To the guys with airborne questions.

[Falcon325]

I've been reading through the recent posts and here is what I have come up with for you all.

Few things here. My brother was a medic then went to BAC. Jumped 5 times and never again! That's how it rolled.

Now I never had a problem in 1998 with airborne or the 82nd. As a matter of fact my recruiter was from the exact same unit I ended up in. Weird. He was also jump aster of the year or some special shit like that. He had some pull and came through for me. It was never a stressor for me. I also had some connections family wise so when I made it out of the 2/58 and down range to BAC I rolled right into a slot instead of being in a hold pattern for 3 or 4 weeks like everyone else from my basic class. The people you meet here may be your instructors down range. Or be able to help you get into some things later in your career. Heed their advice.

Now I was a strapping young 17 year old lad back then and slender and fit. 145 and 6'3. I was a broomstick with teeth. I thought I was in great shape. However then I fell off a cattle truck into a shark attack of crazy proportions. There is a deference in what you do now and what you will be doing there every day. You go work out now a few hours and go home and sleep in your bed all nice nice. There you will be punished physically and mentally every second of your existence. There is nothing you can compare it to now. It's funny I look back now and read all of those letters I sent home my folks kept and it was just depressing. I was determined but I watched people all around me that we're in all instances normal sane people break and fall apart and go crazy and try and kill themselves. This was back when you could fail I know it's different now. Back then the army didn't need you and you could not make it no matte how much heart you had.

I can say its been 14 years since basic training and airborne school and I've been out of the army for 10 years almost. I'm still fucked up. I'm mentally fucked up and physically. I still sit with me feet and knees together when I eat and I still sing god damn cadence to myself when I walk. Instill see the dead guys. I am still having newer surgeries to fix the damage the army caused me. You know what thou I wouldn't change a damn thing. Just some words to think about before you join. Jumping from an aircraft is fun in theory. In reality it hurts like hell.

[RH]

Be prepared for what you ask for.

[IEDmagnet]

Be prepared for what you ask for.

Yep

[Falcon325]

Its all fun and games when your invincable!!! Boy was I wrong. Dont get me wrong here I am proud of everything I did. I am a better man because of it. It just comes at a price that you cant even fathom when your a young Lad! its an honerable profession that many are not sucessful in....I was gonna be a lifer and 4 and out I went...as did most everyone else I know. A few stayed and are doing well...bunches of deployments and a few divorces and jacked up physically.