AIRBORNE School!!!!!! [Archive] - Professional Soldiers ®

Team Sergeant

12-22-2006, 17:18

From the Team Sergeant to you "legs" attempting to graduate from Airborne School.

Instructions:

Go to the website below.

http://www.west-point.org/greimanj/west_point/songs/bloodontherisers.htm

Turn up the volume on your speakers.

and sing along to the following: (oh and enjoy Airborne School;) )

Team Sergeant

Blood on the Risers

He was just a rookie trooper and he surely shook with fright.
He checked off his equipment and made sure his pack was tight.
He had to sit and listen to those awful engines roar.
You ain't gonna jump no more.

Chorus:
Gory, gory, what a hell of way to die.
Gory, gory, what a hell of way to die.
Gory, gory, what a hell of way to die.
He ain't gonna jump no more.

"Is everybody happy?" cried the sergeant looking up.
Our hero feebly answered, "Yes", and then they stood him up.
He jumped into the icy blast, his static line unhooked.
And he ain't gonna jump no more.

He counted long, he counted loud, he waited for the shock.
He felt the wind, he felt the cold, he felt the awful drop.
The silk from his reserve spilled out and wrapped around his legs. And he ain't gonna jump no more.

The risers swung around his neck, connectors cracked his dome.
Suspension lines were tied in knots around his skinny bones.
The canopy became his shroud, he hurtled to the ground.
And he ain't gonna jump no more.

The days he lived and loved and laughed kept running through his mind.
He thought about the girl back home, the one he left behind.
He thought about the medicos and wondered what they'd find.
And he ain't gonna jump no more.

The ambulance was on the spot, the jeeps were running wild.
The medics jumped and screamed with glee, rolled up their sleeves and smiled.
For it had been a week or more since last a 'chute had failed.
And he ain't gonna jump no more.

He hit the ground, the sound was "Splat," his blood went spurting high.
His comrades they were heard to say, "A helluva way to die."
He lay there rolling 'round in the welter of his gore.
And he ain't gonna jump no more.

There was blood upon the risers, there were brains upon the 'chute.
Intestines were a-dangling from his paratrooper suit.
He was a mess, they picked him up and poured him from his boots.
And he ain't gonna jump no more.

x SF med

12-22-2006, 17:23

Still love it!!!

Jgood

12-22-2006, 17:26

My lead instructor in HSJROTC taught us that one. great cadence.

Man I miss jumping.

Hiclaude

12-22-2006, 18:57

So morbid! Don't let my wife see that one. :cool:

Warrior-Mentor

12-23-2006, 08:13

That'll get you out of bed in the morning.
Gotta love the dark humor.
Thanks!

x SF med

12-23-2006, 08:22

That'll get you out of bed in the morning.
Gotta love the dark humor.
Thanks!

It got me out of bed in the morning for a full month, back in the dark ages of my misspent youth. 42nd Co was so fun.

CPTAUSRET

12-23-2006, 20:03

Going to show my age here, you youngsters call it "Airborne School", correct?

We called it "Jump School", early 60's. I still remember buying my first pair of "Corcoran, jump boots"!

x SF med

12-24-2006, 07:09

Going to show my age here, you youngsters call it "Airborne School", correct?

We called it "Jump School", early 60's. I still remember buying my first pair of "Corcoran, jump boots"!

T-
'Unofficially' it will always be Jump School, but if you look back at your diploma/orders (has the parchment, or was it papyrus back then, held up well?) they'll Actually say: US Army Infantry Training Center, Fort Benning, Georgia - Basic Airborne Course - even mine from 1980 says that, although back in your day Wilbur and Orville were still flying the planes, right? :D

Pete

12-24-2006, 07:30

Yeah, but what company were you in?

43rd Company, July 1974.

Pete

112thSOLCA

12-24-2006, 07:46

Yeah, but what company were you in?

42nd Company February 1983

My diploma says "Airborne Course" (does not include the word Basic).

However, it will always be Jump School to me.

Pete

12-24-2006, 08:06

I got to Ft Benning right at the start of the 4th of July weekend. The only zero week detail I pulled was out at the 250 ft towers on the 4th.

One of the towers was set up as a ride and had guide cables and a lift cable. A bench seat was suspended under a parachute. The lift cable would pull the seat up to the top of the tower and released. The drag of the lift cable and the parachute would make the riders come down fairly slowly along the guide cables.

I helped the riders into and out of the seat. When kids wanted to ride but the parents didn't I "had to" ride with the kids. Made many an up and down that weekend. Far more than I did at Tower Week.

Pete

x SF med

12-24-2006, 08:52

42nd Company Aug 1980 Have to dig for the Diploma, but I think 112 is right it says Airborne Course.

The Reaper

12-24-2006, 09:06

The Army sure seems to think it is the Basic Airborne Course.

https://www.infantry.army.mil/airborne/airborne/

TR

Team Sergeant

12-24-2006, 09:34

The Army sure seems to think it is the Basic Airborne Course.

https://www.infantry.army.mil/airborne/airborne/

TR

I called it "school" only because of our "civilian" readers.;) Otherwise I would have used "Basic Airborne Course".

(We're guilty of calling the MFF course Halo school....:D)

TS

The Reaper

12-24-2006, 09:37

I called it "school" only because of our "civilian" readers.;) Otherwise I would have used "Basic Airborne Course".

(We're guilty of calling the MFF course Halo school....:D)

TS

Roger, I have called it Jump School and Airborne School, just trying to inform others who seemed uncertain as to the current official title.

Still a great jody, BTW.;)

TR

Warrior-Mentor

12-24-2006, 09:58

(Even we're guilty of calling the MFF course Halo school....:D)

TS

MMF? :rolleyes:

NousDefionsDoc

12-24-2006, 10:21

42nd Company - July 1980

I went to MMF school too - twice ;)

No, I didn't fail - the school was closed for a couple of months because the parachutes were deadlined while I was there. The 2nd time was much better, we went to Las Vegas for the wind tunnel (thanks Bubba).

lksteve

12-24-2006, 10:41

i thought HALO was spelled MFF...? but then again, i was a cradle-to-retirement rope jumper and square-toed yodler...

Team Sergeant

12-24-2006, 10:56

MMF? :rolleyes:

What?

:D

lksteve

12-24-2006, 10:58

What? an optical delusion, no doubt...:D

Team Sergeant

12-24-2006, 11:06

VVVV

12-24-2006, 13:18

CPTAUSRET

12-24-2006, 13:59

Thats because we old farts didn't have the internet...I still have my 60's spit-shined Corcorans in the closet:)

You ought to post up a pic of those "Corcorans", I'd like to see them. I had to lie about my boot size to keep from being issued a cpuple pair of brown boots.

I also took basic with the M-1 Garand, and was assigned a BAR. That is one heavy, awkward, SOB!

NousDefionsDoc

01-01-2007, 14:43

http://www.173rdairborne.com/music.htm

This one has a bunch of them as well

NousDefionsDoc

01-08-2007, 13:14

youtube.com/watch?v=xPKXB0PCyT4

This one is a video of himself singing The SONG

82ndtrooper

01-08-2007, 13:41

48 hours worth of training packed into 3 weeks !! :p

NousDefionsDoc

01-08-2007, 13:43

48 hours worth of training packed into 3 weeks !! :p
LOL

Jack Moroney (RIP)

01-08-2007, 14:31

[QUOTE=NousDefionsDoc]42nd Company - July 1980 QUOTE]

Me too, but August 1965. Remember having to have these damn pictures taken. They threw a rig on you the first day of ground week and none of us knew which what was what. They kept on telling us to smile and the only thing I wanted to say was get bent and let's get on with it.

bandycpa

01-08-2007, 14:52

Very cool picture, Colonel.

Beats me why you guys want to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. Must be an acquired taste. :D

Bandy

incommin

01-08-2007, 14:53

Ya can't beat the good ol' days......

Jim

x SF med

01-08-2007, 15:04

COL Jack, the Horror!!!! You were a leg Ranger!!!:eek:

Jack Moroney (RIP)

01-08-2007, 15:07

Very cool picture, Colonel.

Beats me why you guys want to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. Must be an acquired taste. :D

Bandy

Evidently you have never flown with some of the pilots I have:D

CPTAUSRET

01-08-2007, 15:13

Evidently you have never flown with some of the pilots I have:D

GOOD ANSWER!

Fookin Aviators!:D

Jack Moroney (RIP)

01-08-2007, 15:13

COL Jack, the Horror!!!! You were a leg Ranger!!!:eek:

And didn't the frigging black hats remind us of that. Now remember I am not short, just wound up tight and from day one it was "Little Ranger this and Little Ranger that". It got to the point that the other 14 "leg rangers" that came over from the Ranger course to the Airborne course decided to hold an attitude adjustment phase and dragged the black hats into the showers with us and rolled them around in the sawdust so they were as nasty as were we. We did pay for it by doing the bear walk around the track until they realized that they were not going to break us. The final payback they attempted were blood wings for the lot of us-but actually we all took it as a compliment and a rite of passage. Then we were dumb ass 2Lts-what did we know:D

CPTAUSRET

01-08-2007, 15:18

And didn't the frigging black hats remind us of that. Now remember I am not short, just wound up tight and from day one it was "Little Ranger this and Little Ranger that". It got to the point that the other 14 "leg rangers" that came over from the Ranger course to the Airborne course decided to hold an attitude adjustment phase and dragged the black hats into the showers with us and rolled them around in the sawdust so they were as nasty as were we. We did pay for it by doing the bear walk around the track until they realized that they were not going to break us. The final payback they attempted were blood wings for the lot of us-but actually we all took it as a compliment and a rite of passage. Then we were dumb ass 2Lts-what did we know:D

Good old days!

82ndtrooper

01-08-2007, 15:18

I remember being more frieghtened at the "UMGAWA" tower than the actual jumps from the bird. Too much time being raised and then the Blackhats let you hang up there to get a good look out over the state of Georgia

MEGAPHONE:

"Feet toghether, knee's bent, relax.....................OUCH":lifter

Jack Moroney (RIP)

01-08-2007, 15:26

Good old days!

You know, you are absolutely right! Wish the bunch I knew back then were around today. Unfortunately there are a lot of vacancies in the stick but if I close my eyes I can see them all and still smell the mixture of JP4, chaffed nylon, mildewed kit bags, and a faint hint of someone's rejected creamed beef that should have been eaten for breakfast.

NousDefionsDoc

01-08-2007, 15:41

I still have my picture just like that (but it's in color). LOL

I had birth control glasses on...

Thanks for sharing Sir.

CPTAUSRET

01-08-2007, 15:53

You know, you are absolutely right! Wish the bunch I knew back then were around today. Unfortunately there are a lot of vacancies in the stick but if I close my eyes I can see them all and still smell the mixture of JP4, chaffed nylon, mildewed kit bags, and a faint hint of someone's rejected creamed beef that should have been eaten for breakfast.

ROGER!

We lost some of our best and brightest, during, and shortly after that timeframe...

Excellent description, brings it all back!

x SF med

01-08-2007, 16:10

I still have my picture just like that (but it's in color). LOL

I had birth control glasses on...

Thanks for sharing Sir.

Hmmmmmm...... I have the Class Book at home, you were E-what? I'll find you, get it scanned and we'll see what the pre adult NDD looked like - with appropriate PERSEC and OPSEC. This coud be fun, unless you were in the 42nd Co rotation before mine.... then I'm SOL.

Isn't it amazing that there are certain things that just stick in your memory - ABN being one of them?

BMT (RIP)

01-08-2007, 16:44

Nothing like being in jump school with half of that year West Point class!!!

Will the man with 7 holes in his canopy pull your reserve, 40+ plus men checking their canopy.

BMT

Team Sergeant

01-08-2007, 16:55

Great Picture Col! I don't think I ever got one.

At the end of Airborne school some of us were "hurried" to our next assignment. Seems some butthole named Idi Amin Dada, (who became known as the 'Butcher of Uganda' for his brutal, despotic rule whilst president of Uganda in the 1970s) wanted to start a fight and we were told we were going to stop him.:rolleyes: Fastest inprocessing I ever did! My sixth jump was "almost" a combat jump!:rolleyes:

x SF med

01-08-2007, 19:34

Hmmmmmm...... I have the Class Book at home, you were E-what? I'll find you, get it scanned and we'll see what the pre adult NDD looked like -

The book must be in my storage unit, I'll find it and see if NDD was in the same class as me. After SHOT.

Jack Moroney (RIP)

01-08-2007, 19:58

I still have my picture just like that (but it's in color). LOL.

Color film hadn't been invented when I went thru:D

Weazle23

01-09-2007, 09:01

Nothing like being in jump school with half of that year West Point class!!!

Will the man with 7 holes in his canopy pull your reserve, 40+ plus men checking their canopy.

BMT

There were quite a few cadets in my class as well. We insisted the "C" on their ballistic helmet was for civillian instead of cadet. We always had to make up for their lack of motivation during cadence calling.

My diploma is a little misleading, it says "Airborne Course" while we all know the official title is Basic Airborne Course, and it's so new (compared to some) the ink might still be wet. It's still commonly referred to as both Jump School as well as Airborne School.

82ndtrooper

01-09-2007, 16:02

I actually roomed with a graduate of the BUD/S program in 82. He was gigged almost every single day for his appearance. Ironically in a strange twist of fate I dated his former wife just 4 years ago. (I'll spair the details) Although his career is much longer and distingished than mine.

That couldn't happen again in anyones lifetime.

Lothar

01-22-2007, 21:20

82ndtrooper

01-24-2007, 07:30

Gents,

I graduated a little later than you guys. I was in D co 1/507th PIR, first class of 95. Our 1SG reminded everyone of Yosemite Sam.

We had one leg Ranger who was ajay squared away and always made sure us youngins were in line. I don't remember seeing any SEALS or Air Force personnel, but there were 6 or 7 Marines who were constant targets of opportunity for the Blackhats. Did have a female officer that got booted on day three because she couldn't keep up while doing the Airborne shuffle for PT. Jeez, what a disaster. Hope she never actually got to lead any troops.

BAC was not as hard as I heard growing up. Times change.

Based on your post it must still be the same. That being if you fell out of one of the morning PT runs or were left behind you were sent packing your duffle bag to await orders to another assignment.

IIRC "Cardiac Hill" was alway's the last 1/2 mile of the run and thats where most of the smokers lost their wind. :boohoo

Hiclaude

01-25-2007, 15:15

Based on your post it must still be the same. That being if you fell out of one of the morning PT runs or were left behind you were sent packing your duffle bag to await orders to another assignment.

IIRC "Cardiac Hill" was alway's the last 1/2 mile of the run and thats where most of the smokers lost their wind. :boohoo

Yes, it is at the end of the run. I remember it quite well. During the run, one of the black hats was telling us that this hill is nothing and to wait till we see the next one. Of course there was nothing but flat ground after that. It didn't matter to us, there was no chance we were falling out.

lksteve

01-25-2007, 20:20

Color film hadn't been invented when I went thruyou know, for some reason, that reminded me of something...i think i was in the last class to go through when the barracks were still down at Lawson Field...i remember the recycles from our class and the zero week guys were moving stuff over the what was then the OCS (6th Student Battalion) area, by the 250 foot towers...after i graduated (i was held over trying to get into Training Group, but alas, i was only 19) the recycles and zero week guys moved 45th Company into the "new" barracks...

IIRC, the Pathfinder class barracks stayed there for several years, although i was never able to get a slot...

Hipshot

01-25-2007, 21:45

Surgicalcric

01-26-2007, 00:30

Great story Hipshot... As a son having received his fathers Wings I am sure that was a proud day for your son.

My first set of wings were my fathers as well, which he received in 1943. I have never been more proud to wear anything in my life.

Rest in Peace Dad.

Your Son.

Jack Moroney (RIP)

01-26-2007, 06:14

[QUOTE=Hipshot I got to pin my wings on my son [/QUOTE]

That's a proud moment. I got to pin my old Captains bars on my son a few years ago at Bragg. I just gave him a set of my Master's Wings that he will probably have pinned on this Spring at Bragg. Would like to be able to do it myself, but that is not in the cards.

x SF med

01-26-2007, 08:30

My first set of wings were from a family friend (COL,ret) that he got from his father (COL, ret)... funny thing is I caught Mike's hat at his USMA graduation, and later ran into him a few times at Bragg - one time he ran his people at the Matta Mile (these were 4th POG people) to catch the 18D reclass, so lhe could tell me that my grandmother had died - he was a MAJ at the time, and I caught a lot of shit until I finally fessed up that he informed me of a family issue. I believe the TACs questions were - SGT, WTF did you do this time, that required you getting pulled out of PT by a MAJ from the 4th POG? And no I didn't say - SGT, I was born.

kachingchingpow

01-26-2007, 08:49

I'm going to have to scrounge up a picture the next time I'm at my Mom's. She took several snaps of me getting my wings (my Airborne father had passed on by this time). In one of the pics, my black hat Ssgt Veasey, is slamming them home knocking me almost into the guys formed up behind us. Perfect photo of blood wings in action. The snaps leading up to it shows Ssgt Veasey with an evil "this is gonna leave a mark" smirk on his face. Priceless.

All the Rep-63's were piled into the same group together, along with some Marine Recon guys, and a few PJ's. I can vividly recall one of Recon Marines in my group always doing an extra push-up exclaiming "and one more for Chesty!!!" Well, Ssgt Veasey had about enough of that crap by the end of ground week. The Marine was diesel... about 5-9/10 and about 225, with no visible bodyfat. He made someone a heckuva fullback at one point. We were wrapping-up the training day on Friday afternoon in that covered area where they taught PLF's (where you held onto a pull-up bar affixed to a pulley and slid down a long cable). Everyone got one last good smoking, and then we heard it... "and one more for Chesty!!!" Ssgt Veasey said "that's it, everyone up except marines last name!" He squat thrusted him, mountain climbed him, and then made him beat his boots until he literally fell over from muscle failure. All the while he made him count them off for Chesty. Needless to say we didn't hear anything more about Chesty until graduation.

After that smoking Ssgt Veasey took his hat off, had everyone take a knee for a little Q&A before we were marched back to the barracks for final formation. Several of us had met at AIT, or during basic and had been talking about blood wings for weeks, and if we wanted or were getting them. At the end of some of the typical unobtrusive questions about relatives planning for graduation, etc. I raised my hand and asked "are we going to get blood wings?" The entire group turned their head toward me, everyone of them had a penetrating look that spoke "shut-up you dumb-a$$." Ssgt Veasey cracked that same evil grin and said "don't worry we'll fix you up." He pretty much just pounded them into everyone in my groups chest... enough to get the job done, he knocked the $hit out of me when I got mine. :)

Hipshot

01-26-2007, 16:00

I raised my hand and asked "are we going to get blood wings?"
Things have changed at Ft Benning since "the good old days". The request for, or issuance of "blood wings" is grounds for termination from the training program and loss of jump status. My son was actually looking forward to me pounding his wings on when the word was passed down that anyone caught giving an "inappropriate" pinning ceremony would be ejected from the graduation exercise and would not be issued a certificate of completion. In my son's case, he re-enlisted over in Iraq to get an airborne slot and assignment to the 82nd. Had he failed the course (for whatever reason), his assignment to Bragg would have been cancelled.

NousDefionsDoc

01-26-2007, 18:33

Things have changed at Ft Benning since "the good old days". The request for, or issuance of "blood wings" is grounds for termination from the training program and loss of jump status. My son was actually looking forward to me pounding his wings on when the word was passed down that anyone caught giving an "inappropriate" pinning ceremony would be ejected from the graduation exercise and would not be issued a certificate of completion. In my son's case, he re-enlisted over in Iraq to get an airborne slot and assignment to the 82nd. Had he failed the course (for whatever reason), his assignment to Bragg would have been cancelled.
This is MADNESS!

Hipshot

01-26-2007, 18:39

:D Guys:
Here's a couple more shots from my son's jump school graduation. I had an SF cap on my son had given me for my birthday. On it I had my minature CIB and master wings. As I was walking out to take part in the pinning ceremony, I happened to glance up at the reviewing officer. He must have noticed the hat, wings and CIB because he turned back to the PA system and said "Looks like one young trooper has some big boots to fill.". After pinning Matt's wings on, the officer came up and asked me how many jumps did my son need to make to catch up with me. I replied "2,648 more and we'll be even". He laughed and hollared "Airborne". I replied "All the way" and Matt chimed in with "And then some!".

CPTAUSRET

01-26-2007, 21:04

NICE pic's!

You gotta be a proud Dad!

NousDefionsDoc

01-26-2007, 21:48

Fine figure of a young Buck Sergeant there hipshot. You are rightfully proud.

NousDefionsDoc

01-26-2007, 21:55

x SF med

01-26-2007, 23:40

NDD - did you get your blood wings from SSG Outlaw (big American Indian, though, I guess, smaller than you, now that I think about it)?

For me, it wasn't the 2 little holes, it was the bruises on the chest and ribs getting chipped by the pins, that really hurt. When everybody in your stick took a shot after the ceremony, that really sucked.

lksteve

01-27-2007, 09:16

I was stuck with 14 of them. I didn't date their wives.your restrain was commendable...

Slantwire

01-27-2007, 15:02

The request for, or issuance of "blood wings" is grounds for termination from the training program and loss of jump status.

I saw a couple prior-cycle kids show up at my basic unit to get blood wings from their old drill sergeants. I imagine that, like so many things, it's an issue of getting caught. Unfortunately, Airborne Walk at graduation is probably a hard place to avoid getting caught. I imagine I'll hear about this policy in the next three weeks.

Monsoon65

01-27-2007, 17:30

:D Guys:
Just wanted to share this with you. June 1st, 2006, I got to pin my wings on my son when he completed jump school. I received them 36 years ago when I graduated. When my son had the wings mounted in a shadow box, the guys at the trophy store in Columbus said those were really old wings. You should have seen the look on their faces whan my son told them they were mine and how old they were!

Nothing like tradition. I've never been to jump school, but when I finally got my crew qualification, my father gave me his first set of Enlisted Aircrew wings which I wore until I got my Senior wings.

When our new guys get crew qual'd, we give them bloodwings. Of course, it's done behind closed doors for the same reason; we were told we'd get our asses handed to us if we were caught.

KSC

06-04-2007, 01:48

My father was there to pin my wings, unfortunately his first set is long gone. I did the next best thing and had mine framed for him. Maybe one day I will get to know how it feels and reclaim my first wings from him for my son. MAYBE a while from now my two year old girl will grow to wear some wings... Hopefully I can talk her out of that.

Hipshot

06-04-2007, 07:05

Very cool picture, Colonel.

Beats me why you guys want to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. Must be an acquired taste. :D

Bandy

:cool:
Brandy: My first jump (and 3 of the remaining 4) was made from a Korean War vintage C-119 "Flying Boxcar" transport. That plane you couldn't wait to jump from. On our first takeoff, as the plane was rolling down the runway, you could see the wings flex up and down. I turned to the guy next to me and said "This plane's going to have to flap faster if it wants to get off the ground"! That cracked up everyone within hearing and really broke the tension.