MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. -- At the back edge of a helicopter, a column of Marines stare out into the vast space above their drop zone as the wind whips violently across their faces. They wait for the jumpmaster to wave his arm and shout “Go! Go! Go!” so they can exit the plane at heights of up to 13,000 feet with their fellow Marines.
Marines from 2d Marine Special Operations Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Special Operations Command and soldiers from the Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment teamed up to conduct paraloft operations at Drop Zone Pheasant here, August 6, in order to sharpen their insertion skills and prepare for combat situations where airborne insertions are necessary.
The Marines arrived at the drop zone early in the morning to stage their equipment. Shortly after, members of the 160th SOAR flew in to the drop zone in a MH-47D Chinook, a dual engine helicopter developed specifically for special operations forces. The soldiers discussed the details of the exercise and gave a safety brief to the Marines before they began.
“These soldiers from the 160th SOAR are extremely professional and it’s always a privilege when our Marines get to work with them,” said Staff Sgt. Jason Elson, safety chief and jumpmaster, 2d MSOB, MARSOC. “[160th SOAR] are experts in airborne operations.”
Marines conducted static-line and freefall jumps throughout the day. Static-line jumps are executed at a lower height than freefall jumps and the parachute deploys upon exit of the aircraft. Freefall jumps are executed at nearly five times the height of static-line jumps and the Marines deploy their parachutes after a short drop.
According to Elson, the Marines of 2d MSOB, many of which came from Force Reconnaissance billets, have multiple capabilities that allow them to conduct a variety of combat operations when deployed. The 2d MSOB paraloft works to build and maintain the airborne capabilities of the unit. 2d MSOB is fortunate enough to have more qualified jumpmasters than almost any other unit in the Marine Corps, added Elson.
After the Marines touched down from their jump, they quickly moved to the staging area to equip themselves with new parachutes. Due to the flexibility and the speed of the soldiers and their aircraft, Marines were able to execute multiple jumps throughout the day.
Just as the Marines from 2d MSOB need to maintain their paraloft skills, the soldiers of the 160th SOAR need to maintain their skills in flying the MH-47D Chinook with the intent of dropping parachutists. The operation was a benefit to both units and according to Elson, they plan to work together in the future on more operations.