Remembering the Green Ramp Disaster, 1994

[JJ_BPK]

Remembering the fallen Paratroopers
Green Ramp Disaster
Pope Army Airfield, Ft Bragg, NC
March 23, 1994


RIP Warriors,
Vaya con Dios
You are not forgotten

Foreword

Disaster on Green Ramp: The Army's Response is a powerful story of pain, te rror, pride, courage, and compassion. It celebrates the mag-nificent spirit of the men and women who make up America's military community. This work describes the Army's exceptionally effective response to the tragic events on 23 March 1994 at Pope A ir Force Base, North Carolina. On that day a large number of Army paratroopers from near-by Fort Bragg had assembled in an area adjacent to the a irstrip known as Green Ramp, preparing to board a transport that would ca rry them a loft for a training parachute jump. They never made that j ump. Shortly after 1400 hours two a ircraft attempted to land simultaneously at Pope. The resulting crash produced a mass ive fire that brought death or injury to more than a hundred paratroopers-the worst peacetime loss of life suffe red by the 82d Airborne Division since World War II. You will recognize the troopers, doctors, medics, chaplains, volun-teers, and family members who triumphed over tragedy; some by name, but most by type. They are, in truth, much like you and me-essential-ly ordinary people cast in extraordinary roles by fate. What they shared was a fie rce loyalty to one another. The Center of Military History is proud to prese nt this study, which is largely based upon the first-person accounts of those involved. I urge you to read it, to reflect on the insights shared by those who made his-tory, and to d iscuss it within your own unit and organization. It is a story worth te lling again and again. Was hington, D.C. I April 1996 V I I JOHN W. MOUNTCASTLE Brigadie r General, USA Chief of Military History

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[Old Dog New Trick]

Gone but not forgotten RIP Paratroopers.

[1stindoor]

One of the very last to get out of the burn unit in San Antonio was the son of one of my mentors growing up. He was my Ops Sgt in my college ROTC program. 5th SFG VN Vet. He led me down this path nearly 40 years ago.

[tom kelly]

R I P to the Paratroopers & Condolences to Family & Friends.

[Stobey]

I never knew about this. RIP paratroopers and God bless all who helped in this disaster.

[Ret10Echo]

I spent a lot of time on Green Ramp "in the day". In '94 I was at Devens and remember hearing about this. Very close to home.