Author Topic: 101st Airborne isn't (Read 1376 times)

Dago · « **on:** November 24, 2003, 01:33:13 PM »

Last night on television, when reporting the story about the two soldiers who were killed and savaged, the reported called them "Paratroopers". I mourn the deaths of these two guys, a couple my wife and I are friends with have a son in the 101st, in Iraq, but they aren't "Paratroopers". Just splitting hairs I guess, and no disrespect to the two soldiers, but I really think it is time to stop calling the 101st "Airborne" and start calling it the "101st Air Assault Division".

Airborne and Paratrooper are names for units and men that are trained to jump from aircraft under parachute to go into battle. An airborne division wears maroon berets, and Paratroopers belong to an Airborne unit. Rangers, Seals, Special Forces troops are all Airborne qualified. While undoutably some members of the 101st have been to jump school, it is not an Airborne division. The are not allowed to wear the maroon beret anymore, they were switched to the standard black beret, the name should changed too.

I just think being called "Airborne" or "Paratroopers" is a title of honor that has been earned by many and should not be applied to those who haven't earned it.

dago

Pongo · « **Reply #1 on:** November 24, 2003, 01:34:15 PM »

You are correct. They would not call themselves paratroopers and the press should not either.

Jack55 · « **Reply #2 on:** November 24, 2003, 02:23:34 PM »

The 10th Mountain are not mountain troops any more either.

lord dolf vader · « **Reply #3 on:** November 24, 2003, 02:32:25 PM »

they fly in helecopters right? attack in them and all.

seems like your splitting hairs saying thay arent paratroopers. my aunt daisy could make a chute jump nowdays.

tapakeg · « **Reply #4 on:** November 24, 2003, 03:37:49 PM »

I spent 6 years in the 101st from 90-96. I remember an official memo coming out saying that we could not say the word "airborne" while calling cadence.

"C-130 rolling down the strip, airborne daddy on a one way trip"

became

" UH-60 sitting on the pad, air assault daddy big and bad"

It is just a matter of tradition that's all. Who is going to change the US Army's most famous patch? There is a TON of heritage there.

I sang cadence once

" if air assault is so freaken bad, why do we wear this airborne tab"

I got yanked, was the only one in the company that could call cadence, we ran the rest of the run silently.

Change the tab?

NUTS!!!!!!!

Tapakeg

SmokinSS · « **Reply #5 on:** November 24, 2003, 03:57:55 PM »

seems like your splitting hairs saying thay arent paratroopers. my aunt daisy could make a chute jump nowdays.

Your Aunt Daisy is a helluva woman if she can make a jump with a ruck, L.B.V., weapon, ammo, food, clothes, Ranger roll, reserve, and T-10 all hanging on her.

My brother in law was 101st during Desert Storm. The 101 earned the right to wear the tab in WW2. Let them keep it for tradition's sake. I have no problem with it. The thing I have a problem with is having every swinging **** in the army in a black beret. I earned mine. The brother in law hates wearing his because he did not earn it. He tried but didn't.

A big to our men and women wearing the uniform.

My $.02.

Have a good one.
Robert

mrblack · « **Reply #6 on:** November 24, 2003, 04:05:42 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by SmokinSS
The thing I have a problem with is having every swinging **** in the army in a black beret. I earned mine. The brother in law hates wearing his because he did not earn it. He tried but didn't.

A big to our men and women wearing the uniform.

My $.02.

Have a good one.
Robert

I agree 100% there bro.
Rangers got screwed when the Army took there berets and gave them to the rest of the Army.
Just mY 2Cents worth
SGT E-5 11b-bravo4 US Army RET.

stiehl · « **Reply #7 on:** November 24, 2003, 06:06:24 PM »

My oldet bro is a combat engineer in the 82nd. They do helo assaults along with the normal plane jumping. Doesn't the 101st do the same?

batdog · « **Reply #8 on:** November 24, 2003, 06:15:10 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by lord dolf vader
they fly in helecopters right? attack in them and all.

seems like your splitting hairs saying thay arent paratroopers. my aunt daisy could make a chute jump nowdays.

Yea...but could you? I remember having more wieght on me than I friggen wieghed at that time. I also remember the irony of the "proper" exit with all that equipment....

The 101st is a fine unit. It simply isnt a "jump" unit. If your in the Ranger Bat you dont even wear the Air Assult patch....cause its considered too routine. Now..fast roping...THATS something awee bit diff. Any of you Bat boys on this board can attest to that I'm sure.

Anyway... doubt if I see any of the replies to this one post as I seldom hit this board anymore.

to all our service men and women who are in harms way.

Batdog

Dago · « **Reply #9 on:** November 24, 2003, 06:33:17 PM »

Lots of good replys, and a few that don't seem to grasp it.

The 101st is an excellant unit, always was, still is.

Yes, they used to be Airborne. One evening, I was talking to a General at Ft Bragg, I asked him why he thought the 101st was still called Airborne and he said something similar to what tapakeg said, something about it being a heritage thing.

Quote

seems like your splitting hairs saying thay arent paratroopers. my aunt daisy could make a chute jump nowdays.

No, I am not splitting hairs, though I might be getting a little bit literal. Your Aunt Daisy wouldn't be jumping a military T-10 chute either, the round unit that drops you straight down, makes you land at the speed of someone jumping off a two story building. Nor would she be overladen with gear, or able to run 5 miles just for fun afterwards.

Quote

My oldet bro is a combat engineer in the 82nd. They do helo assaults along with the normal plane jumping. Doesn't the 101st do the same?

101st is all about Helo assualts now, but they do not jump outta airplanes. That is what being "Airborne" is all about. That is what paratroopers do.

I agree with those that thought the Rangers got screwed when the black beret was handed to everyone. It used to mean something special, now everyone gets one just for enlisting. Now, the tan beret will have to show who has what it takes to go beyond.

(S) to all those serving.

dago

lord dolf vader · « **Reply #10 on:** November 24, 2003, 08:20:01 PM »

runnin five miles after the jumps, in full gear, never heard of that one. has that always been a requirment for jump qual?

SmokinSS · « **Reply #11 on:** November 24, 2003, 09:03:18 PM »

Usually 5 miles is a fun run. For some serious PT we have ran up to 15 miles. Many many years ago I used to love it. Could run like a deer. Now I crawl to the next beer. Nothing like civilian chow to put the pounds on.

Have a good day.
Robert

P.S. I misunderstood the question. The run after a jump is not part of quals. The PT tests during jump school however are. Jump school was a long time ago for me but I do remember in our Batt. we were required...err shall I say strongly urged to max every PT test we took.

tapakeg · « **Reply #12 on:** November 24, 2003, 09:03:30 PM »

Check me if i'm wrong sandy, but there is no ranger batallion at Ft. Campbell,

5th group, 160th, yes, rangers no.

Tapakeg

SmokinSS · « **Reply #13 on:** November 24, 2003, 09:07:04 PM »

There are Rangers at Campbell but not a Ranger Batt.. I am pretty sure there are some LRSD units there though.

Robert

Dago · « **Reply #14 on:** November 24, 2003, 09:08:31 PM »

Quote

never heard of that one. has that always been a requirment for jump qual?

Being able to run and run, and run has always been a requirement to make it through jump school. My son is a Paratrooper, and he told me about 1/3 of those who started jump school with him washed out because they couldn't make the runs. No, I dont think they run in full gear, but wouldn't surprise me.

He runs between 4 and 8 miles every morning in PT.

dago