Fall 2021 Jump Ground Training
One of the more challenging programs provided by USAFA, Airmanship 490 or AM-490 is a Basic Freefall Parachuting Program that the Academy offers, and it is the core mission of the Wings of Blue and the 98th Training Squadron, all the Cadets on the Wings of Blue team are certified AM-490 Instructors and Jumpmasters. Its purpose is to develop leadership traits through overcoming their own fears. They will be given instruction in basic free fall parachuting and familiarization with emergency parachuting. The successful completion of 5 Jumps results in award of the Air Force basic parachutist badge "Jump Wings", which they can wear on their uniform for the rest of their Air Force career and completion during summer before sophomore year fills one of the few military training requirements that Cadets at USAFA have. Several hundred Cadets over the course of this summer will have to "STAND IN THE DOOR."
AM-490 is the only program in the entire Air Force where the first jump is an unassisted freefall. Because of this unique difference all students, cadet or staff who go through this program will have roughly 40 hours of ground training before their first jump.
Today they practiced their emergency procedures under pressure. Instructors try to distract them by playing loud music, talking loudly to them, jumping on them, blaring a loud horn, using a leaf blower to simulate wind, and covering them with a parachute while they are trying to go through an emergency procedure. They get swung and spun in mulitple directions as well which is designed to help the student learn how to think clearly under stressful and distracting situations. The will take off the students boots or patches and put them in the middle of the floor on the squadron patch which they are not allowed to touch or step on-otherwise they have to do push-ups.This will help them when they are preparing to jump out of the airplane for the first time as a solo jumper.
The ones that are in white helmets with green frog stickers on them are the Wings of Green. These are cadets that were applied after they did Jump 490 to become a WOG and were accepted into the program. Approximately 20-24 cadets are accepted into the program each year. The Wings of Green go through more jump training and will hopefully become Wings of Blue members at the end of the year. The WOG's are learning themselves how to train Jump 490 students.
To view this sessions Ground Training go to GALLERIES> Airmanship > Jump. Set photo order OLDEST to NEWEST. Then select your start page. Or click on the link below.
***Photo order must be set OLDEST to NEWEST for the link to take you to the correct start page.
Fall Semester 2021 1st Class Jump 490 pgs. 401 (last row bottom of page)- 435 Jump Ground Training