View Full Version : Army Paratrooper School
kentmitchell
08-02-09, 11:21 AM
I've been watching a show on The Military Channel about the army's paratrooper school at Fort Benning.
It starts with this Command Sgt Maj making a big show about getting motivated. "I know I'm motivated," and he proceeds to scream at them about getting motivated.
I didn't even hear crap like that in boot camp. In MY Marine Corps you damn well better be motivated all the time. Is the rest of the army so unmotivated they have to open jump school with a speech about it?
I'm curious. Have any Marines here been to jump school? How does it rate in toughness to what you've been through in the Corps?
I've heard from a few Marines that jump school isn't so tough for Marines. Is that bluster or is it true?
thewookie
08-02-09, 11:37 AM
I've been watching a show on The Military Channel about the army's paratrooper school at Fort Benning.
It starts with this Command Sgt Maj making a big show about getting motivated. "I know I'm motivated," and he proceeds to scream at them about getting motivated.
I didn't even hear crap like that in boot camp. In MY Marine Corps you damn well better be motivated all the time. Is the rest of the army so unmotivated they have to open jump school with a speech about it?
I'm curious. Have any Marines here been to jump school? How does it rate in toughness to what you've been through in the Corps?
I've heard from a few Marines that jump school isn't so tough for Marines. Is that bluster or is it true?
It's not tough, or it wasn't for me. If you are fat and out of shape it might be tough, if you have a hard time learning how to land it might be tough, but if you are a Marine and in reasonable shape then it's a 3 week break from the fleet.
Airborne.
While I'm just a boot waiting to goto SOI, I've asked several Marines who already have their wings and they've said that its a joke for the Marines but some of the soldiers struggle a bit. But hey, thats why we're Marines. Because on my 10 day leave, I still wake up at 0700 and run 1.5-3 miles every morning and follow it with 50-100 pushups and situps. Thats why we're Marines and we're the best.
I, too, have been watching that program and when I heard that their initial PFT requirement is 42 pushups and 52 situps, I literally laughed out loud and told my g/f that the fat bodies were doing that my first PT at boot camp.
I look forward to earning my wings the first available opportunity. And I won't need any motivational speech! Oorah!
FistFu68
08-02-09, 12:02 PM
:evilgrin: When I went "Class 40" it was a Bear thats way before they let Women in the AIRBORNE!!!Biggest mistake the U.S.Army ever made.Good Luck be ready 4 a Major Malfunction at any Second :beer: :thumbup:
kentmitchell
08-02-09, 12:08 PM
One of the things that stood out was the number of "fat chicks" in the ranks on that show.
yellowwing
08-02-09, 01:15 PM
That just seems like such a waste of training money. Women do much more these days, but will women ever parachute into war?
Learning to jump out of an airplane that was working
was as someone said--a break from the Fleet.
Jump school wasn't intended to be some super elitist, "only the strong survive" ordeal. It's simply a school to teach basic airborne training. There's the usual yelling and screaming and basic PT, but other then that, if you've been through any basic training, it's gonna be a walk in the park if you have kept in at least decent physical condition.
thewookie
08-02-09, 04:32 PM
That just seems like such a waste of training money. Women do much more these days, but will women ever parachute into war?
Yeah, I agree. But they might need them as support people. There's a lot of people at jump school that "shouldn't" be there, to include myself, I wasn't with a "jump" unit. It was just a benny for me.
Supersquishy
08-02-09, 04:37 PM
Yeah, I agree. But they might need them as support people. There's a lot of people at jump school that "shouldn't" be there, to include myself, I wasn't with a "jump" unit. It was just a benny for me.
Did they try and fail Marines? What was the PT like, I heard they fail you and send you packing if you can't do the required amount of pushups(50) in two minutes. Is all that true or BS to scare us?
thewookie
08-02-09, 04:47 PM
Did they try and fail Marines? What was the PT like, I heard they fail you and send you packing if you can't do the required amount of pushups(50) in two minutes. Is all that true or BS to scare us?
Nah, I don't think they "try" to fail Marines. My impression with Sgt. Airborne, or the black hats who run the show is they respect Marines. But its a give and take relationship, go there acting a clown and they might toss ya for any reason they see fit. They f with ya, but that makes it fun. As long as you go there and realize that it's their school you're fine, but if you want to lock horns with them I'm sure they'd boot ya. But there's also a small contingent of Marines stationed on Benning acting as the Marine liaison to the Army.
PT is easy, like somebody already said it's not supposed to be this super elite school. Basic school there: mass people jumping chutes that they used in WWII. Sloooow runs and push-ups; not much to fear for Marines who can at least run a 200 plus PFT. 50 push-ups in two minutes is ridiculously pathetic, you should be able to easily knock out close to 50 in a minute if you're not some big cheeseburger. :)
BTW -- the toughest thing is LANDING, not jumping. You land like a lawn dart.
FistFu68
08-02-09, 05:20 PM
:evilgrin: During My era the Chit 2ND FORCE RECON put my young azz through would have made a Billy Goat Puke!!!Before being picked too attend the U.S.Army Airborne Formal School,out of 47 only 5 of us went. We had sum HOTDOG P.T. Studs but like the Gunny said Force Recon is a Team We want Team players,You are only as Strong as Your Weakest Link.It was a Highlight in My Life being 1 of the 5 who were picked.S/F Long Live Force :usmc: :thumbup:
yellowwing
08-03-09, 08:16 AM
Sadly when everything goes wrong:
Soldier from Fort Meade killed in skydiving mishap
The Associated Press (http://breakingnews.baltimoresun.com/2009/08/03/soldier-from-fort-meade-killed-in-skydiving-mishap/)
8:30 AM EDT, August 3, 2009
Police in Virginia identified a man killed in a skydiving accident Saturday as Command Sgt. Major Harry Parrish, 53, of Fort Meade.
Parrish’s body was found Sunday morning near Middle Peninsula Regional Airport, not far from the town of West Point, about 40 miles east of Richmond. State police Sgt. Thomas Molnar said Parrish was on a civilian training exercise Saturday night and went missing after jumping from the plane around 7 p.m.
FistFu68
08-03-09, 11:00 AM
:evilgrin: What a waste Night Jumps are very very Dangerous Rest In Peace Sgt.Major of the U.S.ARMY :evilgrin: :iwo:
kentmitchell
08-03-09, 04:18 PM
I wonder if parachute infantry isn't a waste of good men. They take good men who are supposed to be elite, their units are seriously under-armed and their line of supply . . .?
The 101st Air Assault Division is better suited for today's warfare. They use helos instead of parachutes.
Now, wait a minute, does that sound familiar? Where did they get the idea to transport large numbers of troops in helos?
We were doing that in '56 in Japan . . . and taking it one more step--off aircraft carriers designated as troop carrying flight decks, weren't we?
I still laugh when I see all those stories about the army "inventing" the 1st Air Cav. All they had to do was ask the Marines how to do it and we'd have been glad to show them.
Landing's not quite as painful, either, unless the engine is shot out. I think auto-rotation is just a myth to calm the troops.
Supersquishy
08-03-09, 04:43 PM
I wonder if parachute infantry isn't a waste of good men. I think auto-rotation is just a myth to calm the troops.
I did an auto rotation from 13,000ft in a JetRanger, no big deal just like a power off decent in an airplane.
thewookie
08-03-09, 04:55 PM
I wonder if parachute infantry isn't a waste of good men. They take good men who are supposed to be elite, their units are seriously under-armed and their line of supply . . .?
The 101st Air Assault Division is better suited for today's warfare. They use helos instead of parachutes.
Now, wait a minute, does that sound familiar? Where did they get the idea to transport large numbers of troops in helos?
We were doing that in '56 in Japan . . . and taking it one more step--off aircraft carriers designated as troop carrying flight decks, weren't we?
I still laugh when I see all those stories about the army "inventing" the 1st Air Cav. All they had to do was ask the Marines how to do it and we'd have been glad to show them.
Landing's not quite as painful, either, unless the engine is shot out. I think auto-rotation is just a myth to calm the troops.
I hear what you're saying but I still think it's a good tool for the tool box. I talk to some Rangers/SOF types on another site and one of them did a night combat jump into AStan, this was in 01 right after 9/11 way before anyone knew we were in there. They completed their mission without an issue. Maybe they could have came in from Helo's but it's cooler, and perhaps, safer to come in via HALO.
Sgt Leprechaun
08-04-09, 02:26 AM
I've been watching a show on The Military Channel about the army's paratrooper school at Fort Benning.
It starts with this Command Sgt Maj making a big show about getting motivated. "I know I'm motivated," and he proceeds to scream at them about getting motivated.
I didn't even hear crap like that in boot camp. In MY Marine Corps you damn well better be motivated all the time. Is the rest of the army so unmotivated they have to open jump school with a speech about it?
I'm curious. Have any Marines here been to jump school? How does it rate in toughness to what you've been through in the Corps?
I've heard from a few Marines that jump school isn't so tough for Marines. Is that bluster or is it true?
I went in August, 1984. Benning in summertime...funfunfun.
I was an 0311. BUT still got put on a full, six month PT selection program prior to going. Our CO did NOT want us to fail the school.
Needless to say, we (myself and another Marine) went and had no issues with PT or anything else. All of the Marines I was there with were the same way, we just dogged hell out of the army and PT'd for fun.
But, yeah...the army is sooooo unmotivated that they HAVE to be motivated. It's just a job with green clothes for them most of the time.
The school wasn't 'hard' for me, but if you are not prepared when you go, it would be. Esp. in the summertime.
But this was well nigh over 20 years ago, so no doubt things have changed since I was there for sure.
Rocky Schmit
10-09-11, 06:20 AM
Was TAD from 1st FORECONCO 'nam to jump school on Okinawa 1967 ... Run by army Special Forces guys ... Great instructors ... Physically easier than USMC boot camp and pure heaven compared to the Nam ... Still looking for Ron Molnar from that duty.
advanced
10-09-11, 09:57 AM
As far a helo combat troop inserts go, I believe the record was set by the MC back in 1968 during Meade River. 7 battalions of us were moved by helo and trucks into the Arizona and Dodge City areas. I believe it still holds the record.
FistFu68
10-09-11, 12:20 PM
:usmc: That's a Biggggg Affirmatitty on Ur Last...3/5...India 3 out~~~:thumbup: :iwo:
advanced
10-09-11, 02:10 PM
Yeah Jack, where's Billy, we'll have a reunion.
FistFu68
10-12-11, 10:59 AM
:beer: Yepper there's another Marine from 1/1,that found Me on tha internet Hell We can You Billy,Me,Him,and a Few others can Reunite! Dam Russ were some Very Lucky Men,We were Mud Marines Russ Thats a Special Bond,There In Our Brotherhood That Is Second To None...Go Easy~~~:thumbup: :iwo:
ggyoung
10-12-11, 11:40 AM
I wonder if parachute infantry isn't a waste of good men. They take good men who are supposed to be elite, their units are seriously under-armed and their line of supply . . .?
The 101st Air Assault Division is better suited for today's warfare. They use helos instead of parachutes.
Now, wait a minute, does that sound familiar? Where did they get the idea to transport large numbers of troops in helos?
We were doing that in '56 in Japan . . . and taking it one more step--off aircraft carriers designated as troop carrying flight decks, weren't we?
I still laugh when I see all those stories about the army "inventing" the 1st Air Cav. All they had to do was ask the Marines how to do it and we'd have been glad to show them.
Landing's not quite as painful, either, unless the engine is shot out. I think auto-rotation is just a myth to calm the troops.
Hell I think that the 1 air cav had more choppers in Vietnam than The Marine Corps had world wide. Remember the 1st Cav Divson lost there colors in Korea 1950. Also the Marines made the 1st virtual assault in Korea in 1952 or 53. The 5th Marines.
advanced
10-12-11, 01:03 PM
:beer: Yepper there's another Marine from 1/1,that found Me on tha internet Hell We can You Billy,Me,Him,and a Few others can Reunite! Dam Russ were some Very Lucky Men,We were Mud Marines Russ Thats a Special Bond,There In Our Brotherhood That Is Second To None...Go Easy~~~:thumbup: :iwo:
I know, you're totally right Jack. Something about that damn mud we can just smell it in each other. We can be around all kinds of other Marines, but when one of us come up we just "know" him from the others (no offense to anyone else, you had to be there). Even after all these years, I swear sometimes my wife says where'd that red dust come from. We are the lucky ones, I still don't know how we made it out, I didn't expect to, I'm glad, I wish the others had,but we're Brothers for life.