The Army Airborne School, also known as Jump School, is a voluntary program for parachute training for all members of the US military who meet physical requirements. The three-week Basic Airborne Course includes Ground Week, Tower Week, and Jump Week, with students required to pass physical and skydiving training to receive the “Silver Wing”. Other military branches often send students to the Army’s Airborne School for training.
The Army Airborne School, located at Fort Benning, Georgia, is the U.S. Army’s program for parachute training. It is also commonly known as Jump School. The program is completely voluntary and all members of the United States military are eligible to enroll, provided they meet the school’s physical requirements. All students take the school’s Basic Airborne Course (BAC), a three-week training session that prepares soldiers for combat parachuting. There are different themes for each week of the course: Ground Week, Tower Week and Jump Week. Students who graduate from the Army Airborne School are known as Airborne Soldiers.
The first week of the BAC is Ground Week. During Ground week, volunteers undergo basic physical training and skydiving. Before being allowed to move on to additional weeks of training, students must pass the Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT). Students also learn the basics of how a parachute works. During this week, the school takes students through mock jumps, using a side-pull apparatus and a 34-foot tower.
If students pass the Ground Week requirements, they are allowed to progress to Tower Week. During the second week, students undergo a series of more rigorous workouts, which they must complete satisfactorily in order to progress to Jump Week. Students still practice on the 34-foot (10.36-meter) tower, but must also master the procedures on the 250-foot (76.2-meter) tower. Additionally, students are also required to qualify on the Swing Lander Trainer (SLT), which is used to practice landings.
If students have passed all necessary physical and skydiving training requirements, they can progress to Jump Week. During Jump Week, students must put all of their training to the test by successfully completing five jumps from an airplane. Jumps must be made from a height of 1,250 feet (381 meters) and from a C-17 or C-130 aircraft. Trainees are required to demonstrate proficiency with different types of parachutes on different jumps. After passing the five jumps, students are officially passed the Army Airborne School and receive the “Silver Wing”, which the soldier can apply on his uniform.
The Army Airborne School is recognized throughout military branches as the gold standard of parachute training. Rather than conducting their own jump school, other military branches — Air Force, Navy, Marines — often send students to the Army’s Airborne School for training. As such, the school’s students can have the unique experience of learning together and being trained by service members of all military classes.
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