🚀 go-pugleaf

>I don't care
>how many skydives
>you've got, until
>you have jumped into
>total darkness
>at 1000 feet with
>95 lbs of equipment
>and 63 lbs of parachute - 
>you just haven't _lived_! 

Hah!
When I was in the army we
jumped damp 24' twills
from 400 feet on a stormy night
with 180 lbs of equipment and
95 lbs of parachute into a
can recycling plant without
making noise to give away
our position. ;-}
-- 
				
Made in New Zealand -->		Brent Callaghan
				AT&T Information Systems, Lincroft, NJ
				{ihnp4|mtuxo|pegasus}!poseidon!brent
				(201) 576-3475

> "Cheap Thrills"
> 
> I don't care
> how many skydives
> you've got, until
> you have jumped into
> total darkness
> at 1000 feet with
> 95 lbs of equipment
> and 63 lbs of parachute - 
> you just haven't _lived_! 
> 
> SPECIAL FORCES
> 

I don't care 
how many skydives 
you've got, until
you have jumped into
a hostile DZ through
Cuban AAA fire from
300 feet with 95 lbs
of equipment and 35 lbs
of parachute (i.e., no
reserve)- you just haven't
__lived__!

  RANGERS!

> > "Cheap Thrills"
> > 
> > I don't care
> > how many skydives
> > you've got, until
> > you have jumped into
> > total darkness
> > at 1000 feet with
> > 95 lbs of equipment
> > and 63 lbs of parachute - 
> > you just haven't _lived_! 
> > 
> > SPECIAL FORCES
> > 
> 
> I don't care 
> how many skydives 
> you've got, until
> you have jumped into
> a hostile DZ through
> Cuban AAA fire from
> 300 feet with 95 lbs
> of equipment and 35 lbs
> of parachute (i.e., no
> reserve)- you just haven't
> __lived__!
> 
>   RANGERS!

Thats interesting.  I've considered joining either after graduation and
my recruiter has told me that in order to go SF, you have to either be or
train as a Ranger first! (He was a Ranger)

-eli
-- 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Eli Liang  ---
        University of Maryland Computer Vision Lab, (301) 454-4526
        ARPA: eli@cvl, eli@lemuria, eli@mit-mc, eli@mit-prep
        CSNET: eli@cvl  UUCP: {seismo,allegra,brl-bmd}!umcp-cs!cvl!eli

> > > SPECIAL FORCES
> > > 
> >   RANGERS!
> 
> Thats interesting.  I've considered joining either after graduation and
> my recruiter has told me that in order to go SF, you have to either be or
> train as a Ranger first! (He was a Ranger)
> 

I hoped I would generate some interesting conversation from all the veteran
paratroopers when I posted the original "Cheap Thrills" comment.  I did
_NOT_, however, anticipate that it would prompt a debate about the 
qualifications of Special Forces and Ranger troops.  Before such a debate
is started...

Both Special Forces and Ranger qualified personnel are Airborne qualified.
Once they have completed their job specific courses, they are sent to 
Ranger School (at Ft. Benning) for Rangers or Special Forces Qualification
Course (SFQC at Ft. Bragg) for SF troops. 

Both schools are demanding.  Both missions are demanding (but different).
Rangers do not have to attend SFQC or vice versa although the highly
motivated may do both during their career.

There is certainly a rivalry between all those that wear the beret (green,
black, or maroon), and especially between the two Army special operations
units (excluding Delta Force).  But I think between all US paratroopers,
there is a feeling of comradship.

Although I have left out many details concerning the training, mission, 
etc., I believe this should clear up any misconceptions that may have
occured as a result of these postings.  

Maybe some of you veteran paratroopers (SF, RANGER or other) will post
some of your jump experiences (training or live)?!

-- 




                                           Scott W. Rudy III
                                           The BDM Corporation WB5A
	                                   7915 Jones Branch Drive
                                           McLean, VA  22102-3396

                                           UUCP: {seismo,rlgvax}!bdmrrr!rudy

I guess the only story I can relate is one of jumping with a group of
Pathfinders at Ft Rucker, AL.  Since I was Airborne & they allowed me
to jump with them.

I was jumping my sport rig (SST Racer, Pegasus, and Featherlite R2).  They
took the UH-1H up to 2000' to allow me to jump.  (They thought it would be fun
for their people to have a long parachute ride).

Well I followed out the last jumper, and openned right away (I would not
want to break the BSR's :-).

I zig-zagged around the MC1-1B's (the finest parachute made according to
my Black Hat :-).  Those jokers were so worried about hitting the DZ (It
was SMALL for Airborne) that no matter how much I yelled, screamed and 
an whistled, they would not look up from the ground.

I can't understand why more Airbore folks don't run into one another under
canopy!

Al Gettier
D 5850

PS  I was reassigned to an Airborne unit with the USAR.  (Headquarters,
First SOCOM, Fort Bragg).  Are there any other sport jumpers that now jump
with military units, and what precautions do you take?  One of the folks
I work with who is active, and an ex-Golden Knight, says he "Front Risers"
until he is clear of everybody.  I guess a bad landing is worth avoiding a
collision.