100 Jumps: Meet the Paratrooper Leaving a Legacy in the 173rd Airborne Brigade

Photo By Capt. Jennifer French | The 173rd Airborne Brigade honors Maj. Harold Castaneda for achieving a milestone that sets him apart in the airborne community. Castaneda, who has dedicated 17 years of his career on jump status, earned the title of centurion jumper on Dec. 6, 2021, after completing his 100th parachute jump. “It’s awesome,” said Maj. Castaneda. “To know that there’s something I’m leaving behind—that my kids, my family, or anyone who knows me can come back and see my name and say, ‘Maj. Castaneda was a centurion jumper here in the brigade.’”  

ITALY

12.20.2024

Story by Capt. Jennifer French 

173rd Airborne Brigade

The 173rd Airborne Brigade honors Maj. Harold Castaneda for achieving a milestone that sets him apart in the airborne community. Castaneda, who has dedicated 17 years of his career on jump status, earned the title of centurion jumper on Dec. 6, 2021, after completing his 100th parachute jump.
“It’s awesome,” said Maj. Castaneda. “To know that there’s something I’m leaving behind—that my kids, my family, or anyone who knows me can come back and see my name and say, ‘Maj. Castaneda was a centurion jumper here in the brigade.’”
Castaneda’s journey to becoming a centurion jumper began with a simple aspiration: to serve among the best soldiers in the Army. His first duty station was Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where he joined the air assault community. However, his time at a mechanized unit in South Korea inspired him to pursue airborne training.
“Soldiers who were air assault or paratroopers were different from mechanized soldiers,” Castaneda said. “So, I asked to go to airborne school.”
From there, his passion for airborne operations took flight. “Yeah, people would say it’s crazy, but I personally had fun doing it,” he said. “I like it. It’s a more disciplined culture.”
Castaneda is dedicated to the airborne community. “I just wanted to be among the best soldiers—paratroopers—that there can be in the Army and know that I’m a member of that culture,” he said.
Achieving the centurion milestone was a gradual process. “After a while, I just kept on jumping, and all I needed to do was my night jump to get my wreath. Then I realized I was in the 80s,” Castaneda said. “I thought, ‘OK, let me aim for 100.’ And I made it.”
For Castaneda, trust in his training and equipment has been the foundation of his success. “I trust my training. I trust my equipment,” he said. “I’ve had a couple of scary moments, but I did what they taught me, and hey, I’m here.”
Reflecting on the demands of airborne operations, Castaneda acknowledged the unique mindset required for the job. “Like I said—you’ve got to be crazy to jump out of an airplane,” he said. “But we know the mission we can get called to do—it’s expected for us to do a little bit more than a regular soldier.”

• Date Taken: 12.20.2024
• Date Posted: 12.20.2024 05:19
• Story ID: 488057
• Location: IT