Military Freefall Parachutist Badge

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Template:Infobox military award The Military Freefall Parachutist Badge is a military badge of the United States Army and United States Air Force awarded to qualified U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force personnel as high-altitude military parachute specialists.<ref name="AR600-8-22"/><ref name="AFI 11-402">Air Force Guidance Memorandum to Air Force Manual (AFMAN) 11-402, Aviation and Parachutist Service, U.S. Department of the Air Force, dated 13 September 2022, last accessed 8 October 2022</ref>

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Qualifications

To earn the Military Freefall Parachutist Badge, the military member first must receive all necessary ground training, already have earned the Military Parachutist Badge (jump-qualified), and must have completed the requisite freefall (night, combat equipment, oxygen) jumps and graduate from the Military Free-Fall Parachutist Course.<ref name="MFFPC">MFFPC ATRRS Information Changes, U.S. Army Special Operations Center of Excellence, last accessed 3 January 2020</ref>

A star and laurel wreath, centered above the badge, called the Master Military Freefall Parachutist Badge, is authorized for U.S. Army Soldiers and U.S. Air Force Airmen qualified as a Master Military Freefall Parachutist (Jumpmaster). Such qualification requires completing the Military Free-Fall Jumpmaster Course, wherein the student learns how to be a jumpmaster in military freefall operations.<ref name="Quartermaster"/><ref name="MFFJMC">Military Free-Fall Jumpmaster Course (MFFJMC), U.S. Army Special Operations Center of Excellence, last accessed 3 January 2020</ref>

As with the U.S. Army's Military Parachutist Badge, small bronze and gold stars are placed on the badge to represent participation in combat jumps, known as Combat Jump Devices, and can be awarded with either the basic and master versions of the badge. To earn the device, a Military Freefall Parachutist must have conducted a high-altitude/low-opening (HALO) or high-altitude/high-opening (HAHO) jump in a war zone. The stars are awarded as follows:<ref name="Jump Stars">Qualification Badges, Military Free Fall Parachutist Badge, United States Army Institute of Heraldry, last accessed 22 April 2017</ref> Template:Stack

One combat jump A bronze star centered on the dagger
Two combat jumps A bronze star on each wing
Three combat jumps A bronze star on each wing and one centered on the dagger
Four combat jumps Two bronze stars on each wing
Five + combat jumps A large gold star centered on the dagger
List of published U.S. high-altitude parachute jumps of the U.S. Army<ref>United States Combat Jumps, GlobalSecurity.org, last updated 7 May 2011, last accessed 6 January 2019</ref><ref name="Gen Order 10">Units Credited With Assault Landings, General Orders No. 10, Department of the Army, dated 25 September 2006, last accessed 6 January 2019</ref><ref name="HAHO">Hitting the ground with coalition partners; Special Warfare Magazine; Valume 21, Issue 6; dated November–December 2008, last accessed 6 January 2019</ref><ref name="SF Association">History of Military Operational Parachute Jumps, Special Forces Association, dated 7 March 2013, last accessed 6 January 2019</ref><ref>These are the only 5 combat jumps by US troops that we know about since September 11, Business Insider, by Eric Milzarski from "We Are The Mighty" program, dated 7 October 2019, last accessed 9 July 2020</ref>
Date Unit Operation Troopers Country Dropzone
28 November 1970 Recon Team Florida, CCN, MACV-SOG (HALO) Vietnam Conflict 3 Americans, 1 ARVN officer and 2 Montagnards Laos NVA road inside Laos
7 May 1971 Captain Larry Manes' Recon Team, CCN, MACV-SOG (HALO) Vietnam Conflict 4 South Vietnam Between Ashau Valley and Khe Sanh, NVA trail extension of Laotian Highway 921
22 June 1971 Sergeant Major Billy Waugh's Recon Team, CCN, MACV-SOG (HALO) Vietnam Conflict 4 South Vietnam 60 miles SW of Danang
22 Sep. 1971 Captain Jim Storter's Recon Team, CCC, MACV-SOG (HALO) Vietnam Conflict 4 South Vietnam Plei Trap Valley, NW of Pleiku
11 October 1971 Sergeant First Class Dick Gross' Recon Team, CCC, MACV-SOG (HALO) Vietnam Conflict 5 South Vietnam 25 miles, SW of Pleiku in the Ia Drang Valley
15 January 1991 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (HAHO) Operation Desert Shield 12 Iraq Northwest desert
3 July 2004 75th Ranger Regiment, Regimental Reconnaissance Detachment, Team 3 (HALO) Operation Enduring Freedom Afghanistan Southeastern region
30 May 2007 10th Special Forces Group, 3rd Battalion, ODA 074 (HALO) Operation Iraqi Freedom 11 Iraq Ninewah Province
11 July 2009 75th Ranger Regiment, Regimental Reconnaissance Company, Team 1 Operation Enduring Freedom Afghanistan

History of the badge's design

The original design of the Military Freefall Parachutists Badge was submitted in March 1983 by Sergeant First Class Gregory A. Dailey of Special Forces ODA-552, Company B, 2nd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group. Updates on the design, adding a Master Military Freefall Parachutist Badge, were submitted by General Wayne A. Downing of U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and James Phillips of the Special Forces Association. The badges were approved for wear by U.S. Army soldiers assigned to U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) on 1 October 1994. Unrestricted wear was approved on 7 July 1997 by General Dennis Reimer.<ref name="Quartermaster"/>

Symbolism of the badge's design:<ref name="Quartermaster"/>

Free-fall training

Template:Listen The U.S. Military Free-Fall School (MFFS) is operated by the USASOC's John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School (SWCS), 2nd Special Warfare Training Group (Airborne), 2nd Battalion, Company B at the U.S. Army's Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) in Arizona, which is the USSOCOM proponent for military freefall.<ref>Welcome to the official website of the 2nd Special Warfare Training Group (Airborne), soc.mil, last accessed 14 April 2020</ref><ref name="MFF Expands">Special Forces Qualification Course to incorporate military free-fall training, Army.mil, by MAJ James Branch (USA), dated 4 October 2012, last accessed 22 April 2017</ref><ref name="Company B">1st Special Warfare Training Group (Airborne), U.S. Army Special Operations Center of Excellence, last accessed 22 April 2017</ref> The MFFS conducts four primary training courses, the Military Free-Fall Parachutist Course, the Military Free-Fall Jumpmaster Course, the Military Free-Fall Advanced Tactical Infiltration Course, and the Military Free-Fall Instructor Course.<ref name="Company B"/><ref name="MFFIC website">Welcome to the official website of the Military Free-Fall Instructor Course (MFFIC), Yuma Proving Ground, AZ, www.soc.mil, last accessed 3 May 2020</ref> The U.S. Air Force also conducts the Military Free-Fall Jumpmaster Course—certified by the MFFS—at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona for airman that are not able to attend the MFFS's jumpmaster course.<ref name="USAF MFFJMC">Mastering the jump, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base official page, by Airman Nathan H. Barbour, dated 1 July 2016, last accessed 22 April 2017</ref> Alternatively, detachments from the MFFS conduct the Military Free-Fall Jumpmaster Course via a Mobile Training Team (MTT) for military free-fall units that have difficulty attending the course at the Yuma Proving Ground.<ref>First Ever Military Freefall Jumpmaster Course Hosted Overseas, Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System, by LCpl Jordan Talley, dated 21 April 2017, last accessed 3 January 2020</ref>

Template:Multiple image The Military Free-Fall Parachutist Course (MFFPC) is open to special operations forces assigned to military free-fall coded positions, parachute riggers, and select DoD civilian personnel or allied personnel assigned to military free-fall positions. To attend MFFPC, students must have graduated from the U.S. Army Airborne School and must meet specific medical requirements. Week one of the four-week course focuses on vertical wind tunnel body stabilization training at the MSG George A Bannar Wind Tunnel as well as parachute packing and an introduction to military free-fall operations. The remaining weeks focuses training on varying jump profiles using three airborne operations per training iteration, totaling 30 military free-fall operations per course encompassing various conditions and equipment loads. At the end of the course, students will have learned how to:<ref name="MFFPC"/>

Upon completion of the MFFPC, graduates are awarded the Military Freefall Parachutist Badge.

Template:Multiple image To attend the Military Free-Fall JumpMaster Course (MFFJMC), students must have graduated from the U.S. Army Airborne School, the MFFPC, the U.S. Army Jumpmaster School, be a current military free-fall parachutist, served as a military free-fall parachutist for a minimum of one year, and must have completed at least 50 military free-fall jumps. The three-week MFFJMC focuses on training students on jumpmaster duties and responsibilities, such as:<ref name="MFFJMC"/>

  • Nomenclature
  • Jumpmaster personnel inspection
  • Emergency procedures
  • Oxygen equipment
  • Wind drift calculations
  • Altimeter calculations
  • Emergency automatic activation device calculations
  • Jump commands
  • Aircraft procedures
  • Techniques of spotting
  • HAHO techniques
  • Various ram-air parachute systems packing and rigging

Upon completion of the MFFJMC, graduates are awarded the Master Military Freefall Parachutist Badge.

Template:Multiple image To attend the Military Free-Fall Advanced Tactical Infiltration Course (MFFATIC), students must have the same qualifications and completed the same prerequisites required of the MFFJMC. The three-week MFFATIC focuses on educating and training joint special operations forces and other selected personnel in the planning and conduct of night military free-fall tactical infiltrations as a group onto unknown and unmarked drop zones. Training includes:<ref name="MFFATIC">Military Free-Fall Advanced Tactical Infiltration Course (MFFATIC), U.S. Army Special Operations Center of Excellence, last accessed 3 January 2020</ref>

  • Following GPS guided bundles
  • Carrying various combat equipment
  • Various communications
  • Wearing various night vision devices
  • Jumping with non-standard weapons while using oxygen equipment
  • Utilization of various parachutist navigational devices

Upon completion of the MFFATIC, graduates are awarded a certificate of completion; there is no badge or badge device awarded for completion of the MFFATIC.

A MFFS instructor and a student-instructor assist a student as he free-falls over YPG

To attend the Military Free-Fall Instructor Course (MFFIC), students must be a commissioned officer, warrant officer, or non-commissioned officer and must have the same qualifications and completed the same prerequisites required of the MFFJMC and MFFATIC. Additionally, these students must be qualified military free-fall jumpmasters, must have completed a minimum of 100 free-fall parachute jumps, and must have nine months remaining in service upon graduation. The initial nine-week MFFIC focuses on the following over 150-200 free-fall jumps:<ref name="MFFIC website"/><ref name="MFFS Video">Inside the Special Forces Military Free Fall School, Coffee or Die YouTube Channel, by Marty Skovlund Jr, dated 1 May 2020, last accessed 3 May 2020</ref>

  • Learn how to conduct military free-fall jumps from the instructor's perspective
  • Jump as an instructor evaluating and coaching a current MFF instructor who plays the role of a new MFF student
  • Learn how to deal with multiple instructor-induced problems during free-fall commonly encountered with new MFF students

After nine weeks of fundamentals, student-instructors are placed as shadows at the MFFPC for three to six months.<ref name="MFFS Video"/>

Upon completion of the shadow program, graduates are awarded the Military Free-Fall Instructor Rating; there is no badge or badge device awarded for completion of the MFFIC.<ref name="MFFS Video"/>

See also

References

Template:Reflist Template:US Army badges

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