Just received this email regarding the "accidental" death of a parachute rigger at Fort Lee, Pvt. Anthony Milo. One thing is true, the Army is so shot-through with risk-aversion, it wouldn't surprise me if they have repealed sensible policies like issuing parachute trainees jump knives. If this boy did die of strangulation, some chickenshit risk-averse asshole with stars on his shoulders ought to have to personally apologize to this boy's parents for contributing to his death. Then, if he is an honorable man, he ought to go behind his nice general officer's quarters on base and blow his frigging brains out with an M-9 pistol.
Mike
III
Mike,
Regarding the young solder who died while parachuting at Ft. Lee a few days ago:
My son was on the same Blackhawk helicopter and jumped from it shortly before Private Milo jumped. My son had floated over the same power lines and after landing witnessed private Milo hanging from the lines. What hasn't been reported was the cause of death. No it wasn't electrocution. Neither was it impacting with power line poles. Nor can it be blamed on the wind. No. The cause of death was strangulation.
Why? Because the Army doesn't allow parachute trainees to carry knives to cut themselves out of entangled parachute cords. Knives are contraband. So Private Milo strangulated in the ten minutes it took to get help assembled.
When I was in Germany I traded one of the knives I owned for a German paratroopers knife. It slides opens with only one hand after pressing a lever. How is it that Europeans have figured out that knives could be useful when parachuting but we Americans ban our soldiers from carrying the one tool that could save their lives?
If you print anything about this, please don't use my name, as I wouldn't want my son to get into trouble for providing me this information.
Thanks,
REDACTED
http://www.gazette.com/articles/soldier-95237-colorado-springs.html
Soldier from Colorado Springs killed in parachute training at Fort Lee
March 06, 2010 6:11 PM
ANDREA BROWN
THE GAZETTE
A 24-year-old soldier from Colorado Springs died Thursday at Fort Lee during parachute training.
The Associated Press reported Pvt. Anthony Milo had parachuted from a UH-360 Blackhawk helicopter during training at the Petersburg, Va., base when he was tangled with a power line near the base’s landing zone.
Fort Lee suspended parachute training while authorities investigate the accident and whether wind speed was a factor. In a Richmond Times-Dispatch story, Fort Lee spokeswoman Sarah Trier said jump training is supposed to be canceled when winds reach 10 knots, or 11.5 mph. The National Weather Service reported winds Thursday measured 15 mph, with gusts up to 25 mph, at an airport 14 miles from the base.
Milo, a parachute rigger, arrived at Fort Lee on Dec. 14 after completing basic training at Fort Jackson, S.C.
A MySpace page under his name, which had condolences from friends, listed that he attended Mesa Ridge High School from 2001-2004. It said he was a flooring and cabinet installer before joining the Army.
23 comments:
What a waste. What an effin' inex-effin-scusable effin' WASTE!!!!
Not just a young life, but a brave young life, the life of a warrior who wanted to make his country proud.
Damn whoever / whatever is responsible for this. Sorry if I seem a bit emotional, but one of the FEW sore points that sets me off into a near rage is rules that cost lives, being made up by brass who sit around with their thumbs up their asses and decide what is best for the grunts.
For what it is worth - not much, I guess -
Young Soldier, I AM proud of you, damn proud! I bow my head in your honor and say that I would have been honored and proud to stand alongside you any time and any place in defense of what is right.
Rest in peace, young man.
May God somehow grant the graces and condolences that the family will need to come through this time.
- j -
I don't get this at all. I was in the USMC for nine years, and as soon as we got out of boot camp, everybody bought knives and carried them around everywhere. How could the army be so different and not let soldiers carry knives?
I've read references to so called parachute knives generally related to the Brits, but I've never heard anything that would indicate issuing knives during parachute training was ever a policy in the US military. It certainly wasn't when I went thru jump school in 1968. I can't recall if during mos training if anyone ever carried a knife on a routine jump, don't even recall it being the topic of conversation. I actually don't know how the trainee would have been strangled by the cords, because they are attached to the risers and emerge above your head. To get them down to the area of your neck would involve some fancy maneuvers flipping around the power lines at high speed, and if that happened he was probably incapacitated almost instantly, unconscious and dead quickly thereafter.
The reason this is really a non-issue regarding having a knife or not, is because there are a whole slew of factors involved in setting up and doing a jump, the great majority of which are related to making sure there are no obvious physical hazards such as high winds or power lines. The people responsible for this tragedy are those who approved the location, and more importantly the jump master on-board the chopper who was the man responsible on the scene. He has total control over the jump, but then hell, maybe in this new don't ask don't tell army they don't even bother with such old fashion concepts.
The only time I ever jumped a C-119 the turbulence was so bad it was like getting slapped and spun around by an angry jolly Green Giant. I was spun so much that when the chute opened the cords twisted down onto the back of my neck forcing my chin onto my chest. That's just surprising not threatening and having a knife wouldn't have make any difference if it was, as that is what quick releases are for if your main is faulty. Regarding tree landings, the general threat is broken bones from impacting heavy limbs or the trunk, or piercing injuries from getting impaled by broken limbs. If you are tangled up it is usually an issue of the chute being tangled to the point you can't free it, and are having difficulties getting to the ground, not being trussed up unable to move by the cords - I've never heard of this happening but I guess it could. The standard method for getting down when you are stuck up a tree is to pop the reserve, and climb down it. But again, trainees are not supposed to be dropped in these situations unless that is specifically part of the training and then there are supposed to be people on the ground. Ask the Eighty Deuce boys about what a perfect LZ is. The answer is lots and lots of sand, and scrubby little bushes.
bacsi
More death by political correctness.
I am sorry to say what may be construed as a negative opinion of this young man, I don't mean this that way.
But, I have carried a knife since I was seven years old. Nobody would get to tell me to leave it on the ground. Not the president and not any of his kiss ass "star" wearers.
No gentleman ever goes about without a pocket knife. He cannot possibly be well dressed without a knife.
And they took away thiere knives why?
I tried to send some high dollor blades to the men and was denied.
WTF?
Usually knives are not issued to a trainee, which is certainly where this young soldier was. If I understand this situation correctly this young man went directly from basic training to parachute rigger school. I need to remind people that he should have gone to jump school prior to going to rigger school. I would suppose this is really the case and someone just skipped that part of the equation. If that is the case then this man was not really a trainee, having finished jump school, and was in reality a novice jumper, which in the next step up the line. If he had felt he needed a knife then he should have purchased one. the military dosen't issue personal jump knives, at least they didn't back in the early 60's. I am sorry this man lost his life but in real life situational training you are on your on as far as taking care of yourself. They jumped us in 20 mph wind gust and very few were hurt. A trainee at rigger school is jumping a parachute he packed himself, which is the means for raising his level of professionalism. He must be sure of the chutes he packs before anyone else can depend on him. I doubt anything that happened to this soldier was due to anything but his own negligence.
FUBAR.
The knife that might have saved that life is illegal unless issued by the military.
United States Code
TITLE 15 - COMMERCE AND TRADE
CHAPTER 29 - MANUFACTURE, TRANSPORTATION, OR DISTRIBUTION OF SWITCHBLADE KNIVES
Section 1241. Definitions
As used in this chapter -
(a) The term ''interstate commerce'' means commerce between any
State, Territory, possession of the United States, or the District
of Columbia, and any place outside thereof.
(b) The term ''switchblade knife'' means any knife having a blade
which opens automatically -
(1) by hand pressure applied to a button or other device in the
handle of the knife, or
(2) by operation of inertia, gravity, or both.
Section 1242. Introduction, manufacture for introduction, transportation or distribution in interstate commerce; penalty
Whoever knowingly introduces, or manufactures for introduction,
into interstate commerce, or transports or distributes in
interstate commerce, any switchblade knife, shall be fined not more
than $2,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
Section 1243. Manufacture, sale, or possession within specific jurisdictions; penalty
Whoever, within any Territory or possession of the United States,
within Indian country (as defined in section 1151 of title 18), or
within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the
United States (as defined in section 7 of title 18), manufactures,
sells, or possesses any switchblade knife, shall be fined not more
than $2,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
Section 1244. Exceptions
Sections 1242 and 1243 of this title shall not apply to -
(1) any common carrier or contract carrier, with respect to any
switchblade knife shipped, transported, or delivered for shipment
in interstate commerce in the ordinary course of business;
(2) the manufacture, sale, transportation, distribution,
possession, or introduction into interstate commerce, of
switchblade knives pursuant to contract with the Armed Forces;
(3) the Armed Forces or any member or employee thereof acting
in the performance of his duty; or
(4) the possession, and transportation upon his person, of any
switchblade knife with a blade three inches or less in length by
any individual who has only one arm.
Section 1245. Ballistic knives
(a) Prohibition and penalties for possession, manufacture, sale, or
importation
Whoever in or affecting interstate commerce, within any Territory
or possession of the United States, within Indian country (as
defined in section 1151 of title 18), or within the special
maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States (as
defined in section 7 of title 18), knowingly possesses,
manufactures, sells, or imports a ballistic knife shall be fined as
provided in title 18, or imprisoned not more than ten years, or
both.
(b) Prohibition and penalties for possession or use during
commission of Federal crime of violence
Whoever possesses or uses a ballistic knife in the commission of
a Federal crime of violence shall be fined as provided in title 18, or imprisoned not less than five years and not more than ten years,
or both.
(c) Exceptions
The exceptions provided in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of
section 1244 of this title with respect to switchblade knives shall
apply to ballistic knives under subsection (a) of this section.
(d) ''Ballistic knife'' defined
As used in this section, the term ''ballistic knife'' means a
knife with a detachable blade that is propelled by a
spring-operated mechanism.
There sure is a lot of confident opinions here!
I for one will NOT jump on the bandwagon for blaming the command and support personnel. Why? Because I myself am a graduate of that same parachute rigger course. Even beyond that, I returned years later as an instructor.
It's very easy to say that each jumper should have their own knife. Can you each say confidently that each jumper may not have a problem with another jumper and sabotage him or her with that same knife? Consider such things before so confidently saying that knives would have prevented this tragedy. I can just as easily that many lives were saved since the jumpers could not have sabotaged each other.
That is a scenario I am simply presenting, not using it as an actual happening at the course. What I really want to do is have people wait for facts before hanging others for this. There are multiple guidelines used in an airborne operation to mitigate all the dangers involved. Ultimately, it comes down to the jumper and his own actions. There are safety measures upon safety measures, but taking action outside of those safety measures can lead to one's own harm. Would you blame the leadership when a soldier takes it upon himself to walk into a minefield?
I take personal interest in this since this scenario has happened around me before. In case the jumper becomes suspended in the trees or another object, they are briefed before the jump to first wait for assistance. For suspension from high tension wires, they are explicitly told to wait for assistance. This is because they risk electrocution. But if they are only suspended from trees, they may make the choice to lower themselves. Then there are specific procedures to do that. If the soldier failed to follow those procedures correctly, hence causing himslef to get into the strangulation, are you going to blame the command for that?
The previous incident I mentioned, exactly that happened. The soldier himself chose to lower himself. While removing himself from the parachute harness, he failed to ensure that he was completely free of all loose cords (suspension lines). After the final step removing himself from the harness, the loose lines surrounding him closed around his neck and left him strangled.
What was the safety measure here? It is the briefing saying that you should wait for assistance.
One more point for consideration... Remember that this soldier was a trainee. His scope of experience was limited. Even if he had the knife, would he have thought of it after he was being strangled?
While I may not have covered everything here, I have the personal experience to evaluate this from the inside. The safety measures may be in place, but no one can ever predict everything that will happen. This will cause a review and likely end with amended safety measures and controls. Who knows, perhaps knives will be issued? I assuredly would approve as long as it does not cause a higher risk elsewhere for the operation.
All I ask is this... please don't berate the command and personnel involved. They are certainly doing their jobs to try and prevent these sad and tragic losses.
The knives we carried, after posting to a regular airborne unit were not switchblades, but regular hunting knives like the Bowie knife. We never would have actually caused injury to another trooper but we caused plenty of cherries to shit themselves out of fear.
If you have a group that you're afraid is going to sabotage each other, you have a host of other problems besides a knife, and banning knives is NOT how to fix them.
This goes right along with former president, Slick Willy, disarming all serving members of the armed forces while in the United States.
Having a sharp knife might have saved this young soldier's life, no matter what the other commenters say to the contrary; just like having a pistol on your person could have saved many soldiers lives during the slaughter at Ft. Hood.
Political correctness is what killed this young man, the same as killed those troopers at Ft. Hood.
In 17 years of drawing jump pay I always had a knife on my LBE. I don't think I carried one in airborne school but always did after that.
I don't get the poster who said that jumpers would sabotage others if they had a knife or did I not understand what he said? That thinking is incredible and unbelievable to me. What kind of soldiers would even think of that?
And I always thought that riggers had to go to airborne school before rigger school.
I wouldn't even think of making a comment about this tragedy without the facts.
Parachute Rigger said... "All I ask is this... please don't berate the command and personnel involved. They are certainly doing their jobs to try and prevent these sad and tragic losses."
I have my doubts that you even know what a parachute is, but be that as it may this man lost his life because he was jumped at the wrong place at the wrong time. It wasn't his job to evaluate the situation and to make the decision to jump or not. It was your precious command personnel, especially the jump master. They put him in a unsafe situation because of their collective stupidity and incompetence. It doesn't matter a good goddamn whether he had a knife or no, that is totally irrelevant; it doesn't matter another good goddamn if he screwed up once he was entangled in the power lines (if he was still alive or capable of doing anything to save himself which I very much doubt) because if your @#!!! command personnel had done their jobs properly he wouldn't have been in the situation to begin with.
Jumpers, even those sitting in the door of a chopper are not really aware of what is going on, they can't follow radio traffic, they may or may not even know where they are, what the hazards are, what the winds are doing, etc. Their job is to be unobtrusive and ready to follow commands of their superiors when they are issued. It isn't a freak'n debating society up there for regular troops.
This was a complete breakdown of command responsibility and decision making. I suggest you take your precious self-serving opinion and hold a sensitivity training session with some boys from a real line paratrooper unit.
And as for:
tjbbpgobIII said... "I doubt anything that happened to this soldier was due to anything but his own negligence."
In your opinion he deserved his fate because: 1) he could have bought a knife on his own; and 2) he was jumping a chute he packed. Yes, your analysis has totally convinced me to change my previous (see above) erroneous impious thoughts, because I guess old age is making me senile for I had forgotten that parachute knives are magical talismans that intercede with the gods of wind and air and when faithfully worshiped unfailingly waif the intrepid air borne trooper away from all threatening hazards and dangers. And although I have never been a rigger how could I have forgotten that if you fail to properly follow the ancient mystical mythical rituals of rigging those same gods of wind and air become powerless against the gods of the negative spirits and the chute you packed will inexorably draw you into the nearest power line to make you rightly suffer for your sins regardless of the efforts of all those caring hard working superiors to protect you from yourself. You are right. He killed himself, he and he alone is responsible for this mess, and he should be risen from the dead and forced to apologize for the pain and anguish he has caused you, Parachute Rigger, the dear overworked suffering command personnel, and riggers everywhere.
You are both out of your freak'n minds.
bacsi
note the length of the regulations pericles posted, even though he can sum it all up with just one phrase.
bureaucracy turned the militia into the military for "efficiency," which it didn't get, and now it is killing the military for "safety," which it was never intended for.
of course "bureaucracy" is just writing things down on paper to make them officially exist, whether or not they already do. if they do, nobody needed that. if they don't, then it's just lies.
there is a limit to what you can effect with contracts. when contracts are made between only the parties writing the contracts, there is peace and prosperity. when contracts force third parties into the deal, then "we've founded a club... and you're in it," and it's just a matter of time before it comes to fighting.
I got to writing the end of my post only to find that my focus had changed. I therefore decided that the most important thing should be said first.
This is indeed a sad and tragic loss. And even shocking for the bizarre twist of events which caused this to happen. Regardless of the finding from the investigation, I am grieved that this terrible event had to claim one of our soldiers in the finality of death. I know that anything I now say can affect the family in their grieving. Please accept my sincerest apologies if my actions have been selfish and caused anything negative in your mourning process. Bantering on this blog is more sensless than allowing dignity for this fallen soldier.
"Loren said...
If you have a group that you're afraid is going to sabotage each other, you have a host of other problems besides a knife, and banning knives is NOT how to fix them."
You are right on track... it's not about having the knives in possesion. It is the mind frames of these soldiers under the stressful conditions. Moreso, these soldiers are being led to do an inherently UNnatural act. Having been that jumpmaster in the aircraft, I have seen soldiers respond in these conditions with dangerous behavior that endangers not only themselves but others. Does it still make sense to have knives for these under-experienced soldiers? Would you throw yourselves to a pack of wolves without establishing that they are tamed? I'm not saying an outright ban on knives makes the perfect safety scenario here. But it is a safety measure to be used until other controls can be used. That is simply risk mitigation. Mind you that these are trainees still under evaluation. Once they arrive to their permanent duty station, they will have more discretion over their choice for having a knife.
To the strong statement of bacsi (anonymous)
As I said, there are some CONFIDENT opinions here! Let's say that I concede that I am out of my freaking mind. Does that suddenly mean that you would have the appropriate action that would have saved this paratrooper's life? I could well have been a part of the problem because I didn't think of the appropraite thing for the risk assessment done before this airborne operation. And that was years ago. These risk assessments are routinely updated and as new factors are found. But again, I guess that doesn't matter to you. I guess I and other instructors (read command as well) can't get credit for the hundreds of soldiers that had a successful airborne operations conducted.
You have been quick to assess blame and snidely claim magical talismans and such. Where is your supremely imperial idea or invention that is forever going to prevent these incidents from forever happening again? Rather, you say that the command put the soldier in harms way, and did intentionally. Give me solutions that can reasonably prevent it before hanging me and everybody else. You make it seem as if we are incompetently and ignorantly doing our jobs. I suggest that you don't blanket us with shortsighted comments.
I could claim that my successful career would be enough evidence that appropriate action is taken to prevent these tragedies. Yet I summise that you would say I'm just a product of an inefficient bureaucracy. It would be easier to credit me (and hence, everyone else I've worked with and for) with a non-caring dopey attitude that only got by through sheer luck. Or can you take me seriously now?
Perhaps you think I'm trying to upstage you and write the more convincing statement? I was merely trying to convey this... there are facts known to me that does not make me automatically conclude that the leadership was at complete fault.
Ultimately, each will read my comment differently from how I had thought it out. And that comes down to our own understanding filtered through each individual's background. Part of mine is a military career in the parachute rigger field.
I think everyone should wait for the investigation to conclude. My son was on the ground and helpless as he watched his close friend land into the power lines. He has not said what he witnessed, and is not able to. He was very close to PVT Milo and is very upset about what happened. I do not know the regulations, rules, codes of rigger training, However I am so proud my son has chosen to support his country and is not in this for money or a free education. He is there because he is proud of the flag and all it stands for.
Please respect those in training, serving or those who have served our country.
Train, train, and train. And still, someone is going to die. When my risers were twisted ... I didn't think knife, I reacted by bicycling. When I had a Mae West, I didn't think knife, I flapped the risers back and forth. When my chute opened, I was wide awake and the first thing I did, was look up and then surveyed my surroundings and direction ... picked a spot ... well, it wasn't perfect, but close enough.
Some people are just not inclined, no matter how good you train them, to be jumpers. Watch any video on you-tube of a jump and watch how many of these guys do not make a proper exit and/or landing. In fact, some of these guys just hang on to their risers and hang there like a rock.
If the man would have had a knife, would he have used it? We'll never know. We never had any restrictions on carrying knives.
Anyhow.
We had one of the first lady Black Hats, and she was from the deep south. During the 40 foot tower week. After doing my exit and landing, I ran in front of the lady BH and stood at attention ... blah blah blah are you queer she says ... I says, no Sgt. Airborne! ... Get down and give me 20 she says ... Blah blah blah are you queer! ... I am thinking ... why is she asking me if I am queer? ... No Sgt. Airborne! ... Get down and give me 50! ... blah blah blah are you queer! ... No Sgt. Airborne! ... Give me 100! ... Gawd, I have got to be missing something. It is the middle of July and I am going to either die from heat exhaustion or drown or both .... BING! ... blah blah blah are you queer! ... Yes Sgt. Airborne! I am clear but I'm not queer! ... Put your hands on your head and run around the towers until I tell you to stop! Are you clear! ... Yes Sgt. Airborne!
Had to do that week all over again.
Mike,
My father was a B-17 pilot with the 490th in the Eigth Army (Army Air Corps) who joined the Air Force after the war and flew for SAC. Among his effects I discovered after he died was a switch blade knife (with emergency orange colored plastic scales) that also included a curved hook blade for cutting shroud lines.
There is absolutely no earthly reason the SOBs could not issue safety cutters for shroud lines similar to what EMTs and others carry for cutting seat belts, even if those same Alpha Hotels don't trust their own troops with regular knives.
Parachute Rigger change knife to gun and I have read your statement over at the Brady campaign, HCI, or VPC website.
During jump school I disregarded the prohibition on knives and kept my Spyderco Endura readily accessible. I was much more willing to risk getting kicked out of jump school than to risk needless death blindly following an ignorant order Of course, I was a bit of a renegade as an officer, which earned a lot of hostility from the field grades
The Jump Knife has been saving lives since the 1940's.
Why change a life-winning formula ?
http://www.pararesearchteam.com/PersonalItems/PersonalItems-055.html
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