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Stare Master
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Ortiz named Packer of the Year
 | Rachel Houston
Spc. Randy Ortiz, E Company, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment, and his wife, Valorie, hold Ortiz’s awards for being the 2006 parachute Packer of the Year. Ortiz received the awards Dec. 15 at the Airborne Walk. |
Winner packed nearly 5,000 chutes
THE BAYONET
Rachel Houston
Spc. Randy Ortiz packed nearly 5,000 parachutes last year, and the feat earned him the Packer of the Year award.
Ortiz, of the 1st Battalion (Airborne), 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment, was awarded an Army Achievement Medal and a rigger hat with his badge and rank in a display box.
“I can’t believe I won it,” Ortiz said.
“He flat out packed 4,872 parachutes in fiscal year 2006. That’s almost 1,000 more ’chutes than the guy who won last year,” said Capt. James Janda, Ortiz’s company commander. “Hopefully it gives some of our younger Soldiers the incentive to do well and pack more ’chutes.”
And he may be right. Ortiz’s was inspired by the 2005 winner.
“When I saw the previous winner get his award, I decided to set my goal,” Ortiz said. My whole motivation this year was to receive this,” he said. “It took a year of working at it, but it was well worth it.”
Ortiz joined the Army four years ago to change his life.
“With the war going on and terrorism, I wanted to do something about it,” he said.
With a grandfather who fought in World War II and uncle who served in Desert Storm, the Army was his natural choice.
He was previously in a maintenance unit and had no parachute packing experience when he got to the company.
It took a few months to learn the process, which involves laying out a “jumped ’chute” and re-packing it into its bag, but once you get it down, the process goes pretty quickly, Ortiz said.
Along with receiving the Packer of the Year award, Ortiz received a weekend stay at Callaway Gardens, including tickets to the Wild Animal Safari and dinner for his family.
Ortiz was named Packer of the Month several times this year, and he was re-enlisted by the undersecretary of the Army two days before the Packer of the Year awards ceremony.
Getting to re-enlist with the undersecretary was exciting, a once in a lifetime opportunity, he said
Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you, Jesus Christ and the American GI. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.
"History teaches that when you become indifferent and lose the will to fight someone who has the will to fight will take over." COLONEL BULL SIMONS
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Paratrooper
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Do the chutes and reserves still have the little card with them, showing who packed them and when?
RJ 
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Recon133 (1/5/2007)
Do the chutes and reserves still have the little card with them, showing who packed them and when?Of course... its the only way to identify the chute pack/repack schedule
 
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Paratrooper
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It's good to know some things don't change. When I was in the 17th Cav HQ, we were given a detail to jump some T-10's that were at or near their expiration date. They either had to be jumped or repacked. It took us a couple days to jump them, used L-20's on one of the small DZ's. However, in addition to the fun of hollywood's from an L-20, we also had to guard the Deuce and a Half truck that held the chutes.
RJ
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Site Owner/Operator
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Recon133 (1/5/2007)
It's good to know some things don't change. When I was in the 17th Cav HQ, we were given a detail to jump some T-10's that were at or near their expiration date. They either had to be jumped or repacked. It took us a couple days to jump them, used L-20's on one of the small DZ's. However, in addition to the fun of hollywood's from an L-20, we also had to guard the Deuce and a Half truck that held the chutes.Usually, in the 82nd we had repacks only on reserves since they didnt get popped too often (thankfully) but with the main parachute, I dont believe I ever had to do a breakdown and repack since they were jumped so often.
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82nd_Raider
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Thankfully, all 39 of my chutes worked every time. My hat is off to the guys and gals that do it knowing that they did not know me, but my life was spared by the skills and dedication they possessed.
All the way, sir!!! 
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Ted (1/5/2007)
Thankfully, all 39 of my chutes worked every time. My hat is off to the guys and gals that do it knowing that they did not know me, but my life was spared by the skills and dedication they possessed.The Riggers always appreciate a nice thanks but also know that it is the duty of the job to ensure that our job is right so you get where you need to go in the best possible condition. Luckily nobody ever had to use my 100% guarantee... if any of my chutes failed, just bring em back and I'd repack them for free.
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Hard Charger
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There's another rigger that show's up here from time to time that can verify that I always made it a point to go down and take care of my riggers when I had them. I learned early in my military career that if you keep supply and finance happy life is much better, once I got my wings riggers were quickly added to that list.
"...my religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time for my death. I do not concern myself about that, but to be always ready, no matter when it may overtake me." He added, after a pause, looking me full in the face: "That is the way all men should live, and then all would be equally brave" General "Stonewall" Jackson
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