IIRC, the hatches would often fail to open because (I'm guessing) of the vacuum created on the outside of the hatch by the rushing air. I remember hearing of one poor man who fell out of the hatch when he managed to finally get it open. I think it was for Operation Pegasus, and he ended up in the sea.

The British also only jumped with one chute, no reserves.

Solid

When I was there we used our reserves and their mains -- T-7s. We took some MC-1s with us for them to try.

When I was in BCT my drill sergeant said he was a rough terrain jumper. He said he would put on a fully body suit of padding and a motocross helmet and jump into thick forest. He would jump with a small chain saw and an M4. He was a combat engineer and he said he did this to make DZ's. Anyone ever hear of this? He said there is only a handfull who do this.



-Robertson

Rough Terrain Jumping
 

I taught rough terrain jumping in Panama. We wore the same padded suites that "Smoke Jumpers" used. These were basically as described.

The precess was quite simple and fun as long as you hung up in a big tree. The lowering process was to tie one end of a 120 ft rope through the risers. The other end was attached to the rucksack. The ruck sack was not lowered until you were ready to rapell down - it provided additional protection while crashing through the trees. The rucksack is released and hopefully it hits the ground. If it doesn't you can sit on it and take other measures such as using the reserve. A snap-link is attached to a D-ring on the harness and the rope inserted as for normal rapelling. You then release the capewells and rapell to the ground.

What the DI said about clearing an LZ with a chain caw is possible but I found that a "Daisy Cutter" was much quicker and easier.

20th Engineers at Bragg do this. His story sounds about right from what little I've read on the subject.

CommoGeek and QRQ 30,

He did mention using Daisy Cutters and also mentioned that he was stationed at Bragg during the time. He mentioned Daisy Cutters but then said that he used the Chainsaw. I remember when he was telling us what he did I said to myself : That's a bad ass job.

His duty was up last year and he was trying to get into the SOC at Bragg but due to the lack of DS's they extended him one more year and he became a SDS. He was looking forward to getting into the SOC at Bragg. Last I heard he had a child and is now spending time with him/her.


Thanks for the information,

-Robertson

Google kicks ass:
http://www.army.mil/soldiers/mar1999.../terrain2.html

http://www.bragg.army.mil/27eng/B%20Co/B_CO.htm

So, it is B Co., 27th Engineer BN, 20th Engineer BDE. that does it.

Pretty cool, actually. The first link has some hyperlinks on the left with more info.

A similar system to ours but I think our system was simpler.

1. We tied the rope throught the risers. There was no need to modify the risers. Any parachute was used. The only hazard was if Gomer tied his rope around instead of through the risers.

2. There was no special harness or need to get out of the parachute harness. We wore enough already. If you have ever seen dogs trained to attack, the suites used by the "victims" are similar. Very bu;ky with all of the padding.. The parachute harness was perfectly safe for rapelling, r4emember you just rode it down from an aircraft.

3. Rather than get out of the parachute harness you merely release the canopy releas devices. One at a time to ensure that you properly tied your rope THRU the risers.

.

QRQ,

But you KNOW someone received an impact ARCOM for those changes, maybe even a bullet on his OER/ NCOER.....

Damn, those 20th Engineers keep taking my parking spot. I work right next them... Sounds like a fun job, I must admit.

-CV