Demostrators Participate in Joint Training With Air Force

Four members of the Demonstration Teams participated in a very productive day of training today with some Air Force HALO (high altitude low opening) jumpers at Camp Mackall Air Field.
It was a beautiful sight to see the clear blue skies over Luzon drop zone filled with gray MC4 parachutes and vibrant Black and Gold.

The Air Force Jumpers were members of the 21st Special Tactics Squadron, based at Pope Air Force Base adjacent to Fort Bragg, NC. The ten Airmen of the Red Team are the Air Force’s equivalent to the Army’s Special Forces, and train to complete highly technical and unconventional missions including SCUBA diving, rescue boats, ATVs, and parachute jumps. This week, the Red Team is performing a week-long HALO refresher course in order to earn their Level One certification. The jumpers complete five jumps per day and follow a progression from “slick” (no combat equipment or weapons, just a parachute), to full kit including rucksack, weapon, communication equipment, and oxygen. Today’s jumps consisted of three slick and two with rucksacks, and tomorrow they will add weapons, then move to oxygen later in the week.

The Golden Knights were on hand to provide coaching and video support to help the Air Force jumpers improve their freefall skills and to provide the Red Team with video for their debrief at the end of the day. SGT Dan Cook of Gold Team shot video and headed up the project, while SSG Trevor Oppenborn and SGT Rachel Medley of Black Team also shot video and provided coaching support. SGT Tylor Wheeler of Black Team jumped with the HALO jumpers, provided coaching and (true to form) a good joke from time to time when the Team needed it!

The flight crew was a group of Air National Guard Airmen and Officers from Rhode Island who were thrilled to be part of the project. The climb to altitude was effortless in their nearly new C-130 J Model…now that’s some serious power!

The Golden Knights will continue to provide support throughout the week and look forward to working with the 21st STS in the future.

Story and photos by SGT Rachel Medley

1. Members of the 21st STS exit the ramp of the C-130 over Luzon drop zone while SSG Trevor Oppenborn, right, prepares to follow the jumpers out
2. SGT Dan Cook gives a special wave goodbye as he follows the jumpers out for their high-pull jump, opening at 8000 feet
3. SSG Trevor Oppenborn dives out head first
4. While the Airmen practiced HAHO (high altitude high opening) jumps, SSG Trevor Oppenborn practiced some freeflying skills with SGT Tylor Wheeler as his subject
5. SGT Tylor Wheeler proudly flies the Black and Gold over Luzon drop zone
6. The last jump of the day…in t-shirts! Not for the Knights of course…we were still in jumpsuits