page_title: Parachute rigger
section_title: U.S. Army
hierarchical_section_title: Parachute rigger / Military parachute riggers / United States Armed Forces / U.S. Army
caption_attribution_description: English: Riggers from 647th QM Det., 45th STB, 45th Sust. Bde. demonstrate hooking a parachute to a pallet of water on May 14 at Camp Red Hat, Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan. The demonstration was part of the “Teach Me How to Rig” training event held for the leaders and staff of the 45th STB.
context_page_description: A parachute rigger is a person who is trained or licensed to pack, maintain or repair parachutes. A rigger is required to understand fabrics, hardware, webbing, regulations, sewing, packing, and other aspects related to the building, packing, repair, and maintenance of parachutes.
context_section_description: When the U.S. Army formed its first paratrooper unit in 1940, a parachute test platoon, the paratroopers themselves prepared and took care of their own parachutes. The test platoon had only 3 men, two enlisted soldiers and one warrant officer, from the Army Air Corps serving as the precursors of the U.S. Army's parachute riggers.
  When the U.S. Army created five Airborne divisions for World War II, the U.S. Army stopped training paratroopers on how to pack their own chutes and started support organizations for parachute packing and rigging. The first riggers received their training at Fort Benning, Georgia.
  After 1950, the U.S. Army assigned the Quartermaster Corps with the mission of aerial delivery, including parachute rigging. A parachute rigger course was established at the U.S. Army Quartermaster School at Fort Lee, Virginia in 1951, and has continued since then.
  Airborne Orientation Course. For students completing basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, preparation for Airborne and rigger training begins before even departing for Fort Lee with attendance at the post's Airborne Orientation Course. According to an Army News Service story, "while most of the course involves physical training, soldiers are also familiarized with such Airborne operations as parachute landing falls, rigging equipment and actions in the aircraft." The AOC has raised the success rate for soldiers subsequently attending Airborne training from 60 percent to 89 percent.
  From AOC, rigger recruits go to Airborne School at Fort Benning, Georgia. If a rigger recruit does not pass Airborne School, that soldier is reclassified.
  The U.S. Army MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) designation for parachute riggers is graded in 5 skill levels, from 92R1P to 92R5P. Prior to fiscal year 2003, it was 43E2P. Recruits are designated 92R0P.
  After Airborne School, 92R0P recruits head to Fort Lee to attend the 13-week Parachute Rigger Course. The course provides training on inspecting, packing, rigging, recovering, storing, and maintaining air item equipment. It is divided into three phases. Air Drop Phase - Includes instruction in cargo parachute packing, rigging supplies and equipment for airdrop, types and limitations of aircraft. Students become proficient in the use of the various technical manuals for rigging airdrop loads. At the conclusion of the instruction, the students participate in an airdrop exercise. They pack the cargo parachutes, rig the loads to be dropped and place the loads in the aircraft.  After the airdrop, the students recover the loads and equipment. Aerial Equipment Repair Phase - Trains fundamentals and procedures of inspection, classification, and repair of maintenance of personnel, cargo, extraction parachutes and airdrop equipment to include the service of High Altitude Low Opening (HALO) Automatic Ripcord Release (ARR). Parachute Pack Phase - Is designed to equip students with the working knowledge of inspection and packing procedures relative to personnel, light cargo and extraction parachutes. The student receives concentrated instruction on the troop back parachute. The student is required to jump the parachute he/she packed during the examination. Throughout the course, the student is constantly reminded of the fact that all parachutes must be packed with meticulous care to insure proper functioning. Any malfunction could result in death or in equipment loss.
  All U.S. Army parachute riggers are required to be Airborne qualified, and by tradition are required to be prepared to jump any parachute packed by any U.S. Army parachute rigger, without checking the log book for the name of the rigger who last prepared it. The official motto of the U.S. Army parachute rigger is: "I will be sure always."
  Service members from other branches of the U.S. Armed Forces also attend parachute rigger courses at Fort Lee.
caption: U.S. Army Parachute Riggers demonstrate hooking a parachute to a pallet, part of the “Teach Me How to Rig” event at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan
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