Russian paratrooper saves falling friend

Independent Online ^ | August 29 2005

[lizol]

Russian paratrooper saves falling friend

August 29 2005 at 12:37PM

Moscow - A Russian paratrooper will be decorated for valour after he caught hold of a comrade whose chute failed to open and steered him to the ground by his straps, the military said on Monday.

The incident happened when the soldiers became entangled in their parachute lines while jumping from a plane during joint exercises with Chinese forces that ended last last week.

One managed to deploy his emergency parachute and held on to the other until they touched down.

"Both guys showed the best qualities of Russian airborne troops - skill, native wit and courage," said the deputy commander of the Russian ground forces, Colonel-General Vladimir Moltenskoi.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Now THERE'S a friend.

[2banana]

A C-103 rolling down the strip
An airborne daddy going to take a little trip

Stand up, hook up, shuffle to the door
Jump right out and count to four

If my main don't open wide
I got a reserve by my side

If that one fails me too
Watch out below, cause I'm coming through

If I die on the old drop zone
Box me up and ship me home

Pin those medal on my chest
and tell my mom I done my best

[mad puppy]

There is a certain combination of brave and insane in the soul of some people. I consider myself one of them except I'm a chicken.

[spetznaz]

Yep. That's a bud right there.

[atomicpossum]

I guess he's gonna get a snazzy Christmas present.

[Lloyd227]

"...I consider myself one of them except I'm a chicken

huh? that didn't make any sense....

[mcg1969]

I think he meant "I would consider myself..."

It's pretty funny if you read it that way.

[GSlob]

Good for him he did not get entangled in the fishing lines and nets...

[EAGLE7]

Thats unfortunate, now they'll both be alive for the inevitable jump onto U.S. soil along with their Chinese comrades. 'Red Dawn' anyone?

[PeteB570]

It is not considered polite to dance on somebody else's canopy and play leap-frog to the ground.

The one off last tends to bounce rather hard.

When in doubt, slip away.

[Joe Boucher]

Armed and ready, let em come.

[Apercu]

It will never happen precisely because , next to the Swiss, our citizenry are the most heavily armed in the world.Admiral Yammamoto, having gone to school in the U.S., was adamant about not invading the U.S. during WW2 for this reason. So unless the gun grabbers get their way, it is doubtful any country would attempt an invasion
(unless they used nukes or biochem WMD to kill everyone first.)

[Hildy]

"Both guys showed the best qualities of Russian airborne troops - skill, native wit and courage,"

and the chute showed the worst qualities of Russian craftsmanship.

[Yasotay]

I remember being completely twisted up and hitting another twisted jumper ..... but I was on another jump and actually saw one Ranger holding on to another .... neither "jumped" properly out of the C-130 at the same time. They went through each others risers under the C-130. The Ranger on top had his chute deploy correctly, the Ranger below remained in a tight body position, ready to deploy his reserve. It wasn't needed and they hit like a sack of potatoes. They walked away.

[Joe Boucher]

Horse manure, every year we here in Florida get an invasion from the canadians. And they bring those cheap ass french canadians with them.
Also we have been being invaded by spanish speakers from south and central America and Mexico for years.
The Asians have invaded the west coast in the last two decades like during the building of the transcontinental railroad.

[MarshallDillon]

The Russians are not short on bravery.

[ASOC]

And bury me in the leaning rest!

[armymarinemom]

Bless these troopers. One of our sons had a jumping accident where he only had partial opening of both his primary and emergency chute. Miraculously the only part of his body that sustained a fracture was his tail bone. I never thought to proclaim that it was all Clinton's fault.

[Bon mots]

Someone has a friend for life.

[PeteB570]

You must remind him that the tail bone is not the proper 4th point of contact. (insert smiley face here)

In the event of a malfunction all paratroopers should take proper malfunction actions and prepare to execute a proper PLF. At least thats what they say.

Then again the water and tree landing instructions make them look easy also. The picture boards for them fail to show rucksacks, weapons and various other dangley and twisty items that just love to get tangled up.

[armymarinemom]

You must remind him that the tail bone is not the proper 4th point of contact. (insert smiley face here)

[armymarinemom]

HTML error. Poor guy. He chucked his reserve wrong and it went around his foot. That made him go down horizontal. He choice of words could be heard long before he hit the ground.

[jb6]

A C-103 rolling down the strip

That's C-130

[jb6]

My preferred version:

C-130 rolling the strip
65 Rangers going on a little trip
Mission Top Secret, destination unknown
Don't give a damn if I'm ever comen home
Stand up, hook up, shuffle to the door
My knees got weak and I fell to the floor
Jumpmaster picked me up with ease
He threw my knees into the breeze
I look between my boots and what do I see?
Machinegun nest just a blasting at me
I slip to the left, I slip to the right
I slip on down to a fire fight
Pickup a 60 from amongst the dead
I aim it at that Jihadi's head
Hear my 60 rattle hear my 60 roar
When I looked again he wasn't there anymore
So I locked and loaded another round
And I blew another Jihadi to the ground

Hay hay I feel alright now
Hay hay I feel alright now
I can run just like this all day long now

Ooops, got carried away. I miss active duty.

[jb6]

Buddy of mine was a sergeant in a rigger unit. Now in 6 months they had two incidents: 1 guy had both full malfunctions...bounced, got up and walked away with bruises. Another guy had his line running up the wrong arm, realized it going out the door, tried to spin out of it, wrapped it around his neck and popped his head right off and into the plain...body kept going.

As for the Russian paratrooper with the failed chute, the only person he has to curse is himself....they pack their own chutes.

[jb6]

It'll never happen because it's nothing more then Cold War era paranoia of people who have nothing else to occupy their "important" lives.

[jb6]

Note that even on this thread the hatred has come out early and swinging.

[jb6]

No the chute showed the quality of the packer, which in this case happened to be the guy with the malfunctions.

[armymarinemom]

Once our son woke up he was able to walk away. Knocked him out cold. I visited the area where he landed and decided there was a God. He landed smack in the middle of a small sand pit area. Then they wonder why Mom worries when they jump out of planes.

[Larry Lucido]

steered him to the ground by his straps

Didn't realize you needed to be "steered" that way. Like you're going anywhere else?

[jb6]

I remember my first jump at jump school, knocked myself silly. Strap came loose on my helmet, my landing was all wrong, gust of wind hit me at the last second, I looked down and tensed up.....end result: 3 point landing: feet, arse head and a helmet that came down on my forehead to finish the job....jumped right up, undid my chute and then fell right back down....massive blind spot, couldn't get my arms coordinated, could barely walk....what an experience...:(

[GarySpFc]

I just have to post this one. Not for ladies, Marines, Air Force, or Navy.

Blood upon the Risers (To The Tune Of "Glory, Glory, Hallelujah")

He was just a rookie trooper and he surely shook with fright As he checked all his equipment and made sure his pack was tight He has to sit and listen to those awful engines roar,
"You ain't gonna jump no more!"

"Is everybody happy?" said the sergeant, looking up Our hero feebly answered, "Yes" and then they stood him up He leaped into the icy blast, his static line unhooked
And he ain't gonna jump no more!

He counted long, he counted loud, he waited for the shock He felt the wind, he felt the cloud, he felt the awful drop He jerked his cord, the silk spilled out and wrapped around his legs
And he ain't gonna jump no more!

The risers wrapped around his neck, connectors cracked his dome The lines were snarled and tied in knots around his skinny bones The canopy became his shroud, he hurled to the ground
And he ain't gonna jump no more!

The days he lived and loved and laughed kept running through his mind He thought about the girl back home the one he left behind He thought about the medics and he wandered what they would find
And he ain't gonna jump no more!

The ambulance was on the spot, the jeeps were running wild The medics clapped their hands with glee, rolled up their sleeves and smiled For it had been a week or more since the last chute had failed
And he ain't gonna jump no more!

He hit the ground, the sound was "SPLAT," the blood went spurting high His buddies all were heard to say "What a helluva way to die!" He lay there rolling 'round in the welter of his gore
And he ain't gonna jump no more!

There was blood upon the risers, there were brains upon the chute, Intestines were a-dangling from his paratrooper suit The medics picked him up and poured him gently from his boots
And he ain't gonna jump no more!

Glory, glory, what a helluva way to die; Glory, glory, what a helluva way to die

Glory, glory, what a helluva way to die; And he ain't gonna jump no more!