National Guard jumps over Fort Gordon
Nick Spinelli Signal Staff
Photos by Nick Spinelli National Guard Soldiers of the 560th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, 48th Combat Brigade, from Griffin, Ga. prepare for their ride to take off during parachute exercises on Fort Gordon Nov. 13.
Approximately 80 National Guard Soldiers attached to the 560th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, 48th Combat Brigade, from Griffin, Ga. participated in a parachute jump during training exercises held on Fort Gordon Nov. 13.
The jumpers were divided into two groups with the less experienced Soldiers using older model parachutes and the veteran jumpers using a new model designed to increase mobility and steerability. This way, the more experienced jumpers can later teach the less experienced how to use the new parachute with the benefit of hands-on training.
The Soldiers jumped six at a time from two Blackhawk helicopters, which flew to 1,000 feet before releasing the jumpers. Blackhawk’s were used in lieu of traditional air planes since the mission of the brigade is primarily surveillance and reconnaissance. The helicopters provide the Soldiers with lower visibility and tend to attract less attention than a larger aircraft would in a populated area.
Soldiers parachute out of Blackhawk helicopters in small groups of two or three. Once they landed, the helicopters returned to the ground to pick up the next round of Soldiers. Approximately 80 Soldiers participated in the jump.
Members of the 560th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade, 48th Combat Brigade say they enjoy training on Fort Gordon because of the variety of elements available on post. In addition to jump training, they can also complete other necessary qualifications. However, for a surveillence team, sticking to any one location is counter-productive to the mission. A variety of training terrains and environments provide the necessary atmosphere to properly prepare these Soldiers for deployment.
The more experienced jumpers used a new model of parachute which provided the user with greater control and improved steering capabilities.
