Airborne Reservists compete in static-line competition

By Staff Sgt. Sharilyn Wells
USACAPOC PAO

	Photo by Staff Sgt. Sharilyn Wells/USACAPOC PAO A 345th PSYOP Company Soldier races to the target after completing his first jump in Kingston, R.I., Aug. 7.

KINGSTON, R.I. — As the morning sun cast a pink and orange glow across the Rhode Island sky, more than 200 paratroopers stood behind four CH-47 Chinooks to compete in the 28th annual Leapfest International Airborne Competition, hosted by the 56th Troop Command, Rhode Island National Guard, Aug. 7.

Six teams from the U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command competed against 47 military and civilian teams from around the world, including Canada, the Dominican Republic and the United Kingdom. Representing Civil Affairs Soldiers around the country, three teams from the 450th Civil Affairs Battalion, located in Riverdale, Md., and one team from the 404th Civil Affairs Battalion from Fort Dix, N.J., competed this year. Also competing was a team from Dallas, the 345th Psychological Operations Company, and the Fort Bragg headquarters of USACAPOC, it’s Headquarters and Headquarters Company.

Settled in the sod fields behind the University of Rhode Island, the drop zone was strategically placed to add to paratroopers’ ability to maneuver their parachutes to their target — a neon orange “X” with a white disk in the middle. The task is simple, the quickest to the target wins. However, using the static line MC-1 parachutes with little control over the Rhode Island winds made the competition a little more difficult.

The event allows a four-person team and one alternate to jump three times from a Chinook helicopter with the goal of landing as close as possible to a large “X” placed in the center of the drop zone. The paratrooper’s time begins the second he completes a safe parachute-landing fall and ends when he touches the white disk in the middle of the “X.” If the paratrooper does anything unsafe during the jump, a 300-second deduction is added to their time.

“(Our team’s strategy) was to basically try to catch the wind, spot the target, ride the wind to it and stay out of the trees,” said Sgt. 1st Class Angel Rivera, 404th Civil Affairs Battalion. “There’s nothing to it.”

Even though the object was to compete against other to be the overall winner, the event also focused on training, emphasizing proficiency.

“This is a great event,” said Sgt. 1st Class Rodolfo Arredondo, 345th Psychological Operations Company. “It actually gets you to refine your jump skills on the second and third jumps.”

However, not everyone had perfect landings or picture winning crosses onto the target. Due to the winds coming in off the Rhode Island coast, one 404th Civil Affairs Battalion Soldier landed in the trees on his first jump and throughout the day other Soldiers made tree landings as the winds grew faster.

Upon landing on the drop zone, if the Soldier didn’t grab his parachute by the silk to deflate it, wind would swoop inside the parachute inflating it again. This caused the Soldier to fight Mother Nature while running against the wind, exhausting him in the process.

While shaking out his parachute of debris, Lt. Col. John Lawlor, 450th Civil Affairs Battalion, let out a big sigh of relief.

“I’m just glad that jump is over,” he laughed, wiping sweat off his brow. “That parachute caught the wind and I couldn’t move. I felt like a drag racer (slowing down).”

Many competitors were in Lawlor’s shoes. Upon landing, each Soldier would pop right back up on their feet and start running. The wind would catch their parachutes and either stop them in their tracks, throw them off their feet, or tangle the parachute’s risers around their limbs.

“The first jump killed my morale,” said Staff Sgt. Jonner Saboya, 404th Civil Affairs Battalion, talking about the distance he had to run. “We had a bad drop, but on our second jump … it was great. I’m happy again.”

The international paratroopers faced the competition head-on — literally. Both Canadian and United Kingdom soldiers sprinted towards the target and drove in the white disk like a major league baseball player sliding into home.

The event’s main goal wasn’t just about competition or training, it was about building camaraderie with Soldiers around the world. During the opening ceremony, the 56th Troop Command adjutant general, Maj. Gen. Robert Bray, laid out the event’s mission.

“This is not just a competition, not just a training opportunity, it’s a chance to engage with each other and join the traditions and esprit de corps of the paratrooper,” Bray said.

Leapfest is the largest and longest continually running international parachute exercise and it takes place in the smallest of the United States. Out of CAPOC’s six teams, three of them finished with one of the top 20 fastest times recorded as a team. The fastest team from the U.S. Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations Command was from the 450th Civil Affairs Battalion whose final time was 238 seconds. The event’s overall winning team time was 173 seconds.

When asked why he and his team joined the competition, Capt. Keith McBride, 345th Psychological Operations Company, said it best, “We came out here to have fun and compete safely. This is awesome … definitely one of the best days of my personal career.”

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