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According to this statistic I just made up, 100% of airborne troopers have service related knee and back pain.
That was a joke, but ask anyone who has hung their knees in the breeze if something hurts, and I’ll bet you a beer they say yes. Even if the only thing that hurts is their pride after a gust of wind ruined their PLF.
Catastrophic accidents are rare, but occasionally things go horribly wrong. So why are so many troops lining up to jump from perfectly cool airplanes for a measly amount of money each month?
Because it’s fucking cool!
Hurling yourself out of a perfectly good airplane is one of the few ways you can really understand how bad ass paratroopers of old were. Granted, there haven’t been a ton of combat jumps in the last 50 years, but jumping in optimal conditions is still enough to shoot you full of adrenaline.
I never got the chance to jump as a Marine, but I was lucky enough to go do my five static line jumps as a civilian. When I looked over my toes, at the clear blue sky, I wondered what it was like to jump into Market Garden or Normandy. To touch a small part of those warrior’s legacy, even from a distance, made me incredibly proud to be an American warfighter.
I didn’t even get the extra cash, I was just fortunate enough to know some jumpmasters who rented a Huey.
So is it worth it? You're damn right it is, especially if you don’t care about your physical wellbeing. AATW!
Check out Operation Black Cat with our partners at Round Canopy Parachute Team!
