Here’s the story of how 2D Recon Bn ended up getting jump pay again. When I was in Bn, we had jump status, but the Marine Corps decided that we didn’t need the normal jump pay for the hazardous training. Usually, military personnel that are assigned to a unit that trains in airborne operations gets an extra amount each month in their paycheck. So, here’s the jump that finally changed the Marine Corps mind about our pay.
My platoon was training with the Spanish Special Forces in Almeria, Spain. We were doing a static line parachute insert with our Spanish counterparts and were then going to do a dismounted patrol. The jump started off strange. We were all required to sign a waiver stating that we wouldn’t sue the Spanish government in the case of injury or death. This is standard practice for civilian training, but usually never happens inside the military. We were jumping Spanish T10’s, so our guys didn’t pack our chutes, and there were no American Jumpmasters on the bird. That’s a lot of red flags.
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Here’s the story of how 2D Recon Bn ended up getting jump pay again. When I was in Bn, we had jump status, but the Marine Corps decided that we didn’t need the normal jump pay for the hazardous training. Usually, military personnel that are assigned to a unit that trains in airborne operations gets an extra amount each month in their paycheck. So, here’s the jump that finally changed the Marine Corps mind about our pay.
My platoon was training with the Spanish Special Forces in Almeria, Spain. We were doing a static line parachute insert with our Spanish counterparts and were then going to do a dismounted patrol. The jump started off strange. We were all required to sign a waiver stating that we wouldn’t sue the Spanish government in the case of injury or death. This is standard practice for civilian training, but usually never happens inside the military. We were jumping Spanish T10’s, so our guys didn’t pack our chutes, and there were no American Jumpmasters on the bird. That’s a lot of red flags.
One of my buddies screamed past me and yelled something. We were about 50 feet off the deck and coming in fast and hard. I couldn’t hear what he said and I was preparing for a hard landing. As I was getting ready to hit, I started bouncing and saw small explosions going away from me from each side. It took me a couple of seconds to realize that I had just landed in high-voltage power lines. The small explosions I saw were the transformers arching tower to tower as far as I could see. I immediately released my ruck, which was hanging on the lowering strap and was less than a foot from hitting the ground. Here’s the deal, if you’re in the lines and anything attached to you hits the ground or the tower, you’ll ground-out and get electrocuted. Once my kit was released, I took a moment to assess what to do. The whole rock your risers back and forth they teach in jump school wasn’t going to do it. That would have just resulted in my canopy still touching the power lines and my feet on the ground, and like we just discussed, wouldn’t have ended well.
All in all, the training that Special Operations conducts can be dangerous and at times deadly. My “bad jump” turned out pretty well, considering. After this jump, the Marine Corps realized that we absolutely rated the hazard pay associated with jumping. Since that jump, Recon guys on jump status have had uninterrupted pay. Hey, at least I got my Spanish Jump Wings, right?
Semper Fi
Bill Janson is a former Recon Marine and is the founder of Eleven 10, a tactical gear manufacturer.
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