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Pretty damn nervous, I ship to Airborne in 3 days. The Drill Sargeants are saying there’s a fifty percent fail rate. I’m fine with my run (13:30) and with the idea of jumping, just wondering about the 41 and 52 club. Are they really looking to fail that many people?
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 19
The only person who is going to wash you out of jump school is you. The Airborne School is tasked with providing the military services with a certain number of basically qualified parachutists every year. Over the decades hundreds of thousands of service members of all sorts have completed the course. If all those folks were able to do it so can you. Get that in your head and keep it there and your failure rate will be zero.
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So, PV2 (Join to see), you opened this discussion thread on July 16th. Jump school should be in your rear view mirror. How did you fare?
CPT Jim Schwebach SGT (Join to see) SFC (Join to see) SSG Trevor S. SGT James Belcher SFC Carlos Cruz CPT (Join to see) SPC Elijah J. Henry, MBA SPC (Join to see) SFC Carlos Cruz PFC Daniel Weinberger SGM Bill Frazer CSM Darieus ZaGara PVT James Strait SSG Clint Underhill
CPT Jim Schwebach SGT (Join to see) SFC (Join to see) SSG Trevor S. SGT James Belcher SFC Carlos Cruz CPT (Join to see) SPC Elijah J. Henry, MBA SPC (Join to see) SFC Carlos Cruz PFC Daniel Weinberger SGM Bill Frazer CSM Darieus ZaGara PVT James Strait SSG Clint Underhill
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LTC Stephen C.
Congratulations, PV2 (Join to see) and PV2 (Join to see) (you have two profiles)! I’m happy and proud for you and I’m sure the other RP members are as well! Airborne All The Way! SGT James Belcher CPT Jim Schwebach SGT (Join to see) COL (Join to see) SFC (Join to see) CPT (Join to see) SPC Elijah J. Henry, MBA SGM Bill Frazer CSM Darieus ZaGara
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The course is physically and mentally demanding but it’s nothing you can’t complete unless YOU don’t want to. Listen to instructions. Execute. Keep your feet and knees together.
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They don’t have to “look to fail” anybody.
The run & the sandpit & ‘beat your boots’ ain’t shit... it’s whether YOU have the will.
Worst part of jump school for me was the 34’ tower.
Legend has it that in WWII they had the pshrinks do all kinds of tests to optimize jump school. They tested a shit-load of towers & exits & recoveries, etc.
One of the things they discovered is that 34’ instills optimal terror. Higher & most folks jump, same for lower.
34’ is the magic number. If you’ll jump from 34’ you’ll jump from anything.
I hated the 34’ towers.
The run & the sandpit & ‘beat your boots’ ain’t shit... it’s whether YOU have the will.
Worst part of jump school for me was the 34’ tower.
Legend has it that in WWII they had the pshrinks do all kinds of tests to optimize jump school. They tested a shit-load of towers & exits & recoveries, etc.
One of the things they discovered is that 34’ instills optimal terror. Higher & most folks jump, same for lower.
34’ is the magic number. If you’ll jump from 34’ you’ll jump from anything.
I hated the 34’ towers.
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MSG Dan Castaneda
Ive yet to jump from the 250 foot tower. When I went to jump school, they were closed due to high winds. If given the opportunity to jump from them now I would kindly pass.
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CSM Charles Hayden Passed 7/29/2025
MSG Dan Castaneda A friend, recalled for Korea in the PAARNG’s 28th ID told of his jump school experience.
Jim Edmonds once told me of a windy day’s, last jump from a tower. He was blown across the asphalt roadway. While he was trying to see if he was still alive; a Black Hat was on his case for a such a piss poor PLF!
Jim Edmonds once told me of a windy day’s, last jump from a tower. He was blown across the asphalt roadway. While he was trying to see if he was still alive; a Black Hat was on his case for a such a piss poor PLF!
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I have been to a lot of Army school. Some of the hardest were jump master, Ranger, and flight school. I have only been recycled in one school. Airborne. Apparently as an E2 my hair was too long and I and about three others were asked to leave or be recycled to day one. I stupidly was the only one to want to stay so I agreed to be recycled. All others said they would rather go home. They all got to stay and I was the only one recycled. That’s the kind of BS you are in for!!!
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I graduated ABN recently and from what I observed A LOT of the PVTs had poor form. Most made it into the course but of the APFT drops most were IET PVTs. Just focus on your form and it will work out. The Black Hats are not intentionally trying to fail anyone.
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I never saw that at Airborne school except for people who did crappy push-ups. No one wants to believe their push-ups suck. I did see this a lot at Ranger School.
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No military program looks to fail anyone. The military spends a lot of money getting Soldiers through these programs. On the other hand, one does have to meet the standards, and for that they will not cut corners. Thank you for your service.
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No one there is looking to fail you. Dig deep down when the going gets tough. Listen pay attention and learn. You will do fine.
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Drill Sergeants are the first of many leaders you'll have in the Army who will lie to you. No, it's not real. BTW, my class had about an 85% graduation rate, as I recall, even though a guy died and that convinced others to quit.
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SPC Elijah J. Henry, MBA
SSG Carlos Madden - yep, a kid from the Dominican Republic fell onto someone else's canopy, got tangled up in his harness getting off the canopy, and couldn't pull his reserve before he hit the ground.
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