After lunch it was off to Red Cloud Range.  Due to the rain Wednesday it was pretty muddy so I didn't go to the firing line(been there, done that already).  However, for those of you who remember AirborneMom here she was in attendance and did go to the firing line.  Shot the .50 cal Barrett and hit the target the first time.  One shot, one kill, baby.  I talked with some of the vets and looked over the static displays: mortars of the 120 mm, 81 mm and 60 mm variety.  Also, the Javelin, AT 4 and the Strykers.  Due to high winds and an engine being down on the bird(there was only one C130 to support the class )  we headed to back to Atlanta, with a couple of side trips for the GC's in our group.  If one of the other Pnet attendees doesn't post the story of the Trooper making his qualifying jump late Thursday I will when I get more time.

Friday was the Memorial luncheon on Friday and the awards banquet on Saturday night.  Our own Golden Rakkasan was the 187th ARCT man of the year(Mark, I will e-mail the photo of him with his award to you tonight).  At the dinner there was at least one veteran with six combat jumps and the 509th man of the year had made the first combat jump in North Africa.  Oh, and the Airborne Man of the Year was Manny DeJesus.

More to follow later.

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

Outstanding AirborneMom!!! I've know B4 holders who did piss poor their first time on a Barrett system! 

 

"The degenerative and loony should never be denigrated but, rather, thanked. In their absence, the rest of you would be obliged to fill congressional seats... positions naturally unsavory to the sane and honorable."

Thorax

"Oh bother," mumbles Pooh as he chambers another round.

CR6 to Cherokeekate - Another poser busted.  One shot one kill should be YOUR motto.  Or is it MOS?

Thanks Cherokeekate for your kind congrats.


GR

John 3:16

And MANNY is Airborne Man of the Year huh? Well.. he's peaked, he can retire now... 

   Facebook me!

The Chair Force fixed their bird (found the engine) and the winds died down on Thursday afternoon. (13 knots and holding, how many times have we heard that??)

A young combat engineer private was on the last stick of the last lift of the day. Young stud made a weak exit (fell out) and his feet became entangled in the risers and suspension lines. The lines were twisted all the way to the anti-inversion net. He had what we riggers call a cigarette roll. With every Black Hat on the DZ screaming at him with bull horns "PULL YOUR RESERVE", our hero activated his reserve approximately 100 ft AGL (IIRC). Joe crashed into the trees on the western edge of the DZ. (the Major did not mention how many other jumpers pulled their reserves when they heard the Black Hats, it has ben my experience that when the Black Hats start screaming "PULL YOUR RESERVE" the sky gets littered with white 24ft round canopies)

The first Black Hat on scene expected to find a dead Joe, but was surprised to fing Joe, alive and concious, lying on his back. Joe was backboarded and immobilized with a C-collar and flown to Columbus Regional by medevac (not sure if it was a dust-off or civvy). Total time from impact to arrival at hospital, 10 minutes.

Major Glascock started the malfunction investigation, secured the gear, staements from the involved personnel etc, and headed for the hospital to check on our Joe.

Imagine his surprise when he got there and found that our hero was checked out, found to be fine and would be ready for discharge in a couple of minutes. The Major tried to explain that Joe had plummented from 1250 ft AGL and impacted Mother Earth without the aid of a functioning parachute and that he should remain overnight for observation. The nurse again re-assured the Major that the trooper was fine.

Major Glascock went to see the young private and found him sitting up in bed, watching TV, wearing a hospital gown. Joe was more mad at the medics for cutting his ACU's off than anything else.

The major drove the private back to the barracks. There was some phone tag with Joe's mother, but they were able to contact her and tell her that her son was fine.

Young stud graduated with his class at 1100 hrs, Friday.

(my opinion is that they better get him jumping ASAP, before he starts to doubt himself)

If I left out anything, somebody else can chime in!!

BTW, the four fans of freedom crew was at the hotel!! Dale or Barry talked to them. Too bad they had to pull MM11C's slack!

Lucky trooper.

   Facebook me!