AIRBORNE SCHOOL: MMI CADETS TAKING THE PLUNDGE

By Claire Sherling
(Click the title for the full article.)
A BRIEF:
Beyond the Barracks is all about Marion Military Institute students and the amazing things they do outside of standard cadet life.  Our cadets are constantly on the go with sports, outdoor activities, extracurricular clubs and, of course, continuing training for their future careers.  The Army ROTC cadets at MMI are probably the busiest of our student body during the summer, as they are all expected to report for further training.  This summer, many of our top ROTC cadets were selected for some of the most elite and exciting training offered at their level.  From jumping out of aircraft, to learning intelligence in Korea, to firing large artillery at West Point, it was an adventurous summer for many of our ROTC cadets.  To get a look into what it's like to be a future warrior, we sat down with some of the best of the best to learn about the training they received this past summer. 

WARRIORS

KRISTINA HUGHES: US Army Second Lieutenant, former MMI ROTC Battalion Commander, former MMI Corps Sergeant Major

MATTHEW TRULOCK: MMI ROTC Battalion Commander, MMI Charlie Company Commander

THEIR STORY

Hughes and Trulock during their summer '15 training.

As standout leaders of the Corps and ROTC programs, Matthew Trulock and Kristina Hughes were always soaring above their class at MMI, so it was no surprise that, when awarded the top ranks on the Order of Merit List (Hughes was ranked number one and Trulock was ranked number three), they elected to attend Airborne School at Fort Benning this past summer. The US Army Airborne School — also known as Jump School — conducts the basic paratrooper training for the United States armed forces.  At MMI, only two cadets are selected for this privilege; Hughes and Trulock were determined to earn their slots from day one.

“To be selected to go to Airborne school was an amazing opportunity,” said Trulock. “I have always had a passion for jumping out of planes… after I went skydiving for fun, I knew I wanted to try it for the Army. My father was Airborne, [so] hearing all his stories just drove my determination to get an Airborne slot.”

The thrill of joining an elite group within the military was only slightly outweighed by the thrill of the jump itself for both cadets.

“Jumping out of a plane is the best feeling in the world,” said Hughes.

“Ever since I started at MMI, I made it my goal to attend Airborne school.  It’s a huge tradition and has [long] history in the Army that I wanted to be a part of.”



To read Trulock's interview on the basics of Airborne School, see below:

Overview (Week 1, 2, & 3)

Week 1: Ground Week- Ground week mainly dealt with jumping out of a practice/simulated aircraft and PLFs (Practice Landing Falls). The simulated aircraft was shown to us so we could understand how operations will happen inside of the plane and to practice our form jumping out of the plane (into a rock pit). If we do not jump out with perfect form we have the potential to get wrapped in our line or cause other parachute deficiencies. The PLFs were also in a rock pit and taught us the correct way to land (it’s not a soft landing). If we do not land correct we could break bones, tear muscles, etc.

Week 2: Tower Week- Tower week helped introduce us to heights and to practice proper form jumping out of the simulated airplane. The first tower is a 34 foot tower and there is also a 250 foot tower but we were unable to do the 250 foot tower.

Week 3: Jump Week- Jump week consisted of a lot of waiting. There were so many of us and the planes couldn’t only hold so many so we had to wait for a long time before we could jump. After a long and uncomfortable wait we were finally able to jump. We did a total of 5 jumps.

What was the experience like? How did it feel to jump out of the plane?

Airborne school was a great experience where I was constantly tested mentally and physically. Since I had previously been skydiving I was not really nervous to jump out of the plane. I was confident with my equipment and my ability to perform what I had learned over the past two weeks. The jumps were amazing as you leaped out of the plane and felt the prop blast from the propellers. After 3-6 seconds all the loud noise and extreme wind had settled and you were met with a peaceful quietness and beautiful view. This view did not last long since we only jumped out at 1250 feet. 

Does this help your career?

Going to airborne will help with an Army career and provide more opportunities for a soldier. It will also get you more OML points which help with promotions and future schooling advantages. (Air Assault, Pathfinder, Ranger school, etc.)

Favorite part of the experience?

My favorite part had to be my first jump. After waiting for about 9 hours with all my equipment on I was so ready to jump out for my first time.