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From: jpulliam@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Jacqueline Pulliam)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Dropping Stuff (was Re: Airborne operations)
Keywords: Heavy Drop
Message-ID: <1990Jul11.025456.23660@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 11 Jul 90 02:54:56 GMT
References: <1990Jul3.031911.6890@cbnews.att.com> <1990Jul5.020538.14365@cbnews.att.com> <1990Jul6.032802.27798@cbnews.att.com> <1990Jul8.053437.7936@cbnews.att.com> <1990Jul10.024954.10456@cbnews.att.com>
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From: jpulliam@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Jacqueline Pulliam)
Sam, you may have been out for a while, but your memory is fresh as if
you'd jumped yesterday!  A few things have changed, though.

The steerable MC1-1B (and now MC1-1C) is no longer used on mass tactical
jumps because of the very problem you mentioned:  soldiers trying to
steer on a dark night while surrounded by other airborne troops is a
formula for disaster.

The latest version of the ASOP (Airborne SOP) published by the
Division has an annex entitled "Combat Techniques".  I think it was
included to dispel rumors as well as to show which safety procedures
of training jumps would be dispensed with during combat jumps.  Among
the points it makes:

	*  The airborne commander can drop soldiers and equipment in
any order he sees necessary to accomplish the mission.  This includes
the possibility of mixing door bundles in with troops, or even
bringing a heavy drop in immediately after a troop drop.

	*  Soldiers will wear reserves.  I honestly don't know if a 
soldier whose main didn't open would have time to fully deploy his 
reserve or not from 500 feet AGL (I think the vertical drop is
actually 190-something feet before full deployment of the main), but I
would sure be trying if I were in that situation.  8-)

	*  Jumpmaster and A/J jump wherever in the stick they need to,
to land with their own unit.  No safeties, either (really!).  The ASOP
says, "every trooper is his own Safety" on combat jumps.  (personally,
as a jm, I'd feel kind of funny jumping into the middle of a stick,
knowing the rest of the troops behind me would have no-one to "see
them to the door" other than the AF loadmaster, but there it is in
black and white 8-).

	*  Drop altitude will be negotiated between the Airborne
Commander and the Air Mission Commander (normally the senior
Pilot-in-Command).  650' is used for planning purposes, but the
minimum altitude is below 500'.

Finally, Hay Street has changed since you were at Bragg 8-).
Completely cleaned up except for Rick's Lounge.  Bragg Blvd and some
of its side streets now provide a home for the dives.  8-).

I hope my memory is as good as yours ten years after I'm off status!

John Pulliam