
| Story ID: | 565920 |
| Location: | FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, PENNSYLVANIA, US |
| Web Views: | 44 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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Parachute Rigger
Defense Logistics Agency (DLA)
