Jump School

classof2015NJ

5-Year Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2011
Messages
10
Hello,
I was just starting this thread to hear from anyone who has or was thinking about attending jump school while at the academy. So far from what I understand you have the opportunity to attend school in the summer of your junior year. I was wondering to hear more about this if anyone could help me out. It would be greatly appreciated.
 
If by jump school you mean airborne then cadets can do this program during the summer after their plebe year. Camp Buckner is now only 4 weeks instead of 8 which allows cadets to participate in airborne. If I am wrong feel free to correct me
 
One of my friends, who is junior at USMA told me that USMA is allotted 700-800 slots for both Airborne and Air Assault schools each, so if you want to go, you pretty much can. Yes, you would be able to go after plebe year, during the summer
 
Hello,
I was just starting this thread to hear from anyone who has or was thinking about attending jump school while at the academy. So far from what I understand you have the opportunity to attend school in the summer of your junior year. I was wondering to hear more about this if anyone could help me out. It would be greatly appreciated.

You can go to airborne on any of your Summers here. The majority of people (myself included) who attend do so in the Summer after Plebe year. :thumb:
 
You can go to airborne on any of your Summers here. The majority of people (myself included) who attend do so in the Summer after Plebe year. :thumb:

Based on BG Rapp's speech at parent weekend approx. 300 plebes will go to Airborne this summer.

Shifting gears, since the original question has been answered in the above posts.

I think it is a great experience for the cadets that get to go to Airborne, but would like to hear from others, as to how practical it is to send a plebe to learn the skills taught in Airborne. If that plebe ever needs those skills it will be at least 4-5 years down the road. I assume there is a refresher course?
 
Practical??? Not really sure, however I can tell you my daughter gave up two weeks of her summer leave that could have been spent home for the opportunity to go to Airborne!!! Experience as a 19 year old looking towards an army career .... Priceless!!!
 
Practical? after not jumping for years?

They say people never forget how to ride a bike. I'm not sure why.

It's been decades since I jumped out of an airplane and I only did it a handful of times. However, I still remember the ten steps I was taught to run through in 3-5 seconds in case of a bad chute like it was just yesterday, even though I can't even remember the dates my parents died.

I've sat in many different types of classes in my lifetime and I've dozed off in just about every type before, except that one. Again, I'm not sure why I didn't doze off in jump class and actually listen to, and remembered, every word.

(One of the MANY statements I will never forget was the answer to the question, "How do you safely land near power lines?" Answer? "You never ever land safely near or on power lines!")
 
The badge

Airborne is one of those badges on a cadet uniform that starts to separate the warrior classes. Watch two old warriors in their dress uniforms meet as they quickly run over each other’s ribbons and badges that tell a story of where they have been and what they have done. Many started with airborne school. It is a self motivation gut check that many won’t exceed until they go to ranger school and then combat.

I still remember many of the things I learned there. “How long do I have to pull my reserve if my main doesn’t open?” “ The rest of your life Airborne, the rest of your life”
 
A a vereran paratrooper and West Point Grad I would say Jump School is important. Not so much because you learn how to parachure, but because it starts to seperate the elite from the rest. In the military it is important to distinguish yourself from the "average" soldiers - jump school is a good start.
 
A a vereran paratrooper and West Point Grad I would say Jump School is important. Not so much because you learn how to parachure, but because it starts to seperate the elite from the rest. In the military it is important to distinguish yourself from the "average" soldiers - jump school is a good start.

Going to jump school doesn't make you elite, or even start to make you elite. It just gives you a nice piece of bling.
 
What classifies a paratrooper? Is it just completeing jump school or what? I got this question from the new blue uniforms that will let "paratroopers: wear jump boots with it and I was just curious.
 
What classifies a paratrooper? Is it just completeing jump school or what? I got this question from the new blue uniforms that will let "paratroopers: wear jump boots with it and I was just curious.

You must be serving in an Airborne unit. Simply having wings does constitue as being a paratrooper under this regulation.
 
You can request it, or just end up being assigned to one. You'll have to attend jump school either en route, or right after arriving.

I forgot to add: Everyone who jumps is a volunteer. If choose not to jump, they'll send you to a leg unit.
 
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Elite

You are fully entitled to your opiniion, but based on 32 years of active duty in the Army, graduating from West Point and teaching at West Point for 4 years, I can tell you that qualifications such as Airborne and Ranger DO make a difference. If you want to be considered an elite soldier and officer these qualifications are a great start.
 
You are fully entitled to your opiniion, but based on 32 years of active duty in the Army, graduating from West Point and teaching at West Point for 4 years, I can tell you that qualifications such as Airborne and Ranger DO make a difference. If you want to be considered an elite soldier and officer these qualifications are a great start.
Would you care to define what is considered "an elite soldier"?
 
Elite Soldiers

ZazzO - I am not sure what your real military experience is but here is the answer top your question about what constitutes and "elite" officer.

Of course there is no "official" definition of an elite soldier. However, in the military there is definitely "levels" of officers. Some are good officers but they never do anything special that sets them apart from the other officers. These officers can have a successful career and make a contribution to our Army. Others strive to go one or more steps further. They seek assignment to the best units (everyone in the military knows the elite units) and recieve all the advanced training they can get - Airborne - Ranger - Air Assault etc. These badges on your uniform clearly increase your prestige and transmit to other soldiers that you have gone several steps more than the minimum required and that you have special skills and the determination to excel.

The fact is that some people "put-down" this concept probably because they do not have the motivation, drive and/or the physical and mental skills to successfully pass these difficult courses.

In short, in any profession you can do enough to get by and have some degree of success. However, in every profession there are those that are not satisfied with getting-by and strive to perform at a higher level.
 
Elite Soldiers

ZazzO - I am not sure what your real military experience is but here is the answer to your question about what constitutes an "elite" officer.

Of course there is no "official" definition of an elite soldier. However, in the military there are definitely "levels" of officers. Some are good officers but they never do anything special that sets them apart form the other officers. These officers can have a successful career and make contributions to our Army. Others strive to go one or more steps further. They seek assignment to the best units (everyone in the military knows the elite units) and recieve all the advanced training they can get - Airborne - Ranger - Air Assault etc. These badges on your uniform clearly transmit to other soldiers that you have gone several steps more than the minimum required and that you have special skills and the determination to excel.

The fact is that some people "put-down" this concept probably because they do not have the motivation, drive and/or the physical and mental skills to successfully pass these difficult courses.

In short, in any profession you can do enough to get by and have some degree of success. However, in every profession there are those that are not satisfied with getting-by and want to perform at a higher level.
 
BigNick, my real military experience is more than 10 years in the Army, and I too know how to PLF. :smile:

From my experience though, Airborne or Air Assault don't really mean anything when it comes to assignments or prestige. It seems like every West Point grad gets a slot at Airborne and/or Air Assault, EVERY officer sent to the 101st will have a shot at Air Assault and possibly Pathfinder, and EVERY officer going to the 82nd will attend Airborne. If the Army wants you in the 82nd, you'll either jump or be sent to legland.

I see your point though regarding volunteering for these schools and how it will set an officer up for future assignments that a non-grad wouldn't get. I totally agree it would behoove anyone to volunteer for ANY type of additional training.
 
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