Airborne: A Guided Tour of an Airborne Task Force

by Tom Clancy

  Tom Clancy: What do you see the XVIII Airborne Corps foot soldier of 2010 looking like, given the technology that will be coming on-line?

  General Keane: Well, the soldiers will be the same in all the ways that we want them to be. That means that they will be American soldiers who will come from a values-based society, who care about their teammates and what they are doing, and they want to do that job correctly. They will be mentally and physically agile and tough, full of esprit, and with ever-increasing combat skills. Those core ingredients that we have always had in our soldiers will continue to be there. They’re very educated now, better than they’ve ever been, and will probably continue to improve in this area, I suspect. They already are much more computer-literate than many of our senior leaders in the corps today, and fifteen years from now, it will be even more remarkable with the technology that will be here. Best of all, they will be comfortable with technology and probably will enjoy using it as well.

  The soldier, in terms of individual capabilities, will probably have a new personal weapon by then [to replace the existing M16A2 combat rifle]. At some point our weapons may transit to some sort of beam technology. I would also imagine that there is a possibility that the soldiers will carry an onboard computer/sensor system with digital communications that will enable them to become a node in a network, and send back “real-time” data and pictures direct from the battlefield.

  They may also be in a climatically controlled battle dress uniform, which could possibly have some type of cooling and/or heating system integrated into it. In addition, it will probably have an improved capability to provide protection against small-arms/ballistic/shrapnel-type threats and nuclear/biological/chemical [NBC] agents. Certainly there is technology already in place which would allow us to make great strides in this area. The key, though, is to make the garments and other equipment both comfortable to wear, and lightweight enough to be carried by a soldier. We have to keep this stuff light! That’s because there is only so much you can hang on a soldier, and still have that person be able to move, fight effectively, and survive on the battlefield. This means that you have to be careful how far you go with some technologies.

  Tom Clancy: Following up the last question, what do you see the XVIII Airborne Corps looking like in 2010, with regards to units, capabilities, and missions?

  General Keane: I think that I see it developing in an evolutionary manner, rather than revolutionary. My view of it is that by the turn of the century, much of the equipment that we already have will still be with us, especially in terms of tanks, helicopters, artillery, and other heavy vehicles and systems. While some of the equipment and systems will modernize, the uses of that equipment will generally stay the same.

  The quality of our soldiers, by every indication that we have, will not diminish, though we’re very concerned about that. We want to hold the quality of the people in the Army, and if possible improve it. Right now, retention rate in XVIII Airborne Corps is well over 100 percent of our assigned objectives. In fact, they’re in the neighborhood of 126 percent at the moment. Better yet, we seem to be retaining the best of our soldiers. You have to remember that we must keep between 35 and 40 percent of our first-term soldiers to maintain a viable force, and right now we’re not having any trouble doing that. Still, we’re watching reenlistment rates very closely. In summary, I think that the quality of the soldiers will stay the same, or possibly increase because of superior education.

  I don’t see a dramatic change in the technology of our equipment, though I do see an evolutionary change. The RAH-66 Comanche helicopter, if we have it in the force by then, will be a very significant change on the battlefield in terms of expanding the third dimension. This will allow us to see better, and to organize a lot of our combat capability around that aircraft, because it will be able to digitally transmit enemy locations, and organize targeting and responses to the enemy threats. That will be a very significant change.

  I would expect that the missions of XVIII Airborne Corps will also stay the same. We’re going to be a crisis-response force, ready to answer the nation’s needs. By then we’ll be using the C-17 Globemaster III heavy transport aircraft as the core of our strategic airlift force, which will double the load capability. We’ll be able to project that combat power faster because of the C-17, and to shorter airfields [less than 3,000 feet/914 meters] than existing heavy-lift aircraft. Right now, with our existing force of C-141B Starlifter and C-5 Galaxy aircraft, we always look for the longest and biggest airfields. With the C-17, though, a whole range of short/undeveloped airfields will be available for our use. This will allow us to get our combat power forward faster, and with less likelihood of interdiction by enemy forces.

  In addition, the nation is buying a force of nineteen large Medium Speed Roll-On/Roll-Off [LMSR] ships where we used to have eight Fast Sealift Ships [FSS] and ninety in reserve. The increase in cargo stowage of these LMSRs will give us an additional five million square feet of sealift capacity. This is because each LMSR has 300,000 square feet of cargo space, where the older FSS has only 150,000 square feet per ship. This will allow the Army and other services to more rapidly project our heavy combat forces and keep them sustained. So in terms of power projection, our capability is actually going to increase. We have begun to solve some of the airlift and sealift challenges that were recognized by senior leaders at the conclusion of the Gulf War in 1991.

  Once that army is on the battlefield, and XVIII Airborne Corps is deployed, the information technology explosion will enable the pieces and parts of that army to communicate much more effectively than it’s doing now, and we’re already doing a remarkable job. I see all of that as a natural evolution in terms of what’s taking place in the world today. The mission of the corps is not going to change. Our organization will probably go through some changes, and our capabilities will certainly increase. And we will be there in 2010, as we have always been there in the past.

  As we prepared to leave, General Keane shared with us some of his personal feelings about the force that he commands, and about being the nation’s senior paratrooper.

  Tom Clancy: One last question. Are you having fun in this job?

  General Keane: Yeah! If you’re not having fun doing this, there’s something wrong with you. I’ve got the best job in the United States Army, hands down. Some people I know who have more money than me would like to have this job, because it is so much fun! It’s also a humbling thing too. Remember, I started out as a 2nd lieutenant down the street here at Fort Bragg in 1966, and I never thought I would wind up doing something like this three decades later. So you remind yourself of that from time to time. You have to focus properly too. With over 85,000 soldiers out there, I’ll tell you that I’m always working to do what’s right for the team and it’s a heck of a team to be part of!

  Given the pace of world events, it is more likely than not that sometime during his tenure, he will have to commit elements of his corps to action somewhere in the world. This certainly was the pattern for the two men who preceded him in the job, Generals Luck and Shelton. Luckily, the Army has made a point of putting warriors of quality in the job. That tradition has been sustained with General Keane at the controls of the XVIII Airborne Corps.

  Fort Benning: The Paratrooper Factory

  I am an Airborne trooper! A PARATROOPER!

  I jump by parachute from any plane in flight. I volunteered to do it, knowing well the hazards of my choice. I serve in a mighty Airborne Force—famed for deeds in war—renowned for readiness in peace. It is my pledge in all that I am—in all that I do. I am an elite trooper—a sky trooper—a shock trooper—a spearhead trooper. I blaze the way to far-flung goals—behind, before, above the foe’s front line. I know that I may have to fight without support for days on end. Therefore, I keep in mind and body always fit to do my part in any Airborne task. I am self-reliant and unafraid. I shoot true, and march fast and far. I fight hard and excel in art and article of war. I never fail a fellow trooper.
I cherish as a sacred trust the lives of the men with whom I serve. Leaders have my fullest loyalty, and those I lead never find me lacking.

  I have pride in the Airborne! I never let it down!

  In peace, I do not shirk the dullest of duty, not protest the toughest training. My weapons and equipment are always combat ready. I am neat of dress—military in courtesy—proper in conduct and behavior. In battle, I fear no foe’s ability, nor underestimate his prowess, power, and guile. I fight him with all my might and skill—ever alert to evade capture or escape a trap. I never surrender, though I be the last. My goal in peace or war is to succeed in any mission of the day—or die, if need be, in the try. I belong to a proud and glorious team, the Airborne, the Army, my country. I am its chosen, with pride to fight where others may not go—to serve them well until the final victory.

  I am a trooper of the Sky! I am my Nation’s best! In peace or war I never fail. Anywhere, anytime, in anything—I AM AIRBORNE!

  The Airborne Creed

  What kind of person jumps out of a perfectly functional aircraft loaded with over 150 lb/68 kg of weapons, explosives, and other assorted supplies and equipment strapped to their body? This is the basic question that most folks ask when they first consider the idea of being a paratrooper. Personally, I only know that my personal answer is, “Not me!” For other people, though, they find the concept of jumping into a war zone intriguing enough to ask some other questions. Sometimes, the answers are so fascinating they can send an inquisitor off on a quest which will ultimately lead down a road in Georgia to a place which will change him into a special breed of American warrior: a paratrooper.

  When a soldier signs up to go into airborne training, he or she is telling the world and their fellow soldiers that they are cut from a different cloth, and are taking a different path in life. One that will mark them as part of a small and elite group, which does something difficult and dangerous, just to go to work! The paratroopers are clearly a breed apart from their Army brethren, and I hope to be able to show you why.

  Most special forces claim a unique ethos.11 Many other branches of military service have tried to claim their own code: one that is special to them. Trust me: In most cases, the people doing the claiming are full of crap. In the whole of the American military, only a handful of groups are truly worthy of such a distinction—the Marine Corps, certain special forces units, and of course, the airborne.

  The airborne ethos is at the very core of each paratrooper’s being. The undeniable heart of the airborne philosophy is toughness. It’s essential that each member of the airborne must be both physically and mentally tough. If you try to make an animal such as a dog or horse jump into water or over a wide ditch, they balk. The natural instinct of any animal, including humans, is to avoid danger. The human animal is different, however. Only we can rationalize and assess risk. In short, we have the mental capacity to overcome instinct, and do things common sense tells us not to. Things like jumping out of airplanes, and going to war. The type of person who can rationalize such ideas has to be more than just physically qualified. They must also have a mental ability to set aside the danger, and see the rewards of parachuting behind enemy lines into a combat zone. Some might call it cavalier, or reckless. I think it’s just plain tough.

  Now, it may be that I am oversimplifying the mentality of paratroops just a bit, but the central theme of almost every part of their lifestyle is toughness. From their early training to how they actually deploy and fight, they do so with a mental and physical edge that is frankly astounding.

  It also can be a little frightening. You notice their collective will when you talk to people like General Keane. A lieutenant general (three stars) and in his fifties, he still jumps in the first position from the lead aircraft whenever he can. He is hardly unusual, though. There is a popular notion in the American military that paratroopers are short little guys with bad attitudes. Actually, they come in all shapes and sizes, and in both sexes.

  In the 82nd Airborne Division, every person assigned must be airborne qualified at all times. This means that everyone in the division, from the commanding general to the nurses in the field hospitals, must have a current jump qualification, no matter what their job is. In a worst-case scenario, every person assigned to the 82nd, as well as every piece of their equipment and all supplies, might have to be parachuted into a hot drop zone (DZ), since air-landing units would be difficult or impossible. Let me assure you, everyone with a jump qualification in the U.S. Army is tough, because just getting through airborne school requires it.

  There is one other basic characteristic you notice about paratroops as a group: They are in incredible physical condition. Being in shape is an obsession with the paratroopers. Not just hard like the Marines, but a kind of lean and solid look that you expect in a marathon runner. In addition, there is a dash of raw power to a trooper’s body, mostly in the upper body and legs, where paratroopers need it.

  Physical strength comes in handy, especially during drop operations. An average 180-1b/81.6-kg trooper getting ready to jump from an aircraft will likely be saddled down with a load equal to or exceeding their own body weight. Consider the following average loadout for a combat jump. The trooper’s T-10 main/reserve parachute/harness assembly will weigh about 50 lb/22.7 kg. American paratroopers then add a rucksack (backpack) loaded with food and water (for three days in the field), clothing and bedding, personal gear, ammunition (including two or three mortar rounds and possibly a claymore mine or two), and a personal weapon (such as an M16A2 combat rifle or M249 squad automatic weapon [SAW]), with a weight of up to 130 lb/60 kg! They must walk (more of a waddle, actually) with this incredible burden up the ramp of a transport aircraft, if they are to even begin an airborne drop mission. Later, they have to stand up, and jump out of that same airplane flying at 130 kn, and land with much of that load still attached. Once on the ground, they drop off their load of heavy munitions (mortar rounds and mines) at an assembly point. Finally, they must heft what remains in their rucksack (probably loaded with more than 100 lb/45.4 kg of supplies, equipment, and ammunition) around a battlefield. All the while fighting their way to their objectives, whatever the opposition. If that is not tough, I don’t know what is!

  The number of people who have both the physical strength and endurance for such exertions is small, and the mental toughness needed to go with it is rare. That’s why there are so few folks who wear the airborne badge in an army of almost 500,000 soldiers. So why go to all the trouble and risk to select and train a group of people like the paratroops? The top airborne leaders like General Keane would tell you that we need paratroops to establish American presence, and to win the first battles of our conflicts.

  The basic objectives of airborne training are defined by these goals: to successfully parachute into enemy territory, and to fight to the objectives. The first challenge, to teach people to throw themselves out of an aircraft, into a dark and empty night sky, to enter a battlefield hanging from a fabric canopy, is the easy one. The second challenge is to teach the troopers to fight until their objectives are taken no matter what the odds. This is perhaps the most difficult set of training tasks that any school in the U.S. military has to teach. Lessons like this require a special school with the best teachers available. In the airborne, it is called Jump School, and is located at Fort Benning, Georgia.

  Fort Benning: The Cradle of the Airborne

  Fort Benning is located in the southwest corner of Georgia—an area nobody just passes through. You have to really want to get there. You start by flying to Atlanta’s miserable Hartsfield Airport, though I highly recommend that you not do it on the last night of the 1996 Summer Olympiad as I did! Then, after renting a car, you head down Interstate 85 toward Montgomery, Alabama, and the heart of the old Confederacy. At La Grange, you take a hard turn to the south onto I-185. Fifty miles later, after you have passed through the town of Columbus, Georgia, you hit Route 27 and the front gate to one of the U.S. Army’s most important posts
. It is literally at the end of the road, but it’s the beginning of the journey for those who want to become airborne troopers.

  Fort Benning is a relatively old post, dating back to just after World War I. In spite of its age (some of the buildings are more than fifty years old) and remote location, it is the crossroads for the Army’s infantry community. Located on the post are such vital facilities as the U.S. Army Infantry Center and the School of Infantry. This is the institutional home for infantry in the Army, and the primary center for their weapons and tactical development. If a system, tactic, or procedure has anything to do with personnel carrying weapons into battle, the Infantry Center will in some way own it.

  The Center’s responsibilities have ranged from developing the specifications of the M⅔ Bradley Fighting Vehicles to the development of tactical doctrine for the employment of the new Javelin antitank guided missile. Fort Benning is also home to a number of training facilities, including the notorious U.S. Army School of the Americas. Known ruefully as the College of the Dictators (Manuel Noriega of Panama was one of its more notable graduates), it has provided post-graduate military study programs for officers of various Latin American nations for decades. Fort Benning is a busy place, and it is here that our look at airborne training begins.

  In the middle of the post is a large parade area with a number of odd-looking pieces of training equipment. These include three 250-ft/76-m tall towers that look like they were plucked from a fairground (they were!), as well as mockups of various aircraft. Tucked over to one side of the parade ground is the headquarters of the 1st Battalion of the 507th Airborne Infantry Regiment (the 1/507th), which runs the U.S. Army Airborne Jump School.