View Full Version : Operation Toy Drop
Good news coverage.
http://video.foxnews.com/v/4455820/operation-toy-drop/?playlist_id=86856
Richard :munchin
Good news coverage.
http://video.foxnews.com/v/4455820/operation-toy-drop/?playlist_id=86856
Richard :munchin
Great activity, I just wish either the SSG or the MG had mentioned that this event is known as the SFC Randy Oler Memorial Toy Drop.
Here's a bit more information on Randy:
http://www.dvidshub.net/news/61514/13th-annual-randy-oler-operation-toy-drop-man-who-made-idea-army-tradition
All things considered, it was good coverage....jd
sicatrix
12-11-2010, 12:27
Pretty good day to jump if you ask me, despite the cold. I just got back from Sicily a little bit ago, good size crowd out there. Huge turnout for manifest yesterday as well.
airbornediver
12-11-2010, 18:33
Earned my Irish wings today, had an awesome time!!
CommoNCO
12-12-2010, 10:55
I earned my Canadian wings!! Great day for a jump - though the skies opened up about 40 minutes after I left.....
Just curious - but what's the criteria for the wings being awarded?
For example, my Italian wings came from jumping with the Italain Sabatatori Bn in Italy using their A/C, equipment and JMs for 6 jumps (4 familiarization and 2 JCET).
My Thai wings were gotten the same way (8 jumps in Thailand).
We awarded US wings to our counterparts by doing the same for them and they were awarded on an equal qualification basis - e.g., novice wings to novice jumpers, senior wings to senior jumpers, master wings to master jumpers.
I'm assuming it must be different now.
Richard :munchin
The Reaper
12-12-2010, 11:36
Just curious - but what's the criteria for the wings being awarded?
For example, my Italian wings came from jumping with the Italain Sabatatori Bn in Italy using their A/C, equipment and JMs for 6 jumps (4 familiarization and 2 JCET).
My Thai wings were gotten the same way (8 jumps in Thailand).
We awarded US wings to our counterparts by doing the same for them and they were awarded on an equal qualification basis - e.g., novice wings to novice jumpers, senior wings to senior jumpers, master wings to master jumpers.
I'm assuming it must be different now.
Richard :munchin
Richard:
Completely changed.
Can be US aircraft, US parachutes, sometimes even US JMs.
Just a parachutist from another country, and they hand the wings and certificates out on the DZ.
Not like it used to be, jumping HN aircraft, rigs, and JMs. That had the potential for real excitement. :D
TR
Interesting - I can understand the philosophy in a 'spirit of the brotherhood' sense among qualified paratroopers combined with cost constraints.
Thanks for the update.
Richard :munchin
airbornediver
12-12-2010, 16:01
We had Irish jumpmasters, though US jump masters were there as well and did the JMPI.
On Friday we went through the sequence of commands with the Irish, in their Gaelic language and ran through it a few times. On Sat, they were yelling the commands in Gaelic, we repeated (as normal) and jumped.
On the ground they had an officer and enlisted member pinning on wings, then we picked up orders and certs from a US Army soldier, I'm assuming they were admin.
I am looking forward to the opportunity of jumping in a foreign country, with all the foreign equip/etc.