Jump to content

AIRBORNE, Ohio to Jump School and back on the FZ1


fazer1sniper

Recommended Posts

Last nite I made it home from an 1827 mile ride.

My oldest daughter was graduating US Army Airborne school and with her being a second generation paratrooper and Special Ops Command and fifth generation Army, I felt the pull to go down and pin her jump wings.

My ride started about noon Wendsday.

After my late start I made it to South Carolina day 1. The weather hit in WV on the way down and I pushed threw it and the bike ran great. Extra gear and mods to the bike worked out well. One of my fuel stops on the way...

562558_3178027045945_1123696085_32569189_1892468784_n.jpg

My morning of day 2 started with reloading the bike, chain maitanence and coffee.

DSCN1767.jpg

I got in Columbus Georgia Thursday about 2 pm, rode round the post some and the kids last jump, that was schedualed Wendsday, postponed to Thursday, got kicked back again due to weather. New plan was kid was jumping Friday and would grad on Fryar Drop Zone inside Alabama. Due to this change I grabbed a room and waited till the AM.

Friday weather sucked too. I was on the drop zone by 09:30.

DSCN1775.jpg

I did pass an old Slick on the way and it looked like a great photo op...

DSCN1772.jpg

No rain but low ceiling. Aircraft due to be loded at 10 am were pushed back to after 3. This allowed my old paratrooper ass to crash out a bit.

536500_3201724238360_1123696085_32573200_221162711_n.jpg

Finally the bird started dropping the paratrooper students on their final jump.

DSCN1783.jpg

DSCN1784.jpg

DSCN1790.jpg

Not to long and the kid was hauling her grear back to the AA.

DSCN1798.jpg

DSCN1799.jpg

DSCN1800.jpg

One all the class was on the DZ, they collected their gear and graduated on the drop zone.

DSCN1806.jpg

This was pretty awesome. The company commander called out all parents or grandparents who were Airborne and had us form oup on him. Then he ordered all second and third generation paratroopers to fall out of formation and fall in on their family members. I was able to pin the kid on Fryar Drop Zone with my Blood Wings from 21 years ago. That was worth the ride right there. We were WARNED that NO BLOOD WINGS were to be given due to Pentigon policy (the old school Vietnam Vet next to me said to his grandson "wait till be get away and you'll get real wings." (this mission was accomplished back at the company area near the towers out of eyeshot by MANY of us older guys to the new troopers)

We broke off from there and back to Jump School at main post. Kid out proccess the school and get ready to fly back to FT Bragg. I cruised about main post a bit. Had to take a few pictures while I waited for her to clear.

DSCN1818.jpg

DSCN1819.jpg

We hung out for a little while, accompished our Blood Wing detail out of sight of any instructors and she made faces at my camera.

DSCN1822.jpg

She was of to the airport and I was off on the bike. At this time it was near 8pm and I made it to north GA and grabed a $40 motel.

DSCN1824.jpg

My long haul back Satuday was slammed with rain and cold starting in Virginia. But all and all I survived and it was well worth it. Poor weather and all. Great ride that covered parts of Ohio, PA, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, North and South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama.

DSCN1825.jpg

DSCN1836.jpg

DSCN1834.jpg

The bike ran great. Chain required maits on the way of course, tires got air once, The Perrelli Angel ST's were great and only one wheel skid on the rear pulling in a lot in the rain in SC one cold nite. Yeah, my ass hurts some but not all that bad. Left front turn indicator and clock and trip memory also took a dump on the way and will need attention. But for a hard pushed trip in bad weather, I'll take it.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I know it had to be awesome to pin the wings on your daughter. My Dad pinned on mine and we did the blood wings right there on the DZ back in '92.

BTW, some of the pictures of the base bring back memories - mostly good ones.

  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Did you do all that on a stock seat??

Yep. My first real tour of that distance. It did get to me after a while. I'm not sure a Corbin would help all that much. But I may start looking for a stock seat and have a custom one made.

I know it had to be awesome to pin the wings on your daughter. My Dad pinned on mine and we did the blood wings right there on the DZ back in '92.

BTW, some of the pictures of the base bring back memories - mostly good ones.

Yes it was awesome and yes it was quite a memory blast.

CONGRATULATIONS very cool. I remember your post on the FZ1 site (think that was you). That is like the ultimate way to show her pride in you. Wish her the best. :)

Yep, likely me. Kid just re-deployed from Afganastan 60 days ago.

Its considered an honor to have it done.

Yes. It is. I'll never forget mine. But it's not something I expect civilians to understand. The entire point of Airborne is to take the fight to the enemy in a place and time they never expect. It takes a special kind of person (or crazy in some cases) to volenteer for the military, let alone Airborne, and also in her case Special Ops Command. Training can sometime be pretty damn tough. Little thing like blood wings is nothing when you think of the job that were sometimes called upon to do. It's tradition, a right of passage.

Col. Charlie Beckwith, founder of Delta Force, was once questioned about the violence and injuries that his soilders were aflicted with. His responce was kinda cool. "We're not making no god damn corn flakes here!"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yep. My first real tour of that distance. It did get to me after a while. I'm not sure a Corbin would help all that much. But I may start looking for a stock seat and have a custom one made.

Yes it was awesome and yes it was quite a memory blast.

Yep, likely me. Kid just re-deployed from Afganastan 60 days ago.

Yes. It is. I'll never forget mine. But it's not something I expect civilians to understand. The entire point of Airborne is to take the fight to the enemy in a place and time they never expect. It takes a special kind of person (or crazy in some cases) to volenteer for the military, let alone Airborne, and also in her case Special Ops Command. Training can sometime be pretty damn tough. Little thing like blood wings is nothing when you think of the job that were sometimes called upon to do. It's tradition, a right of passage.

Col. Charlie Beckwith, founder of Delta Force, was once questioned about the violence and injuries that his soilders were aflicted with. His responce was kinda cool. "We're not making no god damn corn flakes here!"

Ah ok, that makes sense now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

congrats to you and your daughter :) im glad you had a great trip.and stayed safe. those were some good pics, although im curious about the.right side patches(were those just for the.pics?) Or has she been.in for.a.while? if not im guessing those were your old unit patches(looked like psyops??)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

congrats to you and your daughter :) im glad you had a great trip.and stayed safe. those were some good pics, although im curious about the.right side patches(were those just for the.pics?) Or has she been.in for.a.while? if not im guessing those were your old unit patches(looked like psyops??)

Left patch is your current unit, right side is the Combat Patch. Unit you deployed with in combat action or war. She wears the Army Special forces command arrow head on both arms. She recently returned from Afganistan with 3rd special forces group and is still with that unit.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Left patch is your current unit, right side is the Combat Patch. Unit you deployed with in combat action or war. She wears the Army Special forces command arrow head on both arms. She recently returned from Afganistan with 3rd special forces group and is still with that unit.

I know(6y here, got out in feb) I thought she went straight from ait to jump school like alot of people(hard to get into nowadays unless its in your contract) thats why I was wondering why she had the combat patch(and unit patch) glad she made it through afghan safe, havent been myself, but cant imagine its too fun. Im sure you were worried bout her every day.

edit-I got her patch confused with this psyops patch, very similar patches. P_23082690_1838125.JPG

Edited by Exarch
Link to comment
Share on other sites

No worries Exarch. I wore both of those patches in my 14 years in the green. But we had to sew them all on then. I spent most of my time in the sniper program but my time in USACAPOC was memorible.

Edited by fazer1sniper
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...