Alaska Troopers get Canadian wings

[AlaskaDad]

Photo credit Capt. Chase Spears/4-25th ABCT PAO


Canadian Army Sgt. Joseph Hiller presents Lt. Col. Frank Smith, commander of Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, with the Canadian Parachutist Badge at a jump wing exchange ceremony March 23 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska. The paratroopers participated in a friendship jump March 22 in honor of the allied forces that jumped into combat on D-Day.

[Ops NCO]

They are a pretty set of wings. Got mine at Petewawa in 89.

Knew a guy in the 325 who wore a set with the white leaf...as he had been a member of the Canadian Airborne Regiment before coming to us.

[Sgt.Raven]

Cool!
Also, interesting cammo: kind of "forest digital"...

I was jumping with their Demo Team guys from Alberta.
Cool guys; way laid back, eh.

[kraigwy]

I missed the trip when the Abn Det (Lt Arctic Recon) went to Canada to learn the process of jumping from the Twin Otter. Little Tommy Katkus (the AKNG AG) was on that trip. They had a hung jumper and Katkus (then a enlisted medic) saved the guys life. That was just one of his accomplishments that caused us to send him to OCS.

I can tell you some stories about Maj Gen Katkus that I bet he don't want our right now.

We were the first American Unit to Jump the Twin Otter. Worse thing about it, the JM doesn't get to jump.

[Sgt.Raven]

Twin Otter for full-suited Paratroopers?
Ouch!
You, guys, rock!
King Air next?
Seriously, after that, C-130 is a dream come true, not even talking 'bout "Ritz Carlton" C-17.
And why JM doesn't jump (I was JM/Loadmaster, but never missed the chance to bail out, especially out of choppers)?

[kraigwy]

And why JM doesn't jump (I was JM/Loadmaster, but never missed the chance to bail out, especially out of choppers)?

In the twin otter, the rigging is set up like a Huey, attached to the floor. The JM has to get back in the cargo part just behind the door. The troopers are in the door hooked up, there is no place for the JM. He's got to wait his turn. Luckily, the TO doesn't need much more room to land then a Huey so you get to go out the next load (assuming you have other JMs).

[Sgt.Raven]

That's what I thought.
Damn, that skeleton's closet is too small even for a midget!
(Luckily, I was Twin Otter/King Air/SkyVan's LM within civilian skydiving club).

[AK Airborne]

If the jump in '65 counts then I guess mine will be arriving any day in the mail .

[old grunt]

Have Guatemalan Wings, and Navy ones, but Canadian were always on my list. Would love Israeli and British too. Maybe one day!

[Hendo]

My first set of Foreign wings were Canadian. For a while we couldn't wear them because the regulation said they were honorary only. The reg changed this past March and NOW the kid can sport them, legally .
































BTW, That's 1999 posts.................................RLD, HERE COMES THE KING!!

[AlaskaDad]

Cool!
Also, interesting cammo: kind of "forest digital"...

I was jumping with their Demo Team guys from Alberta.
Cool guys; way laid back, eh.

The Canadian Military were the first in the world to have digital camo IMO

Now even the Thai Army have gone digital

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