Parachuting Team

20ta

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Dec 20, 2015
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How do they work? As in how does one become a member of the team? What is the difference between Wings of Green and Wings of Blue? I have read that there are jump classes/sessions, but is parachuting also an extra curricular activity there?

Thank you
 
Just remember there is a massive time commitment to the team in CO Springs. You will also be giving up most of your breaks. They got 3 days off this break. Some cadets didn't even fly home. When they fly back to USAFA, school starts the next day. Additionally, they won't have a Spring break with their family either. As I said, it is a massive time commitment.
 
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How do they work? As in how does one become a member of the team? What is the difference between Wings of Green and Wings of Blue? I have read that there are jump classes/sessions, but is parachuting also an extra curricular activity there?

Thank you
WOG (Green) means they are "green" (inexperienced) and have a different slower canopy. In case you didn't see this, here is a well done WOG video
. Most members get around 500 total jumps. There are two categories. See http://wingsofblue.com/about/ which talks about each. Annually, the team is peer selected (about 25 per year).
 
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Thank you, both, that was exactly what I was looking for! @MN-Dad-2016 when you say that they don't get breaks do team members still get the opportunity to have summer leave for programs like Operation Air Force and being BCT cadre?
 
Thank you, both, that was exactly what I was looking for! @MN-Dad-2016 when you say that they don't get breaks do team members still get the opportunity to have summer leave for programs like Operation Air Force and being BCT cadre?
Only 1/3 of the summer will be used to teach (or be involved in) AM490. My lack of breaks comment was related to winter and spring breaks. The great news is you get in a lot of jumps in on those vacation days! :)
 
Awesome, so from what I gathered the first step is just doing really well my first year and then trying to get a summer slot for AM490. Anything after that is not worth worrying about since I am not at that point yet.

I appreciate your insight @MN-Dad-2016, it seems like a really cool program. I mean I am reading about some cadets doing hundreds of jumps (and I am assuming they are paid for by the AF but I'm not totally sure) during their time at the Academy, that's just mind boggling to me right now!
 
Awesome, so from what I gathered the first step is just doing really well my first year and then trying to get a summer slot for AM490. Anything after that is not worth worrying about since I am not at that point yet.

I appreciate your insight @MN-Dad-2016, it seems like a really cool program. I mean I am reading about some cadets doing hundreds of jumps (and I am assuming they are paid for by the AF but I'm not totally sure) during their time at the Academy, that's just mind boggling to me right now!
Your 1st sentence ^^ sums it up. :)

Cadets will have about 500 jumps before they graduate (some less and some more). Generally speaking, the camera people get 50+ more jumps (and are also involved in mixing those cool videos). All cadets gets paid the same which is very modest. Meaning, you don't get any more $$'s for being on the team. But as a WOG/WOB member you don't have to pay anything.

If you look at the profile of WOG or WOB, academically they are doing a good job. Looking at academics is part of the peer selected criteria because of how much time it consumes at the airfield. They do not want someone who is on a 4 way team to struggle with grades and later drops to focus on academics (they would need to retrain someone else). Expanding this last point a little bit, there are a lot of very smart cadets who struggle academically. Therefore in order to do well as measured by class rank (which isn't only GPA), it also means you have great time management skills. My understanding is if you struggle with time management skills, that will be amplified at a service academy and is one reason why the average USAFA GPA is around 2.7.

If you look at the profile of the teammates, they are generally extroverts and have likable personalities. Part of their mission is to meet the public at events. Being an extrovert is probably in the back of the team interviewers mind (knowing that they need to mingle in crowds). Like yourself and my son, he watched every video produced. The WOB program seemed to have worked well as an academy recruiting tool.

I hope this helps. Good luck with your future endeavors!
 
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This is a video of their 2105 Winter Break (dance) Training. More dance training is needed! :)
:bounce1:

 
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