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Marines and sailors with U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command, conducted annual parachute training, including static-line and High Altitude Low Opening jumps Dec. 15, 2010, here.
“Jumping is not a natural act,” said Staff Sgt. Sam Gibbs, a jumpmaster with 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion. “It’s not something you just fall back into. It’s important to stay current with this kind of training.”
Airborne Marines must conduct jump training every 180 days to maintain their proficiency and fulfill their annual requirement, said Gibbs.
“It’s just like anything else – practice makes perfect,” he said. “The more familiar you are with yourself in the air, the better you’ll be.”
Marines and sailors jumped static-line from the back of a C-130 at about 1,000 feet, and also jumped freefall from about 10,000 feet.
“The special operations community relies on airborne operations, whether it be resupplying personnel on the ground or getting teams clandestinely behind enemy lines,” said the 2nd MSOB paraloft chief. “The reinforcement of these parachute skills is critical to the overall mission,” he said.
For decades, the Army’s airborne school at Fort Benning, Ga., has been the only authorized school for static line training for all branches of the military. Some of the Marines sustaining their parachute skills on Dec. 15, 2010, however, had not earned their coveted wings at Benning. Instead, they had graduated from the lesser known – and more exclusive – Naval Parachute Course, at San Diego, Calif. – accredited in 2008 and open only to members of the Navy’s special operations community and MARSOC’s Critical Skills Operators.
“NPC was designed for Navy special operators as an alternative to the Army’s airborne school,” said the assistant battalion operations chief for 3rd Marine Special Operations Battalion.
Students of NPC still graduate with five jumps, just like Army airborne students. But because the Army owns the basic parachutist badge, NPC graduates are not authorized to wear it. However, they can still attain the gold Navy/Marine Corps parachutist badge upon completing five additional jumps – like the ones conducted Dec. 15, 2010.
But whether a graduate of Army or Navy airborne school, one thing remains consistent – sustainment is critical. And as the collective tip of the special operations spear, MARSOC Marines are constantly sustaining - sharpening their skills, and preparing themselves for the next challenge.
| Date Taken: | 12.15.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 01.27.2011 15:54 |
| Story ID: | 64332 |
| Location: | CAMP LEJEUNE, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 558 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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