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News ROTC cadets prepare for Airborne slots
By Kenny Foster Contributing writer The Mercyhurst Cadets of the Gannon ROTC Battalion conducted training for their first “Airborne Week” of the 2007-08 school year. In preparation for Airborne school, the Mercyhurst Cadets are competing against each other to obtain Airborne slots for the 3-week school held in Fort Benning, Ga. In order to prove they are worthy for the opportunity to attend this highly renown school, cadets in the battalion went to Airborne PT (physical training) held at Penn State, Behrend for five consecutive days of rigorous physical as well as psychological training, analogous to the environment they may witness at Airborne School. The Airborne tradition is currently held at the United States Army Infantry School in Fort Benning, Ga., and is run by the 1st Battalion, Airborne, 507th Infantry. The BAC (Basic Airborne Course) is divided up into three phases, (Ground Week, Tower Week, Jump Week) and its purpose is to qualify the students in the use of the parachute as a means of combat deployment and instill leadership qualities and self-confidence among all soldiers undergoing the training. The instructors of Airborne School are referred to as “Sergeant Airborne”, and where a distinguishing “Black Hat” with their dress uniform rank insignia, along with their parachutist badge. The parachutist badge, or “jump wings,” is awarded to all military personnel in any service who completed the US Army Airborne School. It signifies that the soldier is a trained Army Parachutist and qualified to conduct airborne operations. Prior to obtaining the coveted wings, Airborne students must qualify from all previous training prerequisites, and in the final week of Airborne school, complete five jumps, with one at night. Mercyhurst Cadets of the Gannon University Battalion conducted training in preparation for this school they will possibly attend in the summer. Based upon their PT scores and ROTC performance, slots will be awarded to the cadets who most greatly demonstrate the qualities to graduate from Airborne School. Spencer Beckendorf, a contracted Mercyhurst ROTC Cadet, completed Airborne week and awaits a slot to be awarded to him in the near future. “Airborne PT week was arguably the toughest PT I’ve done yet in the ROTC program," he said. "We did constant interval runs, pull-ups, sit-ups, dead hangs, more running, bear crawls, low crawls, high crawls, then more running, leg lifts, flutter kicks, the leaning rest, and then sprints back and forth in the gym. I loved it.” Micheal Picinich, a Mercyhurst ROTC Cadet who graduated from Airborne school last summer, said the school is a demanding of cadets. “Airborne school is a physically demanding school...the extreme heat combined with 3-5 mile daily runs puts stress on the body. The first two weeks of hard training gets rewarded in the last week, performing 5 jumps from C-130s between 1250-1400ft (one jump being at night) elevation," he said. "The instruction before the jumps, led by the Sergeant Airbornes ensures the jumpers safety, teaching them how to handle everything from a parachute malfunction to getting your parachute tangled with another jumper.” For more information on Airborne School, contact Major Dunlavey of the Gannon University ROTC Battalion at dunlavey002@gannon.edu.
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