Verification?

[MrJeff]

My old manager at work is a complete douchebag. He said he was in "special forces" as a "para-rescue jumper". Now, first, I'm making some assumptions here. Aren't most (all!) PJ's given extensive medical training? Well, one day he said that he had neck and back problems, that he fucked up a vertebrae. Since I'm an EMT, I asked if it was a cervical or lumbar vertabra, his response, a "back vertabrae". Now who the fuck would answer that question like that?

He also said he went to jump school in Panama.

Well, if anyone can check it out, his name was Tim Ingelsbe, from Maryland. Hes now a manager of a freakin T.G.I.Fridays, and as I said, a real douche. I kinda am 100% sure hes exaggerating what he did or completely bullshitting. Thanks a lot folks...

[LRS Guy]

There was Airborne course ran by a 3/7th SFG in the 70's and 80s. One of the guys in my unit was on the ODA that was responsible for it.

[johca]

I'll check the data base when I get home, or perhaps KJ will get here and search it first. In the late 1970s or perhaps early 1980s the Army did have some rescue jumpers in the Panama area that were locally trained. I do recall of at least one mission they did, but to my limited knowedge (I lacked the Senior NCO grade and duty position to really know back then) they didn't get the same level of Medical, SERE, combat diver and other training as USAF PJs.

There is also a little known history that the Navy also had what they called PJs. Mostly a small team in the Phillipines in the early 1960s plus a team at Pt Mague that disbanded back around 1982 plus or minus 2 years. The purpose of the Pt Mague team was to primarily do Antarctic rescue and med evacs, although they also did some range support operations.

[MrJeff]

Thanks for the help guys, I appreciate it. Let me know if anyone finds anything out.

Just another tidbit, we went shooting together one time, a bunch of us from work, and he shot about as well as a mildly retarded gorilla that had been drinking all day long. A blind, mildly retarded gorilla. Said it was because most of his training was with "better firearms", although I think that my M1A is a pretty accurate and high quality weapon.

[KJ]

He is not on the USAF Pararescue list. If he feels this is in error, please have him contact me with his class number and dates of service.

If he cannot do this, then perhaps the next time you go shooting with this fellow you could show him the business end of the barrel for me?

P.S. (Although the Army DID run a short airborne course for a limited period of time in Panama, I know of no PJ's that were qualified through this course. All PJ's, [except for some service transfer types that were qualified Navy, Marine, etc. and some initial smoke jumper PJ's in the early 40's and 50's] since before the Air Force existed as a separate service, received their initial Airborne training through the Army Airborne course at Fort Benning.)

[MrJeff]

KJ,
Thanks for the help. I don't hang out with the guy anymore, I always thought he was a fucking dickbag.

[KJ]

KJ,
Thanks for the help. I don't hang out with the guy anymore, I always thought he was a fucking dickbag.
Hehe, and now you know. :cool:

[johca]

It was the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Fort Gulick, Canal Zone that did a water jump SAR mission from a W. VA. ANG C-130 on Feb 21st 1980. The jumpers were: MSgt Jackie U. Hollowell (1st Sgt/JM/Safety Officer), Sgt First Class Donald E. Pringle (medic), and John Browne, Jr. (medic). The pictures show the seas were calm, minimum wind (if any) and that the jumper went out the door in t-shirt and either short (UDT) or bathing suits. They also went out Hollywood, no ML-4 Kit or medical kits, or fins, or other survival equipment. Just parachute and LPUs. They basically jumped with no wind determination as they had no MK-6 Mod 3 smokes and spotter chutes.

They went to provide care to an injured seaman aboard a 242-foot U.S.-registered tuna boat. The assistant engineer received head injuries when an air tank exploded. Drop area was off the coast of Ecuador, near the Galapagos islands about 1,965 miles SW of Howard AB Panama. Survivor doesn't appear too injured as picture shows him walking from the C-130 to the ambulance. The C-130 landed on the island after the jump, picked up jumpers and patient and transported all back to Howard.

This is the only SAR jump I can find being done by SF in Panama. It appears to be a mission of opportunity of C-130 being available rather than a daily capability the unit was required to provide. Doesn't mean they didn't do other missions, but there would be RCC mission number record and record of what AF aircraft was used.

[sawbones]

johca-The navy unit you speak of is/was part of VXE-6. Polar exploration sqadron. When not deployed to Antarctica or Christ Church, New Zealand they did SAR. Had ugly ass Hueys painted orange. My dad broke his leg on a jump from one, about 73 or 74. Got some great pics/slides oh penguins from his trips. They also did ice diving in Antarctica.

[Just Another Guy]

Just saw this thread.

Wasn't Jackie, "The Rev", the jumpmaster and he "accidentally" fell out of the aircraft?

[JAFO]

I'll check the data base when I get home, or perhaps KJ will get here and search it first. In the late 1970s or perhaps early 1980s the Army did have some rescue jumpers in the Panama area that were locally trained. I do recall of at least one mission they did, but to my limited knowedge (I lacked the Senior NCO grade and duty position to really know back then) they didn't get the same level of Medical, SERE, combat diver and other training as USAF PJs.

There is also a little known history that the Navy also had what they called PJs. Mostly a small team in the Phillipines in the early 1960s plus a team at Pt Mague that disbanded back around 1982 plus or minus 2 years. The purpose of the Pt Mague team was to primarily do Antarctic rescue and med evacs, although they also did some range support operations.

Actually, there were two Navy C-130 units at NAS Point Mugu. One was VR-55 (basic logistics and cargo). The other was VXE-6. VXE-6 was the unit that was set up to handle pax, cargo and scientific stuff to Antarctica.

The Navy CSAR/SPECWAR (Naval Special Warfare Support Unit) was HCS-5. That was the HH-60H outfit. HCS-5 was decommissioned in Dec 2005, after three tours to the sand box, and a move to North Island (San Diego, CA) in 2001.