New paratroopers earn jump wings on Airborne Day

FORT MOORE, Ga. ( WRBL ) — Newly-minted paratroopers graduate from Airborne School at Fort Moore nearly every other Friday. Today’s graduation, including more than 300 soldiers, was extra special.

April 16 every year marks National Airborne Day, a holiday created by President George W. Bush in 2002 to recognize airborne soldiers across the armed forces.

The first paratroopers were trained at then-Fort Benning, now Fort Moore, following World War I. Fort Moore remains home of the Airborne School and the Basic Airborne Course which all paratroopers must go through to earn their jump wings.

“The thing I enjoy the most about this command is seeing the personal grit that we achieve in our soldiers,” said Lt. Col. Chris Gilluly, commander of the 1st Battalion of the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment at Fort Moore. “Fortitude. That is what we require. Courage, personal courage; and the ability to take care of each other on the drop zone.”

In each Basic Airborne Course class, roughly 10-to-15% of soldiers do not finish the course, some due to injury, others due to a lack of preparedness for the course.

According to Gilluly, due to the high levels of danger involved in the course, there is little room for error for everyone involved from soldiers to instructors to parachute riggers.

“I have to get this perfect no matter who it is, because at the end of the day, whatever happens, their life may be on my hands,” Sgt. Miletsy Robles said.

Robles was once in the Basic Airborne Course too, putting all her trust in parachutes rigged by other soldiers. In her new role, she has even more respect for the importance and weight of the job.

“You just want to ensure everybody’s safety and your safety because when you’re jumping, you don’t know whose chute you’re getting,” Robles said. “You’re just grabbing and going and you’re just counting and trusting on your peers and all these riggers out here.”

Like Robles, some paratroopers may go on to become parachute riggers post-graduation. Others will use their qualification to join airborne units across the armed forces.

Regardless, every paratrooper’s journey starts at Fort Moore’s Basic Airborne Course, where they earn their jump wings.

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