U.S. military question 173 Airborne

[trbii]

IMDB lists actor Scott Glen as a former Marine serving in the early 1960’s in the 173 Airborne.? Isn’t that a U.S. Army outfit? I’ve read all the services send their troops to Fort Benning for parachute training. I thought jump qualified Marines were Force Recon. 1st Force Recon?

 

[SoonerP226]

I’ve read all the services send their troops to Fort Benning for parachute training.

I don't know about the rest of it, but I think this is correct, although it may not always have been so. I've heard several SEALs and PJs on podcasts, and they all talk about jump training at Ft. Benning.

 

[dennishoddy]

Ft Campbell Kentucky, home of the 101st Airborne conducted jump training during the 60’s and 70’s.

 

[rc508pir]

He was not in the 173rd. He did 3 years in the Corp and ETS'd (got out)

Ft benning is the main Jump school. Ft Bragg also does this. Ft Campbell has in the past up to the early 70s. Ft Rucker AL used to have facilities to conduct Jump school as do many other posts though Im sure that the towers have probably fallen into disprepair

In times of War (where the need to repalce paratroopers) the 250ft tower and Mock door towers are not required for training.

 

[rc508pir]

As for the Marines, I cant answer that except that Force Recon are not the only Marines on Jump Status.

 

[dennishoddy]

I did basic training at Ft Campbell going through all the jump training except for the towers which were deemed unsafe and the actual jump.
In our last week the 101st had been relieved of duty in Vietnam and reassigned to home base in CONUS.

 

[Duncandl]

Fort Gulick, Panama with the 8th Special Forces is where I went thru my Airborne training, 1972 or 1973 timeframe, can't remember.

 

[rc508pir]

Fort Gulick, Panama with the 8th Special Forces is where I went thru my Airborne training, 1972 or 1973 timeframe, can't remember.

The 8th SFG was redegnated to 3rd battalion 7th SFG in June of 72 so had t be before that

 

[druryj]

As for the Marines, I cant answer that except that Force Recon are not the only Marines on Jump Status.

I went to Jump School in 1976 at Ft. Benning. It was a hell of a hoot! There's a lot of inter-service BS that flies around among us, but the U.S. Army puts on some damn fine training, I'll proudly state. I went through Jump School, Combat Diver (SF) School, and Pathfinder School, courtesy of my Army Brethren, and was always pleased and adequately challenged with the intensity and quality of training.

Not only Force Recon, but Marines with ANGLICO (Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company) are also on Jump Status. Also, many Marines in Recon Battalions are jump qualified. It's just another skill in the bag. It's also not uncommon for Recon Marines to float from back and forth from a Force unit to a Division unit. Share the knowledge, share the training. Force Recon supports the Commander of the Landing Force, while Recon Battalions support the Division to which they belong. I've served in both, and it doesn't matter which unit you're in, when you jump/step/fall out of an aircraft flying at 100+ knots and at 800 feet AGL or 12,000 ft . Gravity doesn't care. It's a toss up for me, between just rolling out of a Huey, stepping out into the jet stream of a C-141, or being pooped out of an OV-10 Bronco...that adrenaline rush was far and away better then the measly few dollars I got for Jump Pay.

* (I retired from the Corps in 1993, so there are a lot of changes in the current composition and structure of which I am not aware. MARSOC wasn't around yet when I was on active duty, so I can't say what the deal is with them).

 

[rc508pir]

I went to Jump School in 1976 at Ft. Benning. It was a hell of a hoot! There's a lot of inter-service BS that flies around among us, but the U.S. Army puts on some damn fine training, I'll proudly state. I went through Jump School, Combat Diver (SF) School, and Pathfinder School, courtesy of my Army Brethren, and was always pleased and adequately challenged with the intensity and quality of training.

Not only Force Recon, but Marines with ANGLICO (Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company) are also on Jump Status. Also, many Marines in Recon Battalions are jump qualified. It's just another skill in the bag. It's also not uncommon for Recon Marines to float from back and forth from a Force unit to a Division unit. Share the knowledge, share the training. Force Recon supports the Commander of the Landing Force, while Recon Battalions support the Division to which they belong. I've served in both, and it doesn't matter which unit you're in, when you jump/step/fall out of an aircraft flying at 100+ knots and at 800 feet AGL or 12,000 ft . Gravity doesn't care. It's a toss up for me, between just rolling out of a Huey, stepping out into the jet stream of a C-141, or being pooped out of an OV-10 Bronco...that adrenaline rush was far and away better then the measly few dollars I got for Jump Pay.

* (I retired from the Corps in 1993, so there are a lot of changes in the current composition and structure of which I am not aware. MARSOC wasn't around yet when I was on active duty, so I can't say what the deal is with them).

I remember Air Force folks always complaining about having to clean up Crayon streaks down the side of aircraft ;-D