The United States Army Airborne School — widely known as Jump School — conducts the basic paratrooper (military parachutist) training for the United States armed forces. It is operated by the 1st Battalion (Airborne), 507th Infantry, United States Army Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia. The Airborne School conducts the Basic Airborne Course, which is open to troops of both genders from all branches of the United States Department of Defense and allied military personnel.
The purpose of the Basic Airborne Course is to qualify the student in the use of the parachute as a means of combat deployment and to develop leadership, self-confidence, and an aggressive spirit through mental and physical conditioning. All students must volunteer to attend the course, and may elect to quit at any time.
The course is three weeks long and consists of three phases: "Ground Week", "Tower Week" and "Jump Week". Rigorous physical training (PT) is emphasized throughout the entire course. The initial entry PT test consists of the standard Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT). All age groups must pass this test using the 17—21 age group standards. The pullup requirement was lifted in October 2006.
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In 1940, the War Department approved the formation of a test platoon of Airborne Infantry under the direction and control of the Army's Infantry Board. A test platoon of volunteers was organized from Fort Benning's 29th Infantry Regiment, and the 2d Infantry Division was directed to conduct tests to develop reference data and operational procedures for air-transported troops.
First Lieutenant William T. Ryder volunteered and was made the test platoon's platoon leader, Lieutenant James A. Bassett was designated assistant platoon leader, and forty-eight enlisted men were selected from a pool of 200 volunteers. The platoon moved into tents near Lawson Field, and an abandoned hanger was obtained for training and parachute packing.
Lieutenant Colonel William C. Lee, a staff officer for the Chief of Infantry, recommended that the test platoon be moved to the Safe Parachute Company at Hightstown, NJ and train using parachute drop towers from the New York World's Fair. Eighteen days after forming, the platoon was moved to New Jersey and trained for one week on the 250-foot free towers, which proved to be particularly effective - drops from the tower added realism otherwise impossible to duplicate outside of an airplane drop, and proved to the troopers that their parachutes would function safely. Impressed, the Army purchased two and and erected them on what is now Eubanks Field at Fort Benning. Two more were later added, and today three of the original four towers are still in use. Parachute landing training was often conducted by the volunteers jumping from PT platforms and from the back of moving trucks to allow the trainees to experience the shock of landing.
Less than forty-five days after it was formed, members of the test platoon made their first jump from a Douglas B-18 over Lawson Field on 16 August, 1940. Lieutenant Ryder and Private William N. (Red) King became the first officer and enlisted man to make an official jump as paratroopers in the United States Army. On 29 August, the platoon made the first platoon mass jump held in the United States.
Members of the original test platoon formed the battalion cadre of the 501st Parachute Battalion, the first parachute combat unit. The second, the 502d Parachute Infantry Battalion, was activated on 1 July, 1941. As more airborne units were activated, a centralized training facility was organized at Fort Benning on 15 May, 1942. Over time, the U.S. Army Parachute School was known by a variety of names:
During Ground Week, students begin an intensive program of instruction on how to properly wear the T-10D and T-11 parachutes to build individual airborne skills, which prepares them to make five parachute jumps, and five safe landings. They train on a mock door of a C-130 or C-17 aircraft to prepare themselves for a proper exit from each aircraft. Students also learn and practice the parachute landing fall (PLF), a landing technique specifically developed to ensure a safe landing for personnel as they impact the ground while wearing a parachute. Students train to exit the 34-foot (10 m) tower, which prepares them for a safe exit from an aircraft in flight by exposing the students to the physical sensation of an actual jump. Students train on the lateral drift apparatus (LDA) to develop proper technique for controlling a parachute during descent. To progress to Tower Week, students must individually qualify on the 34-foot (10 m) tower, the LDA, successfully complete all PLFs, and pass all PT requirements.
A team effort is added to the training with the "mass exit" concept. Here students will learn the proper technique to exit an aircraft in flight in mass quantity. Students are informed of proper in flight instructions given before a jump. Students are also trained on the 34' tower with all equipment that will be used on the jumps. On the 34' tower they get a chance to work on exiting the aircraft with all their equipment and also lowering their equipment prior to landing. The last 2 days of the week are used qualifying on the Swing Landing Trainer (SLT) and practicing on the suspended harness. If weather permits, students will attempt 1 drop on the 250' tower on the last day of the week. The apparati used this week are the 250' and 34' towers, the swing landing trainer (SLT), the mock door for mass exit training, and the suspended harness. To successfully move on to Jump Week students must demonstrate an understanding of in flight instructions, "mass exit" techniques, proper exits from the 34' tower, and successfully perform all PLF's on the Swing Landing Trainer.
During Jump Week students make five parachute jumps into Fryar Drop Zone (DZ) located in Alabama, which is part of the Fort Benning Military Reservation. Trainees must run to the air field, conduct pre-jump training, and then get into their harnesses and await their turn to jump. Generally, the first two jumps are "hollywood", in that the jumper only wears the parachute and reserve. The remaining three jumps are "combat equipment jumps", in which the jumper carries a ruck sack and a dummy weapon. At least one jump, typically the last, is required to be at night. It is possible due to weather and other factors, such as holidays, a student may have all five jumps during daylight hours.
The Airborne School instructors are commonly referred to as "Black Hats", due to the distinguishing black baseball cap with shiny brass rank insignia and parachutist badge that is part of the instructor's uniform. However, all students at the school are required to address them as "Sergeant (or Petty Officer in the case of a Navy instructor) Airborne". Instructors may come from the United States Army, Marine Corps, Navy or Air Force.[2] The reasoning is that because students from four military services attend, each service insists that they have at least one representative to ensure quality instruction. The U.S. Coast Guard does not usually participate in Airborne training as it does not directly relate to the service's Homeland Security and daily search-and-rescue missions.
The battalion was organized into six companies: Headquarters and Headquarters Company (HHC) for administration and command-and-control; four Line Companies (A, B, C, and D) execute the Basic Airborne Course Program of Instruction (POI), and a parachute rigger support Company (E). D company has since been disbanded, and a week-long buffer occurs between class cycles.
The vast majority of students at Airborne School come from the U.S. Army. These include soldiers headed for assignments to the 82nd Airborne Division, XVIII Airborne Corps, 4th BCT 25th Infantry Division, 173rd Airborne BCT, 75th Ranger Regiment, or the Special Forces Qualification Course. Also Marine Recon units as well as ANGLICO Units attend. Recent BUD/S graduates, USAF Combat Controllers, USAF Special Operations Weather Technicians, USAF Pararescuemen and Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) also attend the school in order to be jump-qualified. Summer cycles frequently include a substantial numbers of cadets from ROTC and West Point.
During in-processing, each student is given a roster number (with the prefix C, N, or A to identify a cadet, NCO, or officer, respectively), which is applied to the student's assigned equipment and used as identification throughout training.
All students are quartered in gender-segregated company barracks for the entire course except for officers and warrant officers, who are assigned to bachelor officer's quarters.
Upon satisfactory completion of the course, the student is awarded the United States Army Parachutist Badge (commonly referred to as "Jump Wings"), regardless of branch or MOS, a certificate from the school, and copies of orders authorizing its wear.