US

Soldier Dies After Parachuting Accident in Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio National Guard soldier died four days after being injured in a parachuting accident during an airborne training exercise, officials said.

The guard said the soldier, who hasn’t been identified, died early Sunday morning at a hospital in Columbus.

The soldier was one of four who were taken to hospitals following jumps Wednesday afternoon at the Rickenbacker Air National Guard base.

Officials said the men caught a wind gust and hit the ground hard after they parachuted from a plane. Wind speeds at the airport at the time were 15 mph, with gusts up to 22 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

One of the men landed on the airport tarmac, while the other three came down on the grass. The soldiers were ages 26 to 45.

Hard landings are not uncommon during the monthly jumps, but the injuries are usually less serious, like sprained ankles and scrapes, said David Johnson, a spokesman for the Army Reserve 412th Civil Affairs Battalion in Columbus.

The soldiers were among 56 troops from the Guard and Army Reserve who jumped from a military cargo airplane flown by an Air Force Reserve unit out of Pittsburgh.

The base at Rickenbacker is mainly a cargo airport that also has a charter passenger terminal, and it‘s south of Columbus’ main airport.

Comments (35)

  • Devil Dog 7175
    Posted on October 25, 2010 at 7:30pm

    Rest in peace young soldier…

    Report Post » Devil Dog 7175  
  • Gas137
    Posted on October 25, 2010 at 5:11pm

    Next time we see jump wings on a soldier’s uniform we can give special recognition.

    Report Post » Gas137  
  • bookofwisdom
    Posted on October 25, 2010 at 4:00pm

    Goohuman, you sound like you have “been there, done that”. I agree with you that we definitely need foot soldiers. I salute you and all those who volunteer to put themselves between our enemies and my home. You’re the best! You make me proud! I pray this soldier’s family will find comfort in the following quote: “Do not stand by my grave and cry, for I am not there, I did not die”. Christ is the answer and I know they are together in life ever after. May God Bless.

    Report Post » bookofwisdom  
  • TheBees
    Posted on October 25, 2010 at 2:21pm

    His name was Herbert Mills from Groveport Ohio, he was with the U.S. Army Reserve’s 412th Civil Affairs Battalion and 346th Psychological Operations Battalion, and the Ohio National Guard’s B Company, 2nd Battalion, 19th Special Forces Group. There was no rank given. For SQUEAKER they were jumping static line out of a C-130 at approx 1200ft and using the round T-10 chutes. I was less than a 1/2 mile away when they were jumping and I was thinking it was awfully windy to be jumping that day. My thoughts and prayers go out the that heros family! As a retired military man it really hurts to actually see this happen, it’s just sad!

    Report Post »  
    • squeaker
      Posted on October 25, 2010 at 5:31pm

      Thank you for the update “TheBees”

      Report Post »  
    • squeaker
      Posted on October 25, 2010 at 5:36pm

      The T-10 decent rate is somewhere around between 16 to 20 feet per second. That’s a brutal enough landing without adding the ground winds they were experiencing to the mix.

      Report Post »  
  • TerriLPN
    Posted on October 25, 2010 at 9:07am

    God Bless and Prayers for his family and for his fellow troops.

    Report Post » TerriLPN  
  • sabadog_2000
    Posted on October 25, 2010 at 9:06am

    My heart goes out to the fallen paratrooper. As a former 11th Group soldier who is 60% disabled from surviving an airborne training accident, my thoughts go out to the surviving soldiers, as well. As in combat, a bad moment in training can go from safe to deadly in seconds. Does anyone know what organization would support uncovered needs for the fallen soldier and survivor? If someone has contact and donation information, that would be helpful, as well. Dabit deus his quoque finem…Di Opresso Liber.

    Report Post »  
  • rappini
    Posted on October 25, 2010 at 9:03am

    I know we’re at War but I think there is a Max wind speed at ground level that is supposed to be enforced, not sure about Military regs.

    Report Post » rappini  
  • Bronco II
    Posted on October 25, 2010 at 8:52am

    My thoughts and prayers are with the family.I thank them and the young man for his service.May he rest in GODS ARMS.

    Report Post » Bronco II  
  • Silat
    Posted on October 25, 2010 at 8:38am

    God bless our troops and their families.

    Report Post »  
  • Boomernoodle
    Posted on October 25, 2010 at 8:31am

    God Bless our Fallen Airborne Paratrooper and his Family!
    As a former Airborne Soldier I can tell you that high winds normally scrub a jump BUT if the soldiers are in NEED of a jump to maintain jump pay….an extra $150 a month, unless they raised it since I last jumped, they’ll give ya the green light regardless. Seeing as this was a Reserve unit I‘m assuming they don’t get many jump opportunities like the 82nd or 173rd would get. If a soldier doesn‘t get so many jumps a month they could lose their jump pay so that’s why they may jump in slightly higher winds. Even in ideal winds Airborne troops still hit the ground pretty hard as their parachutes aren’t designed to get them down softly but rather as fast as possible. It’s almost like jumping off of the top of your refridgerator with a full combat load of about 75lbs or greater on AND the exit from the aircraft is kinda like flicking a cigarette butt (the soldier being the cig) out of a car window doing 75mph. WHAT A RUSH! A poor PLF (Parachute Landing Fall) can greatly impact whether you’re walking off the drop zone or being carried ESPECIALLY in high winds.
    Again my Prayers go out to his family and loved ones.

    Report Post »  
  • thefiremanjoe
    Posted on October 25, 2010 at 8:21am

    Thoughts and PRAYERS to him and his family!!!

    Report Post » thefiremanjoe  
  • Claude
    Posted on October 25, 2010 at 7:53am

    I was dropped in high winds during a training exercise. We used the newer parachutes that have panels in the canopy removed for steering purposes and to give a forward thrust. If the wind is higher than something like 10 mph you will have a negative thrust or you’ll be moving backward instead of forward. Higher winds just make you go faster backwards. Try executing a backward landing travelling at about 20 or 30 mph. You land heels, butt and then head. Great way to break your back or head. Even though the military trains you on how to survive different landings some folks just freeze up when it comes to performance or natures laws are just stronger than our attempts to overcome them. My heart goes out to his family.

    Report Post » Claude  
  • claymoremacm
    Posted on October 25, 2010 at 7:47am

    Military Service,even out of the theater of war,is dangerous. My prayers to the Family

    Report Post » claymoremacm  
  • TrueGrit
    Posted on October 25, 2010 at 5:50am

    Damn… twice

    Wolverine

    Report Post »  
  • justice
    Posted on October 25, 2010 at 4:26am

    my prayers to the family of this young man. god bless all our serving men and women…

    Report Post »  
  • squeaker
    Posted on October 25, 2010 at 3:47am

    Add your comments

     
    • starman70
      Posted on October 25, 2010 at 8:39am

      I pray that GOD will rest his soul. I also pray that GOD will grant his family peace in the knowledge that he was doing a job which is critical to our country’s future. My heart goes out to all the brave men and women in every branch of the U. S. military. We must all pray for devine protection for our service personell.

      Report Post »  
    • squeaker
      Posted on October 25, 2010 at 5:37pm

      Amen “starman70”

      Report Post »  
  • joseph Fawcett
    Posted on October 25, 2010 at 1:40am

    I pray for his family and friends and the others that were injured. These are brave men that we may need in the future to protect us. May God look kindly upon them and restore the ones injured to good health and well being.

    http://www.josephfawcettart.com western artist

    Report Post » joseph Fawcett  
    • thefiremanjoe
      Posted on October 25, 2010 at 8:20am

      @joseph Fawcett

      I find it offensive that you would advertize your stupid art crap, on such a trajic story!!!!

      Report Post » thefiremanjoe  
    • grandmaof5
      Posted on October 25, 2010 at 8:32am

      Firemanjoe, and you think your comment was respectful. The families of these soldiers deserve our thoughts and prayers. How about reading only the message and ignore the rest if it bothers you so much, as the rest of us do.

      Report Post »  
  • traderdan
    Posted on October 25, 2010 at 1:34am

    parachuting is nearly obsolete from what I hear (what with computer guided missles and such) seems odd they would still utilize it as an actual military technique especially if it frequently results in injuries

    but then again i’m not in the military nor have I (or ever would) jump out of a perfectly functioning airplane

    Report Post »  
    • MR_ANDERSON
      Posted on October 25, 2010 at 7:34am

      Often you still need to flank your opponent, otherwise they never have to change their focus of fire. There is only one way to get a large amount of troops into a remote area behind enemy lines, and that is by dropping them in. Until we can beam people and vehicles in, we’ll still use parachuting. There is just no replacement.

      Report Post »  
    • Goohuman
      Posted on October 25, 2010 at 10:54am

      We can cover an area from the air, we can blow it up, and we can watch it. But if there is something there we need to defend or respond to different conditions rapidly, there is no replacing Soldiers on the ground. As long as we need to put boots on the ground behind enemy lines we will have Airborne.
      Besides, Airborne training leads to HELO (High Exit Low Opening) and those skills are critical to Special Forces and Special Ops.
      The Generals of years past considered getting rid of this risky operation and its training injuries and deaths, but they did not. I don’t know what eventually convinced them to keep us going, but I assure you that the ability to place a large group of highly trained troops behind enemy lines cannot be replaced .. until they invent the teleporter.

      Report Post » Goohuman  
  • 82dAirborne
    Posted on October 25, 2010 at 1:18am

    Damn.

    Report Post » 82dAirborne  
  • TruthTalker
    Posted on October 25, 2010 at 12:28am

    My thoughts and prayers go with him and his family.

    Report Post »  
    • snowleopard3200
      Posted on October 25, 2010 at 1:06am

      May the Lord and the Father grant peace and comfort to the family and friends of the fallen. May the dedication and sacrifices in his life to defend our country and people be an example for all to learn from and be guided by in the light from Above.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • snowleopard3200
      Posted on October 25, 2010 at 1:26am

      A question to anyone who has parachuted before, how does the wind speed at ground level affect the landing of a parachutist? I would like to know.

      Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • squeaker
      Posted on October 25, 2010 at 3:44am

      In response “snowleopard3200 ” — “how does the wind speed at ground level affect the landing of a parachutist? I would like to know.”

      There can be many answers to your question. But ground winds can play a big part in landing.
      Since canopy type is not mentioned, I’m going to assume that he was using a “RamAir” or square parachute rather than the old round T-10 type from the past.

      Ground winds can produce windshear that can have all kinds of effects on landing.
      The parachutist can misjudge the “flare” (turning speed and decent into lift) of the parachute during landing and stall, falling to the ground. A canopy is especially prone to a “stall” if sitting in deep brakes while on approach to landing.
      Landing downwind can be fatal. This is because you are landing at “canopy speed plus the wind speed” and no effective ability to properly flare for landing.
      The list goes on and on…. There are just so many variables. Hope this helps explain a few thing that can and do go wrong landing parachutes.

      My regards to this soldier and his loved ones.

      Report Post »  
    • snowleopard3200
      Posted on October 25, 2010 at 8:30am

      @Squeaker

      Thanks.

      Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • Bum thrower
      Posted on October 25, 2010 at 9:35am

      To SNOWLEPOARD: The old T-10 is very unmaneuverable; It gets you from Point A (the airplane) to Point B (the ground or DZ) High wind speeds wil simply ‘slap’ you to the ground when you land; the effect on the jumper could depend on 1) skill level 2) direction of drift; 3) conditions on the DZ;

      On my first drop after jump school, in a T-10; drifting to the rear; poor PLF (Parachute Landifng Fall); hit my head (rang my bell) and suffered a concusion. Never did it again, tho. Been drug into a brabed wire fence; and landed between two trees on a night jump at Ft. Chaffee, AR.

      Condolences to the family; thanks to the soldier for his selfless service.

      Report Post »  
    • RAYFROMOHIO
      Posted on October 25, 2010 at 3:44pm

      SNOWLEOPARD3200
      I COULD NOT HAVE SAID IT BETTER.
      pLEASE PRAY FOR ALL OUR TROOPS WHERE EVER THEY ARE SERVING.

      Report Post »  
    • airborneranger1
      Posted on October 26, 2010 at 7:25pm

      To Snowleapord3200, The story is very sketchy on what actually happened. Army regulations state if winds on the drop zone exceed 15 knots the DZ safety officer is to cancel the jump, Any parachute landing is a controlled crash and the parachute drops at a rate of 21 ft per second plus the lateral wind speed. Therefore, the greater the speed the greater the impact. The standard military chute has a built in 6 knot forward drive & if the soldier made a mistake and came in with the wind his speed at impact would have been even greater and the chance of serious injury increased.

      Report Post »  

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