Evening star., 1943-02-03
!! oopey Find
Toughest Training
In Learning Jumps
Controlled Descent From
25O-Foot Tower Serves
To. lnitiote Novice
.(Foarth Of a Series.)
BY WALTER McCALLUM.


Toughest stage Of the training Of
q paretrooper In the Army is the
B" stage. where for the first time
he is indoctrinated with the idea
that his battle, mission Is to drop
tEpM m Airplane over enemy terri
tory and to light on hts feet, unin-
Hured, ready to fight. At present
41iis stage Of parachute infantry
3xAining is centralized at Fort Ben
ming, Ga, where four 250-foot jump
towers dominate the landscape.
!, These massive steel frameworks
give the novice paratrooper the
training preliminary to free jumps
from a swiftly moving plane. In
the first stage he jumps In a wire
controlled chute, and is taught the
technique Of landing uninjured, part
,of which is the downward pull"
isnmediately before landing. to pre-
pare him for the shock Of hitting
the ground. II the novice para
trooper doesn't complete this stage
he is made to run around q track
50 times yelling, Il didnst make
downward pull" He soon learns
the successful jumper carries out
orders.
Learns to Float Free.
From this he progresses to another
controlled jump tower, where be is
taken 50 the top, $50 feet on the
ground, and released, to float down
free. Then comes the wind ma
chine, where he is dragged by q
fAn-produced 50-nile gale to teach
him the technique Of freeing himself
Of the chute ON the ground. / saw
men dragged on their backs Is
yards before they had mastered the
technique of tumbling right side up
On landing.
But the hardest part Of this stage
- that where he Is trussed to sim
i,lated riser" cords and drops from.
III 35-foot tower. to swing Just rs
IN would In free plane jump and
Anally hit the ground. His fall Is
cuntrolled by heavy wire suspend-
ed between posts. Here he actu-
ally gets the sensation Of falling
1ree. learns the technique Of tum-
hing without bodily injury and how
10 protect himself.
a veteran stood high in the tower,
.c1mging with legs, hands and finger
rails to the door edge. Wash me
1stt," he screamed. II can't do It,"
Finally the Jump master pushed him
out.
go Few Washouts.
Yes, We have some who can't
mike their ATst 3tmp," said cap
tain s13ut there IS something In the
human viii that makes them 90.
We have . very low percentage Of
MAsh-outs." High In the air mile
sway blossouned n white mash-
i6cms. BelovGeach mushroom hung
q human beinS. parachute troops On
Their first jump. They came hack
Is barracks &nlaltne and happy. lab
hring tn e1eiemeit tuvofcoms With
nmiration Ct t2e1e. Uual r1Hory.
Ihey feel ~ ars p1x1chuts
A9ops nov. IN aptain exp 4anol1.
eat ~ M 1AeA = nu1311,ae Hin
! At first - Ae ~ Fe1ve n
sans miadlG 6E & y
: ses,a.isy. ! M = !
Aappy?" IS ,sd
up IN tho plane the ju1ap nsaster
leahe boss. He tells the men when
"a Jump, body doubled up, hands
folded across the chest. He plck1
~ spots Ia preliminary training,
~ IN battle he won't b able g
EApcae SOFT landings. A. thu troops
a4rance m training. they are taught
- 1ump m treee. on ploNed ground.
anywhere, Tho technique q tree
AAdtng y easy, It b simply 10 keep
thu feet together. % the trooper
won't StrA0dle the tree, MANY men
prefer 70 land h =, PINE" said the
captain. "Its softer, and they can
Get down quickly.
The parachute trooper In the
Army Of tho United atAteS Ii man