101st PFDR Detachment

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101st PFDR Detachment

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GrossPig

Posted 3/5/2007 6:08 AM

Cherry

Group: Registered User
Last Login: 4/26/2007 6:45 AM
Posts: 9, Visits: 25

The unit that used to conduct free-fall training at the AFA was the 94th Airmanship Training Squadron. As I recall, it had about four numbered courses in the AFA's course catalog, listed just like any other academic course, although I don't know if cadets received academic credits for completing the courses. Some info here:

www.usafa.af.mil/tu/306ftg/94fts/history.cfm

"The 94th Airmanship Training Squadron was founded in Oct 1983. It consisted of a "Jump" Flight and a "Soaring" Flight. The "Jump" flight was responsible for parachuting operations at USAFA. The "Soaring" flight managed the Soar-For-All program and it's gliders. In 1995, the 94th Airmanship Training Squadron was broken up into the 98th Flying Training Squadron (whose primary mission is parachuting), and the 94th Flying Training Squadron (whose primary mission is soaring)."

I believe the parachute program existed before the 94th was activated in 1983, although I don't know what its title was at that time or what school unit it was under.

Here's some more information on the current AFA course:

www.experiencecoloradosprings.com/travel.asp?pageid=17%7C57%7C113%7C156

"The 98th flying training squadron conducts the parachuting program. The Air Force Academy parachute program is the largest free fall parachute course in the Department of Defense. Over 600 cadets complete this voluntary course every year. The Academy's parachute team, the Wings of Blue, is the top collegiate team in the nation. They perform at air shows, open houses, and sporting events nationwide."

More here:

www.afrc.af.mil/news/story.asp?storyID=123012535

“The freefall jump training provides cadet instructors with leadership training while allowing the cadet students an opportunity to earn their basic parachuting badge in a ‘character revealing’ environment,” added Maj. Eric Ujfalusy, an active duty counterpart with the 94th Flying training Squadron. “The Citizen Airmen involved with flight screening and the Cadet Flying Team provide an opportunity for these cadets to demonstrate their ability to succeed at pilot training and, for a few select cadets, compete, very successfully, at the NCAA level.”

And here:

usscouts.org/netresources/2002USAFAbusToursScript.doc

"THE 98th FLYING TRAINING SQUADRON CONDUCTS THE PARACHUTING PROGRAM. IN THE FREE-FALL PARACHUTING PROGRAM, CADETS EARN THEIR PARACHUTIST BADGE BY TAKING 24 HOURS OF GROUND INSTRUCTION FOLLOWED BY 5 FREE-FALL JUMPS. PARACHUTING IS A VOLUNTARY PROGRAM, YET ALMOST TWO-THIRDS OF THE CADET WING PARTICIPATE. THE ACADEMY'S PARACHUTE TEAM, THE WINGS OF BLUE, PERFORM AT AIR SHOWS, OPEN HOUSES AND SPORTING EVENTS NATIONWIDE."

With two-thirds of cadets taking part in the course, the "frat badge" title is easy to understand. I did hear of senior AF officers returning to the AFA and getting their jump wings this way (24 hours of ground instruction is certainly easier than three weeks at Benning) although I didn't ever meet anyone who did this.

Some cadets do indeed take advantage of the opportunity to attend the Benning course, and I did meet a guy in late 1988 who had first attended the AFA course and had gone on to Fort Benning as well.

In 1987 I helped an AFA grad, who had gone to Benning, get his German wings. Another AFA grad I met later had attended the in-house course, and she was all too happy to let me know that their course was so superior to the Army's, an attitude I encountered more than once.

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