Photo By Sharilyn Wells | Spc. Christopher Locklear, a rigger with the 824th Quartermaster Company, Fort Bragg,...... read more read more
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FORT BRAGG, N.C. — “I’m always sure of the parachutes I pack,” explained Spc. Keneesha Rogers, 824th Quartermaster Company. “But it’s always a great feeling jumping or hearing that the packed parachutes have been jumped successfully.”
Packing parachutes is a lengthy and tedious job for anyone, and for Rogers, who’s been packing military parachutes for about five years, taking shortcuts is not an option.
Depending on the type of personnel parachute being packed, the whole process of safely finishing a packed parachute can take 20-25 minutes. Packing reserve parachutes can take up to 45 minutes. When it comes to ensuring the safety of the paratrooper wearing that chute, time and accuracy is not an issue.
“The hardest part of my job is making sure I am meeting the numbers every day,” said Spc. Nathan Tryon. “I joined the Army to be airborne. I love packing and jumping, I’ve been with the unit for about four years and packing parachutes for about two or three.”
Rogers agreed that meeting the personnel parachute quota every day was a challenge, and even more hectic with the 17th Annual Randy Oler Memorial Operation Toy Drop just around the corner.
“It’s a short time frame to get so many parachutes ready,” Rogers said. “But the job gets done correctly and safely.”
Preparing the 500 parachutes that the 824th Quartermaster Company will be supplying for the world’s largest combined airborne operation, with six allied partner nation paratroopers participating, is no different than any other packing job.
After a parachute is jumped and shook out, riggers will then lay out the chute on a long table ensuring that it’s straight. The suspension lines and risers are straightened, untwisted and untangled. The parachute is inspected for any deficiencies, holes, or tears and the riggers ensure that it isn’t inverted. The serial number is verified on the parachute and then folded and packed into the deploy bag, along with the suspension lines and risers. It is then closed and tied with a closing tie.
Each step of the packing process is also double-checked by an IP, or inspect process, to ensure everything is safe to repack and deploy.
Operation Toy Drop, hosted by U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command (Airborne), brings Army, Army Reserve, Air Force, Air Force Reserve, Air National Guard and Allied Countries together to conduct safe and valuable training, and to raise toys for families and children in need of a little help this holiday season. This year, 4,150 paratroopers will have the opportunity to earn foreign jump wings in exchange for donating toys to the event. This year’s toy goal is to raise 10,000 toys, a significant jump from the 550 toys raised in its first year in 1998.
“It’s a really important event … it’s a legacy,” said Tryon. “I think it’s a great mixture of tradition for what our paratroopers do and giving back to the community that has supported us throughout the years. I’m proud to be a part of it.”
Just as much thought, detail and time is put into picking out the perfect toy to donate as packing a parachute. Many of the paratroopers who donate usually go off of personal experiences when picking out the special toy.
“I’m thinking a Power Ranger,” smiled Tryon. “I usually try to remember what I thought was cool when I was a kid and I think a Power Ranger will be perfect.”
This year’s event will be held Dec. 5 and 6 at Green Ramp, Pope Air Field as well as on Sicily Drop Zone. For more information, visit www.optoydrop.net or www.facebook.com/operationtoydrop.
| Date Taken: | 12.02.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 12.02.2014 20:21 |
| Story ID: | 149237 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Hometown: | DALLAS, TEXAS, US |
| Hometown: | FAYETTEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 367 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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