What did you do today?

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hit_it
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What did you do today?

Post by hit_it »

No schit there I was..... (I have to start this like that)

I am the Primary Jumpmaster of a C-130 conducting ERO's out at Holland DZ. I am chalk two so we have moved out the the DZ while chalk 1 loads from green ramp. Things are going very smoothly up until this point.

We get down to 30 minutes from TOT FOR CHALK 1 and WE GOT NO CHUTES.

The DACO is calling back to pope and he's being assured the chutes are enroute. Cool.

So we hear some trucks and look around the hangar. Low and behold, it's chalk 3. Okay Now we're getting scared. Everyone's looking at me wondering how the fuck we're going to fix it. I'm trying to play it cool but I know we're going to be screwed.

So the truck finally showed about 10 minutes later and guess what.....NO CHUTE DETAIL. The bird is now enroute and is going to do an extra leg on their route to give us time to chute up. I use this to get with chalk 3 and make them issue us chutes. No time for bullshitting.

I had a full C-130 with 6 JM's to JMPI everyone. I am included in this count. We are moving balls to the wall, and I'm recalling the circle and the bruises my kuckles suffered that long time ago in Jumpmaster School.

But as we are down to the last of the jumpers, the bird comes in and drop chalk 1's first pass. We're going to make it. Another day in the Double A.

I get on my chute and move the jumpers out to the side of the FLS as the bird approaches after making pass #2. I only have one AJ, so I have planned to just dump everyone out, the AF has a different plan though.

Safeties are seating the jumpers and I talk to the loadie and he says the pilots want two passes so I say screw it, let's go. I tell my JM team and we let the jumpers know by breaking them into 2 passes. Everything sounds good, right?

WRONG.

We get in the air right away (20 minutes called on the ground) and before I know it, jumpers are up and I'm getting the door. Clear to the rear, get my reference points and issue standby. G2G. 1st pass no issues. 15 jumpers out, no injuries, no tows.

Now here's where the schit really hits the fan.

I moved back, my safety pulls in d-bags and the lodies gives me the 10 minutes. So I'm right back into it, and this time my number one jumper is a cherry. I give him standby and he hands off his static line and turns into the door but steps back into me. He pushes me into the AJ and my safety can't get a good hold on his static line. I then grab his pack tray and tell him to "MOVE FORWARD, MOVE FORWARD" trying to get him out into a door position. He breaks free of me and the safety and is out the door faster than speedy gonzales after bubble guts from bad tacos.



My eyes damn near pop out BECAUSE i CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT i JUST SAW. The loadie was on the ramp and I know he must have spit up his dr.pepper. I'm thinking, damn. I'm screwed now. So the loadies have now made the no drop call and are trying to spot a chute. chute is open, he's out over the trees. I back up, seat the jumpers and get ready for the next action.

The ride of shame back to Pope.

The only thing I'm thinking is I hope the kids okay. Radio calls are going everywhere. As many of you know. An early (red light) exit is supposed to cancel the whole line, which is bad because i was the second chalk of a 5 chalk mission. I am embarrased as all hell right now, just knowing I'm going to be in the CSM's office about this schit.

Well, we get back to pope and they now have helos looking for him at the mark where his chute was last seen. We taxi in and shut down, then here comes the GLO/ALCE/G-3 guys.

So this is what it's like to see your career end before your eyes, I think to myself. I'm trying to look like a professional, but inside I just want to find a corner and sink into it.

ALCE has his radio and we do a huddle. He asks what happened and I tell him. My safety agrees with me, and the loadie even says "Yeah, I heard him tell him to move forward, but he did not say go". So he asks if the #2 jumper may have heard so we call him forward and he says the same.

So now everyone writes their statements, right there on the ramp of the C-130. The GLO sees that I'm feeling pretty bad about it and he says, don't worry about it. Judging from your statements you seem to have been in the right.

It's right then that the radio comes alive with them having located the jumper. The helos saw him in a clearing and landed to pick him up. They then flew him to Holland and put him out. No injuries.

Whew.

So I'm thinking, at least he's alive. I still have to face the CSM though. Schit.

Then while we're getting name confirmation and the jumpers side of the story, an Air Force big wig (their 3, I think) comes out and asks what happens. The GLO guy tell him, and he goes " yeah, that what the crews told me as well." then looks at me and says "you ready to get back up there and finish what you were doing?"

F_UCK YEAH!!!!!

So, we crank back up and head straight for the DZ. 20 minutes at Pope, 10 minutes as soon as we level out.

I'm hyped. Not because I want to jump but because I want to see the schitbird who exited on me earlier.

Standby, hell f_ucking yeah.

Go. Shhhhhhhh..........

30 severely frustrated Hooahs attack the door and fill the North carolina skies. Though it was one hour and 45 minutes later than expected, I look behind me, watch my AJ fall away and step out into the silent calm of the sky gods realm.

5 POINTS OF PERFORMANCE.

5 points of contact.

Okay, the real points or contact. FEET, AZZ, HEAD.LMAO

I gather my schit and head out to the turn in point. The chute detail has finally showed up so things are going smoothly. Turn in my schit, check my manifest, and call for all Chalk 2 jumper on me. Everyone's feeling good to have the chutes off, talking about their good jumps, long wait, and whoever the f_uck it was who went out on a red light.

I go talk to him, and he tells me he thought I was telling him to go twice and he didn't want to be a jump refusal.

Well, fu_ck. How can I be mad at that? I tell him to fall in.

I call manifest one last time for accountability (it had been 2 hours between passes on my chalk). Everyone's there, no injuries, no worries. I put them on the busses and go find the ABN Commander.

I talk to him about what happened at which time he tells me that everything has been smoothed over, and the BDE CDR thought it was good to have an "overly agressive" hooah who DID NOT want to be a jump refusal.

Okay. I feel a little better. Now to talk to the BDE CSM, but first I have to go to Pope and do the reports.

That went easy and I walk into the BDE HQ's to a barrage of jokes about me throwing privates out of airplanes.

I see what I'll be trying to live down for a while.

But the main point of all this: Make sure you have situational awareness of you jumpers, JM's.

Oh, my CSM thought it was pretty f_ucking funny. So all is well.

What did you do today?

SFC Hit_it
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Post by rgrpuck »

And what was the big deal .....?.... :lol:


THAT WAS YOU ??!!!!??

BWaaahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
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hit_it
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Post by hit_it »

rgrpuck wrote:And what was the big deal .....?.... :lol:


THAT WAS YOU ??!!!!??

BWaaahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
I knew you would fucking die when you read this shit.....

News must have flew around division like wildfire.
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Post by rgrpuck »

hit_it wrote:
rgrpuck wrote:And what was the big deal .....?.... :lol:


THAT WAS YOU ??!!!!??

BWaaahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
I knew you would fucking die when you read this shit.....

News must have flew around division like wildfire.

Dont worry about it. that is one more thing you can say youve seen happen in a Bird and you can pass that shit on too your ypung JM's.

You Gonna be on Pike field tomarrow for the Division review part Duex?
If so come find me....I'll be the guy making alot of noise over in 2-508.
CSM RGRPUCK
CL 3-88

Operation Just Cause (Dec- Jan 89)
Operation Enduring Freedom (Jan-aug '03)
Operation Iraqi Freedom (Jan- July "04)
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Post by Silverback »

As for the original question...I just sat at my desk!
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Post by Jim »

Silverback wrote:As for the original question...I just sat at my desk!
I taught a class of future General Staff officers how to staff a project / program through the Defense Acquisition Board (DAB). On the whole, Scott, I wish I were in your place.
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Post by Silverback »

Jim wrote:
Silverback wrote:As for the original question...I just sat at my desk!
I taught a class of future General Staff officers how to staff a project / program through the Defense Acquisition Board (DAB). On the whole, Scott, I wish I were in your place.
Well I sure as hell don't...So far being a civilian is pretty darn good!
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Post by Flesh Thorn »

Silverback wrote: Well I sure as hell don't...So far being a civilian is pretty darn good!
Have you grown a mullet yet ?
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Post by K.Ingraham »

Powerwashed & scraped my house. I begin painting the hooch as soon as the coffee runs out.
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hit_it
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Post by hit_it »

rgrpuck wrote:
hit_it wrote:
rgrpuck wrote:And what was the big deal .....?.... :lol:


THAT WAS YOU ??!!!!??

BWaaahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
I knew you would fucking die when you read this shit.....

News must have flew around division like wildfire.

Dont worry about it. that is one more thing you can say youve seen happen in a Bird and you can pass that shit on too your ypung JM's.

You Gonna be on Pike field tomarrow for the Division review part Duex?
If so come find me....I'll be the guy making alot of noise over in 2-508.
I'm come down after the festivities and visit, CSM. Gonna be a bit too much brass for me.
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hit_it
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Post by hit_it »

Jim wrote:
Silverback wrote:As for the original question...I just sat at my desk!
I taught a class of future General Staff officers how to staff a project / program through the Defense Acquisition Board (DAB). On the whole, Scott, I wish I were in your place.
I got an extra set of ACU's. I'm sure you can slide in under the radar on the next jump. :lol:
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hit_it
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Post by hit_it »

Silverback wrote:
Jim wrote:
Silverback wrote:As for the original question...I just sat at my desk!
I taught a class of future General Staff officers how to staff a project / program through the Defense Acquisition Board (DAB). On the whole, Scott, I wish I were in your place.
Well I sure as hell don't...So far being a civilian is pretty darn good!
Fucker. :roll:






















:lol:
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Post by Jim »

hit_it wrote:
Jim wrote:
Silverback wrote:As for the original question...I just sat at my desk!
I taught a class of future General Staff officers how to staff a project / program through the Defense Acquisition Board (DAB). On the whole, Scott, I wish I were in your place.
I got an extra set of ACU's. I'm sure you can slide in under the radar on the next jump. :lol:
Actually, Scott, I'm envious of everyone under the age of 50.
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Post by Ranger Bill »

Good story and well told.
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Silverback
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Post by Silverback »

hit_it wrote:
Jim wrote:
Silverback wrote:As for the original question...I just sat at my desk!
I taught a class of future General Staff officers how to staff a project / program through the Defense Acquisition Board (DAB). On the whole, Scott, I wish I were in your place.
I got an extra set of ACU's. I'm sure you can slide in under the radar on the next jump. :lol:
So so I, of course Jim could fit himself and a date in mine!
RC 2-87
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"thnks 4 pratn merku!"
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