TO: Commandant, U.S. Army Infantry School, ATTN: ATSH-TPP-A, Fort Benning, Georgia 31905-5593

FR: 1<u>st Tactical Studies Group (ABN) P.O. Box 73253, Fort Bragg, NC 28307-3253

SUBJ: Improvements to next edition of FM 57-220/MCWP 3-1.5.7/TO 14D1-2-1-121 Static Line Parachuting Techniques and Training

1. FM 57-220/MCWP 3-1.5.7/TO 14D1-2-1-121 Static Line Parachuting Techniques and Training is an excellent manual; with precise information backed by illustrations that reflects a lot of hard work of its producers. However, it still has some discrepancies and areas for improvement that I'd like to share in detail below. Its important that these areas are clear up because this manual is "the Bible" for static-line parachuting for Airborne units spread throughout the world who may not be able to phone Ft. Benning for a clarification; what it says is followed religiously--- anything right or wrong by inclusion or omission can be expected to be repeated since we cannot expect jumpmasters and jumpers with differing basic airborne school experiences (due to changing techniques/procedures) to always be able to notice and make the necessary adjustments. I've already seen several inconsistencies during pre-jump training at several units.

2. PAGE 1-4 "The parachutist releases one canopy release assembly after landing"
This isn't completely correct, he may have to release his second canopy release if still being dragged by the wind and/or in the water after releasing the first CRA. Every time we make an all-inclusive statement then go back and contradict ourselves, we confuse and muddle the outlook of our jumpers. Suggest the statement be changed to: >P> "The parachutist releases one and possibly two canopy release assemblies after landing"

3. PAGE 2-21 There is no NSN or address to order the parachute impact liner (PIL)

4. PAGE 2-23 There is no illustration of the parachutist ankle brace (PAB)
Suggest adding this statement: "The PAB can reduce in half the landing injuries usually encountered during tactical jumps. Paratroopers that wear hot weather 'jungle' boots can utilize PABs to support their ankles for PLFs to make up for the boot's nylon construction then remove the PAB to regain the lighter weight and enhanced cooling the jungle boot provides during dismounted movement in hot climates."

5. PAGE 2-6 There are no illustrations of what the T-10C, MC1-1B or MC1-1C canopies look like; the old manual had illustrations (refer to Figure 2-2 on page 2-5 of FM 57-220 TO 14D1-2-2 Basic Parachuting Techniques and Training). Jumpers need to know what the MC1-1B's TU opening looks like as well as the MC1-1C's H-TC opening. The old manual FM 57-220 TO 14D1-2-2 Basic Parachuting Techniques and Training, dated 25 June 1991; says on page 2-4 that the T-10C and the MC1-1C both had a descent rate of 15 FPS, now this manual says 19 -23 FPS. Are these not the same "C" model canopies described in 1991 as we are jumping now in 1997? How can the T-10C have a 19-23 FPS descent rate when the T-10C has the same no-porosity fabric as the MC-1-1C (and more of it-no 60 square foot HT-C orifice......) The new manual claims the MC1-1C with a 60 square foot hole has a slower descent rate than the T-10C at 14-18 FPS. What's the truth here?

Without illustrations, how are we to expect new jumpers to know what "gores" and "apex vent lines" are? Some might say this manual is for only "experienced parachutists" like Jumpmasters to have a reference etc....This is not a valid excuse; good manuals are completely self-explanatory; if the reader is expected to know everything, why have a manual? This manual should be for and read by ALL parachutists not just a select few. The manual's cover says its "Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited"....Surely our Paratroopers before the general public?

There is no place for "I've got a secret" games in the Airborne; everyone needs to be completely informed. Anything less than this will result in injuries, deaths, and the loss of faith in the Airborne operation's usefulness on the modern battlefield by the national command authorities. Good Paratroopers are made by constant teaching, learning and training, not a secret desire for some to fail by injury so only a select few "who belong" remain on jump status. The "strong sense of esperit de corps (enthusiasm) and camaraderie (brotherhood) among parachutists" quoted as a major goal of Airborne training on page 1-3 means a positive feeling of inclusiveness not exclusivity (snobbery). This spirit must flow through all Airborne publications as an under current that we want parachutists to succeed and jump safely and we'll do everything in our power to make this a reality including being very specific in our manuals. "Knowledge is power"; "empowerment" means getting that knowledge to our paratroopers so they can jump better and more safely- so we; the Airborne team-can be more successful.

6. PAGE 2-8 "T-10 Troop chest reserve parachute"
The new improved T-10 reserve with spring-loaded pilot-chute needs to be described and illustrated here. Markings to tell the different reserve chutes need to be described so jumpers know the correct procedures for the reserve they're using.

7. PAGE 3-4 "Canopy manipulation"; the text describes MC1-1B/C steerable round canopy controls. What many jumpers from the XVIII Airborne Corps/82d Airborne did at LeapFest '95 was not use the toggles at all and tried to steer the MC1-1C like a T-10C using riser slips. This will not work because the wind pressing against the canopy will spin the canopy around until it finds spot offering the least resistance: the HT-C opening in the canopy, which results in the parachute and jumper running with the wind. In jump school, we were told this, but since we didn't jump MC-1 series parachutes this insight was not connected to real world experience to effect a permanent understanding by jumpers. They might have to learn "the hard way" like some of the LeapFest jumpers did by getting seriously injured. Today, you must have at least 10 jumps with a MC-1 series parachute to attend LeapFest, but that still doesn't solve the new jumper's lack of understanding coming out of Airborne school. Changing this manual to remind trainers and those that read the manual will facilitate this piece of wisdom getting out to the troops. I suggest adding the following statement:

"If the jumper doesn't make any toggle line control changes or fails to gain canopy control by holding the toggles, the wind will spin the canopy around until its blowing into the (MC1-1C) TU or (MC1-1C) HT-C orifice (opening), sending the jumper and canopy running with the wind. Its mandatory that the jumper gains control and makes steering changes with the control line toggles to maneuver the MC1-1C/C type parachutes to a safe landing"

8. PAGE 3-5 "Collisions and Entanglements" The text describes the "spread eagle" position to bounce off the other jumper but fails to describe the "modified position of attention" with right hand covering the rip cord grip, left hand extended to weave his way out of the suspension lines the same way you went in described on page 8-21 in the sample pre-jump training briefing. I suggest adding the following:

"If you should pass through the suspension lines, assume a modified position of attention with your right hand covering the rip cord grip. With your left hand attempt to weave your way out of the suspension lines the same way you went in, then immediately turn/slip away." (Verbatim from page 8-21)

9. PAGE 3-3 "T-10C Parachute"
The text doesn't describe if the canopy turns at all during a 1- riser slip. My memory isn't clear on this. If a one-riser slip actually rotates the canopy and jumper, he can use them to face into the wind for a front set 2- riser slip and rear PLF. Jumpers need to know if 1-riser slips will rotate their canopy on the center axis or just send them going in that direction while still facing where they began.

10. PAGE 3-6 "Fourth point of performance: prepare to land"
This is a major weak area that results in most injuries; the slip/turn before landing. The text doesn't describe in detail the specific drift conditions and required riser slips/turns to negate lateral drift over the ground as spelled out while in suspended harness training at basic Airborne school. The text should state the correct riser slips/turns if you are drifting to the front, rear left or right. I suggest the following statements be added:

"If the wind is blowing from front to rear, you are drifting rearward and need to counteract this drift by looking in the direction of the slip, reaching up high in the elbow locked position and grabbing the front pair of risers and pull them into your chest at about BDU nametape level.

If the wind is blowing from rear to front, you are drifting forward and need to counteract this drift by looking in the direction of the slip, reaching up high in the elbow locked position and grabbing the rear pair of risers and pull them into your chest at about BDU nametape level.

If the wind is blowing from left to right, you are probably drifting to your right. You need to counteract this drift by looking in the direction of the slip, reaching up high in the elbow locked position and grabbing the left pair of risers and pull them into your chest at about BDU nametape level. This will rotate your entire body 90 degrees to your left, making it likely that your PLF will be to the right rear.

If the wind is blowing from right to left, you are probably drifting to your left. You need to counteract this drift by looking in the direction of the slip, reaching up high in the elbow locked position and grabbing the right pair of risers and pull them into your chest at about BDU nametape level. This will rotate your entire body 90 degrees to your right, making it likely that your PLF will be to the left rear...."

Another extremely serious omission is the fact that when you are drifting to your LEFT you pull a 2-riser slip to the right to help negate this lateral drift, your entire body then rotates to the right while hanging from the 4 risers, making it highly likely that your PLF will to the LEFT rear.....jumpers must then be prepared to do a LEFT REAR PLF. This reality is not stressed at basic Airborne training and one of the "Black Hats" remarked that it was peculiar that almost all jump school T-10C PLFs are to the rear....This is not remarkable if you consider that any left or right drift counter-acted by an opposite 2-riser slip will rotate your body 90 degrees to the slip pulled and strong winds against your front sends you rearward, leaving only one drift condition out of 4 where anything but a rear PLF is needed. The suspended harness simulators are too stiff to rotate the student jumper realistically as he would under canopy; basic airborne school instruction should change to have the coach rotate the student 90 degrees when he pulls a left/right 2-riser slip to begin to get this reality across to all students that a left/right 2-riser slip will result in a rear PLF usually in the direction of the drift. That this mix-up is occurring is probably the reason why many students land "feet, butt, head" during actual jumps...they do not understand amidst the adrenaline rush and rapidly changing sensations, sights of the actual jump what PLF they are to do because they're overloaded with tasks to do only to be rotated 90 degrees to one side....

True, the swing landing trainer (SLT) simulates this rotation and is a valuable tool but the complete realization that the jumper must determine his drift direction while under canopy not have it told to him by his "Sergeant Airborne" as he swings away from the SLT platform, then 2-riser slip against this direction and be prepared to then do a REAR PLF in the direction of the drift if a left/right 2-riser slip is pulled isn't being emphasized. The soft plowed earth of Fryer DZ covers up many a bad landing that later on less forgiving ground could result in jumper injury. In Suspended Harness, SLT and all phases of basic Airborne training, the 90 degree body turn that occurs during left/right 2 riser slips needs to be explained and incorporated so jumpers are mentally aware of this change and can focus on performing the correct rearward PLF. I suggest adding the following;

"A left 2-riser slip to counter a right lateral drift across the drop zone will rotate the jumper's body 90 degrees to the left. As the jumper holds the left 2-riser slip tight against his chest and is held facing to the left, he must be prepared to do a RIGHT REAR PLF in event that his slip is unable to counteract completely his drift which is now going towards his right rear...."

"A right 2-riser slip to counter a left lateral drift across the drop zone will rotate the jumper's body 90 degrees to the right. As the jumper holds the right 2-riser slip tight against his chest and is held facing to the right, he must be prepared to do a LEFT REAR PLF in event that his slip is unable to counteract completely his drift which is now going towards his left rear...."

11. PAGE 3-8 The text describing being hung up in a tree is more specific than what is said in the pre-jump briefing on Page 8-21 to 8-22. This narrative should be placed verbatim in the pre-jump briefing because it is more specific and instructs jumpers to wrap their legs around the suspension lines of the reserve parachute before climbing down; the current pre-jump briefing fails to mention this, if a jumper's hand grip slips he could fall to the ground to his death.

12. PAGE 3-9 "He wraps his legs around the suspension lines of the reserve parachute." Should be in boldface type to stress this step.

PAGE 3-9 Illustration and caption "Landing without a life preserver" is incorrect. Caption should read: "Landing without a life preserver as feet touch water". The illustration shows the jumper already having released his leg straps; Paratroopers that follow the illustration could fall out of their harness prematurely to their death. The illustration should be changed by drawing in a line to depict water and splashes to illustrate feet impact. The folded aviator kit bag should be shown flying away by the jumper's side.

13. PAGE 3-10 The text should state that "the aviator kit bag should be pushed away when the jumper releases his leg straps quick ejector snaps". The fact that the aviator kit bag is sitting there at the leg straps blocking the exit of the jumper is a problem area that needs to be mentioned. The landing attitude illustrations on page 3-7 show kit bags under the leg straps.

14. PAGE 3-11 "Fifth point of performance: Land"
The text omits the 90 degree body rotation that takes place when doing left/right 2- riser slips. At the end of the first paragraph before the final sentence add:

"If his landing attitude utilizes either a left or right 2-riser slip, the jumper's body will be rotated 90 degrees facing the slip direction; making a rear PLF likely. Determine the final direction of drift before landing, then select the type PLF required."

15. PAGE 4-8 "Instructor duties"
The following safety bullet statement should be added: "The instructor does not let go of the rope, but releases the rope to slide through his hands to simulate the braking descent of an actual canopy"

Students the "Black Hats" are mad at or trying to Ã'testÃ" have been dropped resulting in broken ankles. Being dropped by the force of gravity on the SLT simulates a secondÕs fall of a total malfunction not a braked descent under a canopy deceleration at 15-22 FPS. Dropping students is not only sadistic, and unnecessary its not realistic training.

16. PAGE 4-12 Mock door training
The old "up and out" vigorous C-130 exit was replaced by the walking exit to reduce static-line arm injuries according to the unclassified message traffic to all U.S. Army Airborne units, dated March 1994. This message to change C-130 exit procedures also spells out in greater detail the walking exit. The new manual omits these important details. The following statement verbatim from the message traffic should be added right after "He executes a half-left or half-right to face the open jump door";

"pivoting on the in-board foot to face the open jump door at a 10 to 30 degree angle (large jumpers, physically large or with large side-pack cases should be trained to take a sharper angle on exit to prevent making contact with the trail edge of the door..."

The 4th bullet paragraph describing the number 2 jumper's actions should have the following added since we were trained at 1-507th in 1997 to have the second jumper steady himself on the leading edge of the jump door with his palm.

"The number 2 jumper should have his guide hand's palm on the lead edge jump door skin to steady himself"

The 5th bullet paragraph under "Jump commands" describes follow-on jumpers closing up behind the preceding jumper, which can cause jumpers to exit too closely and possibly collide in the air. The text forgets to remind jumpers to extend and lock out their static-line arm once they move forward of the wheel well in order to build-in a small separation distance between jumpers. The following should be added;

"As soon as jumpers move forward of the wheel well, their static-line arms should be fully extended to create an approximate 30 inch separation between jumpers."

17. PAGE 4-13 jump commands (c), 6th bullet paragraph The message traffic reminds jumpers to "step off with a purpose using the momentum gained from the one or two small steps used after the pivot to reach the end of the jump platform" This statement should be added verbatim to the end of the paragraph.

A new bullet paragraph should be added to encourage jumpers to get the proper leg to step off for the jump door he's exiting to encourage a smooth transition into the slipstream by a slight turn in the air when the air makes contact with the lead foot/leg. While its true either leg can step off, stepping off with the leg farthest from the leading edge of the jump door when spun by the air turns the jumper away from the body likely causing twists, whereas if the leg closest to the leading edge steps off first it is spun across the body, orienting the jumper facing to the rear but without twists.

"Jumpers exiting the left door should step off with their right leg in order for the air stream to make contact with that leg first, rotating it across the jumper's body so he makes a quarter turn to face the rear as he falls away for suspension line elongation, canopy deployment and opening.

"Jumpers exiting the right door should step off with their left leg in order for the air stream to make contact with that leg first, rotating it across the jumper's body so he makes a quarter turn to face the rear as he falls away for suspension line elongation, canopy deployment and opening."

18. PAGE 4-14 Suspended Harness
The following statement needs to be added;

"Coaches need to rotate the student on left/right 2-riser slips to simulate the 90 degree body rotation that takes place to the side the slip is pulled".

19. PAGE 4-15 The 34-Foot Tower
The 34 foot tower is a good place for jumpers to practice bicycling out twists if they get them. The opening paragraph mentions says the 34-foot tower "simulates parachute malfunctions"...the following words should be added immediately after;

...particularly twists in the risers;

20. PAGE 4-17 Advanced Training Objectives
The following common student errors should be added;

* Eyes closed

* Failure to bicycle out twists

* Failure to lower combat equipment before reaching the mound

* Helmet falling off or sliding back over the head due to loose or over-tight adjustment

21. PAGE 5-9 Jumper Actions
Add:
"Those forward of the wheel well, extend their static-line holding arms to insure adequate separation between jumpers..."

22. PAGE 5-10 GO
Under jumper actions, please add the following;
"Arms holding the static--line extend out with elbows locked as jumpers move past the wheel wells..."

23. PAGE 5-11 The following statements need to be added to reinforce execution of proper angled and distinct exits;

(1) "Jumpers execute a half-left or half-right to face the open jump door; pivoting on the in-board foot to face the open jump door at a 10 to 30 degree angle (large jumpers, physically large or with large side-pack cases should be trained to take a sharper angle on exit to prevent making contact with the trail edge of the door..."

(3) "Jumpers 'step off with a purpose' using the momentum gained from the one or two small steps used after the pivot to reach the end of the jump platform. Jumpers exiting the left door should step off with their right leg in order for the air stream to make contact with that leg first, rotating it across the jumper's body so he makes a quarter turn to face the rear as he falls away for suspension line elongation, canopy deployment and opening.

"Jumpers exiting the right door should step off with their left leg in order for the air stream to make contact with that leg first, rotating it across the jumper's body so he makes a quarter turn to face the rear as he falls away for suspension line elongation, canopy deployment and opening."

24. PAGE 6-1 Main parachute malfunctions and employment of the reserve parachute
When the improved T-10R reserve fully replaces the old reserve, its spring-loaded pilot chute makes the "Pull-Drop" reserve activation the only method in use. Illustrations of the old and new reserve parachutes deployed need to be shown so units and jumpers who haven't been to Fort Benning recently can see the differences. The text says to reach up as high as possible on the suspension lines to regain a body vertical attitude before landing. We were taught at 1-507th to put your arms together in your front like a knife edge between left and right groups of lines and bend back our arms so both elbows push back on the left/right set of lines to push the body forward and up into a vertical attitude for landing. This excellent technique should be illustrated in the manual since most Airborne units are unaware of this technique. The "elbows-out" reserve canopy posture can get you into a more vertical attitude with less arm fatigue than simply "holding on for dear life". Many Soldiers landing under just a reserve are injured in the back because the grabbing risers high technique is not enough to guarantee a normal feet first PLF.

25. PAGE 6-2 Down-and-away method
The 5th bullet paragraph fails to tell the reader to lift up the reserve canopy being grabbed over the shoulder and then throw it down to get more outward force so it can reach clear air for inflation. The words "Lifts up over the shoulder and" should be added to the sentence beginning with "throws the reserve parachute down"......Refer to sample pre-jump briefing on page 8-20.

26. PAGE 6-4 There is no illustration of what a reserve deployed alongside a main looks like.

27. PAGE 8-6 "Pre-jump training performance"
(2) Add: "Remember: a left/right 2-riser slip will rotate your body 90 degrees in the direction of the slip; be prepared to do a rear PLF."

28. PAGE 8-7
The reaching up and grabbing risers technique should be replaced with the "elbows out" technique for maintaining a body upright position. From there, suspension lines can be grabbed to effect a slip against the direction of drift.

(5) under Partial Malfunctions fails to mention the canopy being grabbed must be lifted up over the shoulder then down and away from the body in the same direction of the spin....

29. PAGE 8-8
c. Reserve Inflates
Add after "quick recovery method" (run up and collapse canopy) and change "connector snaps" to "reserve connector snaps".

"Collisions"
No mention of the modified position of attention to weave way out same way jumper came into other jumper's lines. Add:

"If you should pass through the suspension lines, assume a modified position of attention with your right hand covering the rip cord grip. With your left hand attempt to weave your way out of the suspension lines the same way you went in, then immediately turn/slip away." (Verbatim from page 8-21)

GO to Part 2 of jump manual fixes...