"Leg" No Longer

Jordan's friends have enjoyed calling him a "leg" ever since ROTC because he had yet to jump out of a plane, so he's been itching to get some wings and relinquish this land-bound nickname.

He started Airborne School October 11th and three weeks (and a few days) later he graduated with his jump wings. Yes, another Army graduation. The mind reels, I know.

Airborne School consists of: Ground Week, where they learn how to fall gracefully on the ground and from moderate heights; Tower Week, where they learn how to fall gracefully out of a 250-foot tower; and Jump Week, where they're thrown out of a plane at 1,250 feet and hope they land as gracefully as they did in weeks one and two.

The problem with Jordan's class was the weather. They're supposed to make 5 jumps throughout week 3 and then graduate that Friday. Jordan's class didn't graduate until the following Tuesday, November 2nd; they just couldn't get their jumps in. So a lot of time was spent sitting in a harness either in the hangar--waiting--or circling in the plane--waiting. The commanding officer who spoke at the graduation said that the class spent a total of 56+ hours sitting in their harnesses, pretty much a record as far as he knows.

Family is allowed at the drop zone so a friend and I spent three days there with our eyes on the skies; waiting, but much more comfortably than our significant others. We did finally get to see them jump and it was well worth the wait. Pretty cool stuff.

Here they are coming out of the plane. 

With his friend, Chad, after one of their jumps. 

Now a few shots from graduation. As you can see, the weather didn't exactly cooperate for commencement either. Normally they have a little air show with experienced paratroopers who jump and land right in front of the audience, but the gloomy conditions nixed that. Jordan's class actually did their last jump that morning. We're just thankful they all made it safely to graduation!

He was one of about 416 graduates out of a class of about 509 men and women. The tower in the background is the 34-footer.

Towers on the left are the 250-footers.

Here they are, in all their glory. 

Jordan didn't appreciate the "ca-caw" bird noises I made in reference to his wings.

The whole process was a test of patience and while it may not have felt like it at the time, the thrill and the badge were well worth the pre-dawn commutes, the late days, the waiting and the harness bruises. Way to go, Airborne.