Army Parachute Riggers Strive for Safe Landings

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Gary A. Witte, 642nd Regional Support Group

FORT VALLEY, Ga., April 10, 2018 — For soldiers in the 421st Quartermaster Company, “attention to detail” is less a catch phrase than a lifesaving mission statement.

Parachute riggers with the 421st, based at the Army Reserve Center here, pack hundreds of chutes every month for use by reserve and active-duty troops across the southern United States. And, there isn’t just one kind of parachute. There are more than a dozen types, each with a specific method for packing to ensure they open correctly.

Army 1st Sgt. Richard A. Davis of Musella, the senior noncommissioned officer for the unit, said one mistake by a parachute rigger can lead to a fatality or injury.

‘Everything Has to be Precise’

“A lot of things can go wrong,” Davis said. “Everything we do to pack a parachute has to be done by steps. Everything has to be precise.”

Military jumps typically involve the use of a thick cord -- called a static line -- to pull the chutes open. If the static line is routed wrong, the parachute won’t open. If the static line is faulty and the problem isn’t discovered, it can shred and the parachute also won’t open. If the risers which connect the jumper to the chute are flipped, its canopy might only partially open -- sending the soldier speeding toward the ground.

Army Master Sgt. Brian W. Steverson of Bonifay, the operations NCO, said only qualified riggers are allowed to put chutes together, and they have to remain proficient at their jobs.

“It’s really important to stay current, because every parachute is a life-support system,” Steverson said.

Heavy Cargo

Cargo loads can be even more complicated. Because of the weights involved -- up to about 2,000 pounds -- the chute has to be adjusted to deploy a certain way, otherwise the shock of its opening can tear it. This would send the heavy payload raining down across the landscape.

“Hopefully, no one is below it,” if that happens, Steverson said.

To become a qualified parachute rigger, soldiers must go through airborne orientation, then airborne school, then rigger school, he said. As part of graduating rigger school, which itself is an 11-week course, the soldiers pack their own chutes and then jump with them.

“When they come to us, they already have six or seven jumps,” Steverson said.

Battle assemblies for the company feature all the usual requirements for an Army Reserve unit, including physical training tests, equipment accountability and classes. But then, there is the steady drumbeat of safety checks, packing chutes and preparations for the next unit jump.

Parachute riggers have to maintain their status by jumping every three months -- at a minimum. If they don’t maintain their jump status, they aren’t allowed to pack or inspect parachutes, Steverson said.

A handful of riggers remain at the unit on active duty to continue the packing process throughout the week and also travel with the chutes when shipped to locations in California, Texas, Florida, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. These parachutes allow members in those airborne units to maintain their own jump status.

Hundreds of Parachutes

Typically, several hundred parachutes get packed each month. Properly packing a single parachute can potentially take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour, depending on how experienced the rigger is. There are 13 rigger checks of each chute -- including inspections prior to its assembly, before it is packed, while it is packed, after it is packed and a jumpmaster inspection at the airfield -- before they are authorized to be used in a jump.

Army Sgt. David C. Frady is one of the full-time parachute riggers. He’s been doing it for eight years and enjoys the complexity because of the variety of payloads and parachutes they have to manage. There’s a lot of information to absorb all the time, since both the equipment and missions change.

But it can get repetitive. And they always stay busy, he said.

“You pack 15 a day and you do it every single day until you meet mission requirements,” Frady said. “It just becomes the norm.”

Riggers Take Responsibility

The parachute rigger’s name goes in each chute they pack, along with the names of its inspectors. Once the parachutes are delivered, a rigger from the unit stays to monitor and record the jumps.

Davis, who became first sergeant for the unit in 2014, said he witnessed the resupply of American troops in Afghanistan by air and it reinforced the importance of their work to him.

“We are enablers,” he said. “Our job enables soldiers to resupply and continue the fight.”

Accidents remain rare, Davis said. He added that the parachute riggers with the 421st Quartermaster Company take their mission personally and have pride in their work.

“It’s still a high-risk thing in which we’re involved, but we do everything we can to keep it safe,” he said.

Air Guard Unit Uses Teal Ribbons in Sexual Assault Prevention Campaign

By Air Force Capt. Jennifer K. Proctor, 138th Fighter Wing

TULSA AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Okla., April 9, 2018 — Teal ribbons adorned the lawn surrounding the Brig. Gen. Joseph W. Turner Complex parking area here April 7, each signifying one of the 435 sexual assaults reported within Air National Guard units throughout the United States in 2016.

“By seeing 435 ribbons, I hope to help airmen grasp the damage that sexual assault has on the Air National Guard and our mission,” said Air Force 2nd Lt Jennifer Carson, the 138th Fighter Wing’s sexual assault response coordinator.

Carson and several other volunteers apparently were successful in their sexual assault awareness and prevention campaign across the wing. Air Force Senior Airman Shannan Hanson, a client systems technician in the 138th Communications Flight, described the visualization as “overwhelming.”

“When you stop and think that each of those ribbons represent an airman, it’s horrific,” Hanson said. “Each of them are a member of our Guard family.”

Other airmen surveyed had similar feelings to Hanson’s, some noting the trust in the program the airmen had shown by being confident enough in the system to report a sexual assault without fear of retaliation.

Leaders’ Support

The wing’s leadership supports efforts to prevent and eliminate sexual assault.

 “Sexual assault has no place within the Air National Guard,” Air Force Col. Raymond H. Siegfried III, the 138th Fighter Wing commander, said. “We are a family, and we don’t treat our family with anything but respect and dignity. Sexual assault is not only a crime against the victim -- it degrades our readiness, relationships and mission accomplishment. We are better than that.”

Carson said she hoped the display would lead to all of the wing’s airmen taking a moment to consider how they can be involved in eliminating sexual assault within the military.

Navy’s Oldest Commissioned Submarine Visits Pearl Harbor for Final Time

By Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel Hinton, Submarine Forces Pacific

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii, April 9, 2018 — Friends and families of the crew gathered on the pier here April 6 to welcome back the Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Bremerton as it returned from its final deployment.

Bremerton successfully completed a six-month deployment while conducting operations in support of national security.

Excellent Crew

“The entire crew performed with excellence,” said Navy Master Chief Petty Officer Wade Jacobson, Bremerton’s boat chief. “In six months we took the nation’s longest-serving submarine more than 42,000 nautical miles, executing multiple missions in some of the toughest and busiest environments in the world, and conducted five foreign port visits.”

During the deployment, 25 sailors earned their submarine warfare qualification, and 19 achieved advanced supervisory qualifications.

“I want the American public to know that they should be incredibly proud of every single person on this boat,” Jacobson said. “Each one has sacrificed something to do the job, and it can sometimes be stressful, but through grit and determination, each one has come through successfully.

The completion of its Western Pacific deployment marks the end the ship's active service in the Pacific. It will soon head to Bremerton, Washington, for deactivation.

“The Bremerton is one of the most impressive engineering marvels in human history,” Jacobson said. “It is truly incredible for a warship to be operational at such deep and strenuous depths for nearly 40 years.”

Bremerton made port calls to Singapore and the Philippines, and some of the crew used the visits to volunteer and interact with host countries.

“The best part of deployment for me was getting the chance to play soccer with children we visited in the Philippines,” said Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Daniel Kim. “It was a great opportunity to see and interact with the local community.”

Flexibility

Jacobson extolled the crew for its flexibility during the challenging deployment. “Every curveball thrown our way was hit out of the park,” he said.

USS Bremerton is the 10th ship of the Los Angeles class and the oldest commissioned submarine in the Navy. Its keel was laid in Groton, Connecticut, in May 1976.