Photo By Ana Henderson | U.S. Army Garrison Yuma Proving Ground Chaplain Ryan Pearse recently attended the...... read more read more
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At the crack of dawn on March 20, Chaplain Ryan Pearse walked up to the Military Freefall School (MFFS) located at U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground and a part of the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School.
He walked up to the school two times prior hoping to be accepted as a walk-on student for the freefall parachutist course, also called the freefall basic course.
“I went in not knowing if I was going to go to school because I did not have a reserved spot,” said Pearse.
Not anyone can walk into the school and attend. Pearse’s paperwork and pre-requisites were met. He was airborne qualified, had his flight physical, and HAPS training. He just didn’t have a spot unless another enrolled student did not show up. That morning, luck was on his side, and he was allowed in as a walk-on.
“If I was given the green light to go, there was no way I was going to say no, because it’s hard to get a slot over there. So, no matter what, I was going to say yes,” remarked Pearse.
As the Garrison Chaplain of YPG, Pearse knew he had many commitments and events planned at the chapel. He was able to attend evening and weekend commitments yet relied heavily on his two Non-Commissioned Officers, Staff Sgt. Nicole Covington and Sgt. D.J. Suggs, to handle the day-to-day tasks.
Pearse said, “They did an amazing job!”
So that day he started his four weeks as a student in the parachutist course at the MFF school.
He recalls, “It was a jammed packed, fast moving four weeks.” Pearse tells, “It starts right at 4 a.m.”
Day one he was learning to pack his own parachute and was in the wind tunnel by the afternoon. There was class instruction time for parachute packing, vertical wind tunnel training, hand and arm signals for communicating in the air, proper body movements, plus emergency procedures training, among other things. By Friday he was jumping out of an aircraft. He jumped three times that day before the clock struck noon.
“I had a calm about jumping out the first time. I knew the instructors are so well-trained and when you jump out you have a one- on-one instructor with you. They are so highly trained that I trust them, and I trust their training so jumping out by myself, I was not as scared or nervous as you would think.”
He adds, “Later in the course when you jump out with no instructor that is more nerve wracking, than the first jump.”
Pearse has the highest respect for the team at the MFFS.
“To the MFF leadership thank you for allowing me the opportunity to go. To the cadre I want to highlight their expertise, the instructors, the support staff, riggers, the flight crew. They are at the top of their game and experts at what they do.”
While Pearse learned to be a freefall parachutist this experience also taught him life lessons.
“You learn humility because you realize how dangerous of a thing you are doing and how you can’t take anything for granted and you can’t cut corners. If you want to cut corners when you are packing your own parachute be prepared for some troubles.”
Ultimately, those serving our country don’t always know what their next assignment will be or where their career path will take them but for Pearse this experience gives him a better understanding of the war fighters training at YPG.
“I want to use what I have been trained in to continue to jump with Freefall and ATF [Airborne Test Force] Soldiers. Because over half of the Soldiers over there are freefall qualified, I want to continue to jump because I want to get to know the Soldiers and cadre here better and I think the best way to do that is to do what they do.”
During his short time at YPG, Pearse has revitalize the Post Chapel, bringing back a strong congregation, Vacation Bible School (VBS), and volunteers. The Chapel team is gearing up for VBS in July and hoping to have a full house of kids and volunteers.
| Date Taken: | 06.06.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 06.06.2023 12:23 |
| Story ID: | 445803 |
| Location: | YUMA PROVING GROUND, ARIZONA, US |
| Web Views: | 245 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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