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| Post 372, Martin Ave. at Marlboro, Cherry Hill, NJ 08002 (856)665-3889 | |
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VETERAN'S CORNER In 1956, Captain Jacques-Andre Istel envisioned a “skydiving” method that would “place men silently, unobserved and accurately in enemy-held territory”. The Commander of the Special Warfare Center, Fort Bragg, NC approved Istel’s training concept and in March 1957, members of the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) attended the first Basic Free Fall Parachuting Course, conducted at Fort Bragg, NC. MAJ Lucien Conein, a former OSS (Office of Strategic Services) operative and French speaking Commander of FC-1, served as project officer and became the first officer in charge of MFF (military free fall) training within the Special Warfare Center. The history of this advanced infiltration technique includes many impressive achievements, from the first combat HALO (high altitude low opening) insertions into Laos during the Vietnam War to the recent successful MFF operations into Afghanistan and Iraq by SOF (special operations forces). In 1995, the USSOCOM (US Special Operations Command) directed all MFF training to be consolidated and further directed the US Army to move the training site to Yuma Proving Ground, AZ. To date there have been over 35,000 parachutists trained. On 24 September, the Military Freefall School hosted the 10th Annual Ball for instructors, friends and family. I was honored to have been requested to attend as the guest speaker, after having served as the commander from 1984 to 1986 at Fort Bragg. It was a critical period for the school, where the course expanded from a cadre of 22 to 70+ instructors to accommodate a threefold increase in student attendance. The school adopted two exceptional training techniques leveraged from the civilian skydiving community; accelerated freefall and tandem training, in what proved to be a very successful effort at improving the quality of instruction and increasing the graduation rate for the SOF community. It was also the period where the first proposal was submitted to move the school to Yuma, AZ where the weather and airspace availability provided a training environment conducive to year round high altitude training. The landscape, facilities and equipment have changed over the years, but the instructors remain some of the most professional, dedicated and highly proficient practitioners of the art of high altitude parachuting. It is fitting, because an instructor affects minds and hearts for an eternity; no one knows how far his influence goes, for those he trains influence others they meet. Joe Andrzejewski (aka Gonzo), MAJ (Ret), US Army Special Forces Inducted as a lifetime member in the “Brotherhood and Lineage” of the US Army Military Free Fall School, September 24, 2005 |
  To contact American Legion Post 372 email Don McDonough at donmac0412@yahoo.com. Print This Page / Email this site to a friend / Message Board Website Design and Hosting by DesirePC Corporation. Email sales@desirepc.com. http://www.desirepc.com . 2005 Copyright |
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