Heading to Fort Bragg soon. How is it being at an airborne unit, but not being airborne qualified?

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 02:02:41 -0400

Response by LTC Jason Bartlett made Mar 25 at 2016 2:09 AM

LTC Jason Bartlett — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 02:09:45 -0400

Lots of non qualified folks at Bragg. Don't sweat it just do your jpb to the best of your ability.

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 25 at 2016 2:09 AM

SGM Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 02:09:56 -0400

Not all units at Fort Bragg are Airborne. You may be going to any number of non-Airborne units that are located there.

Response by SFC Anthony Shaffer made Mar 25 at 2016 2:42 AM

SFC Anthony Shaffer — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 02:42:33 -0400

If you're going to 82nd (if you can even go not being airborne qualified) they will give you a hard time constantly. But the other units on Bragg even the airborne ones aren't as bad about non airborne personnel.

Response by SGT Jesus Vasquez made Mar 25 at 2016 3:55 AM

SGT Jesus Vasquez — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 03:55:09 -0400

Tons of non airborne units at Bragg, if you end up in one. You'll go to Airborne school

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 25 at 2016 5:34 AM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 05:34:39 -0400

Let's be honest.... It's Bragg..... They might hold formations just to name all the people not airborne qualified. Holding summertime "freak shows" in circus format

Response by Maj John Bell made Mar 25 at 2016 6:23 AM

Maj John Bell — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 06:23:33 -0400

I once told an Army Officer that I could not think of a dumber way to go to a fight than dangling from a curtain by some pieces of clothesline. He said he felt the same way about using a metal boat where the door opens to the front to get to the fight. He called it a ricochet box. We both decided that maybe we were equally stupid and that at this point one more beer wouldn't kill that many brain cells.

Response by SSG Leo Bell made Mar 25 at 2016 7:43 AM

SSG Leo Bell — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 07:43:06 -0400

You can be non airborne and be in and airborne unit. While your in that unit they will ask you if you want to go to airborne school to be part of the brotherhood. I don't know it they still pick with legs around there but I know they use to as a joke. You will be fine. Just have fun at your unit be yourself and do the best job you can do.

Response by SGT Shawn Schweinberg made Mar 25 at 2016 7:44 AM

SGT Shawn Schweinberg — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 07:44:34 -0400

It happens if you're in a support role. It's not that uncommon. Good news is it's easier while there to go for airborne. get it knocked out.

Response by SSG Eddie “JD” Brown made Mar 25 at 2016 8:27 AM

SSG Eddie “JD” Brown — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 08:27:33 -0400

You can do it SGT; no biggy itd be better if you were trained by the more compitent 101st AB division tho ;) HUA

Response by SFC Randy Purham made Mar 25 at 2016 8:32 AM

SFC Randy Purham — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 08:32:53 -0400

I am unsure about FT> Bragg, but I can tell you that I was in a non-airborne company in an Airborne Battalion and it was business as usual, except we were tagged with supporting their details, such as chute recovery and transportation. If you are going to an Airborne unit (Company), but not qualified, either you will remain in the unit or be transferred to a support unit that does not require you to be Airborne qualified. Good luck and have fun either way.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 25 at 2016 10:10 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 10:10:01 -0400

I went through the same thing with a deployment to Iraq I volunteered for. I was trained and deployed as a Door Gunner (even though I was an 88M) which isn't an MOS so we assisted the Crew Cheifs (15T) it took a while for them to trust us with our work but once you show superior work ethic it won't matter who is Airborne or not...do your job and train hard. Best of luck at your new duty station.

Response by COL Charles Williams made Mar 25 at 2016 11:21 AM

COL Charles Williams — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 11:21:04 -0400

Feet and knees together and relax.... Do you best, and let your actions speak for you.

Response by SGT Ben Hilger made Mar 25 at 2016 11:31 AM

SGT Ben Hilger — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 11:31:06 -0400

It used to suck in my day.... Best advice go to airborne school when a slot comes open :)

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 25 at 2016 2:06 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 14:06:56 -0400

I did 10 years in 18th corp and it was great. Don't let the stigma of not being airborne at Bragg bother you.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 25 at 2016 2:27 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 14:27:20 -0400

I was in the first non-airborne battalion within the 82nd. I got to replacement after PCSing from Korea (2ID). I did not want to go airborne and could never understand why I was put in the 82nd. Not knowing there was a non-airborne battalion and all. This will not answer your question because this was in 2004. Every morning the PSG (CADRE) would ask me if I was going to go airborne and every morning I answered "No SGT" and he'd respond by handing me a pair of scissors and informing me to go and cut the grass. I was determined to win this battle, I was only a PFC, and I did this every morning for almost 6 weeks. He was so determined to break me that he decided he would move me into the dropped from rolls platoon. I noticed they had no patches or rank and found out they were all AWOL/Deserters who were being brought back in to be transitioned out. I still answered "No" every morning, until one day I was approached by and heard some person ask me what the hell I did to cut grass with scissors? I stood up and noticed it was a SGM and replied, "SGM! Every morning I am asked if I want to go Airborne and every morning I answer Negative so SSG (Not Ratting) hands me these scissors and orders me to go and cut the grass. By the end of the day I was in my unit and my unit had been waiting on me for a few weeks. (Why didn't your asses come and get me?) lol.

Response by LTC Stephen C. made Mar 25 at 2016 7:40 PM

LTC Stephen C. — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 19:40:32 -0400

SSG Private RallyPoint Member, you've already seen many responses that give the pros and cons, so I won't travel that trail again. All I can say is that I would not want to be a leg in an airborne unit. If you go to an airborne unit, and they give you the opportunity to go to jump school...GO! AATW!

Response by MAJ Keira Brennan made Mar 25 at 2016 10:20 PM

MAJ Keira Brennan — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 22:20:20 -0400

LEG!!!!

Response by SGT Philip Keys made Mar 25 at 2016 10:51 PM

SGT Philip Keys — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 22:51:54 -0400

You'll be alright, if some SGM tells you to find the keys to the drop zone tell him sure thing SGM, then go sham out for a few hours. Come back and tell the SGM you looked all over couldn't find the keys. You asked everyone and no one knew where they went. The SGM will laugh and think he got you. Enjoy the extra long lunch.

Response by SFC Stephen Carden made Mar 26 at 2016 8:14 AM

SFC Stephen Carden — Sat, 26 Mar 2016 08:14:38 -0400

It's going to suck, because you will be an lots of chute details. You will be given the chance to go, and I recommend you take it. Better to be a jumper than a chute NCO. I have been in lots of airborne units, and we always had NAP (non-airborne personnel) in our unit. No big deal. You will be OK either way.

Response by SGT Fred House made Mar 27 at 2016 5:01 PM

SGT Fred House — Sun, 27 Mar 2016 17:01:35 -0400

Your not qualified which noon Airborne personnel normally end up in detail allot. Being a Rigger and coming from Ft Bragg you see allot of noon Airborne personnel in cute shake out and recovery detail good news is this will give you that chance if you want to go to Airborne school.

Response by SGT Joe Pizzini made Mar 28 at 2016 9:59 AM

SGT Joe Pizzini — Mon, 28 Mar 2016 09:59:02 -0400

Gonna catch hell till you get those wings

Response by PVT Ryan P. Quirk made Mar 28 at 2016 10:34 PM

PVT Ryan P. Quirk — Mon, 28 Mar 2016 22:34:08 -0400

Well As a Leg at Ft.Bragg. You might want to volunteer for jump school. Besides it will help your Career in the long run. And if you are assigned to an Airborne Unit. You will be doing alot of pushup entering buildings. It is a tradition. Unless they stopped doing that.. Just a thought.

Response by SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 29 at 2016 1:24 PM

SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 29 Mar 2016 13:24:30 -0400

You just get made fun of lol. No not really, I have non airborne folk in my unit and they do their job. All it is is that they don't jump. They work hard and they are part of our team. Nothing really changes but you might get crap for being a leg.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 29 at 2016 7:06 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 29 Mar 2016 19:06:27 -0400

If you're worried about being shunned, yes that could happen. However, if you're willing to go to Airborne School and you show the work ethic, motivation, and competence then your CMD should have no issues sending you. The extra $150 a month doesn't hurt either.

Response by SGT Russ Shickley made Apr 5 at 2016 8:05 PM

SGT Russ Shickley — Tue, 05 Apr 2016 20:05:01 -0400

I had fun

Response by PFC Jeremie Dallas made Apr 13 at 2016 4:12 AM

PFC Jeremie Dallas — Wed, 13 Apr 2016 04:12:51 -0400

I miss those days. Hollywood.

Response by PFC Jeremie Dallas made Apr 19 at 2016 3:10 PM

PFC Jeremie Dallas — Tue, 19 Apr 2016 15:10:44 -0400

Have fun, you'll be a leg for sure. Hope you can handle the harassment lol. I recommend getting your wings asap

Response by SGT Michael Knoll made Apr 29 at 2016 2:34 PM

SGT Michael Knoll — Fri, 29 Apr 2016 14:34:10 -0400

You'll be a LEG and will be highly encouraged to go to Airborne School.

Response by PFC Brian Lesnikowski made Jun 9 at 2016 9:00 PM

PFC Brian Lesnikowski — Thu, 09 Jun 2016 21:00:50 -0400

If ur in an AIRBORNE unit they'll bust your balls calling u a LEG lol

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 4 at 2018 2:06 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 04 Sep 2018 02:06:20 -0400

You can be assigned to a unit that doesn't do Airborne ops but if you are assigned to 82nd you will be shit on in short. Would highly recommend going to Airborne school. Just to avoid being harassed.

Response by 1SG Michael Brooks made Dec 4 at 2018 8:40 AM

1SG Michael Brooks — Tue, 04 Dec 2018 08:40:38 -0500

You will doing all the same stuff as the jump qualified soldiers, but will be paid $150 less than them. There a ton of work details associated with jumping, might as well enjoy 20 seconds of pure adrenaline rush every once in awhile.

Response by SGT(P) Troy Williams made Aug 15 at 2019 6:32 AM

SGT(P) Troy Williams — Thu, 15 Aug 2019 06:32:16 -0400

Not every unit on Bragg is an airborne unit, plenty of no airborne personnel on Bragg, and non airborne units, now if you are going to the 82nd, then that's a different story all together.