Abandon squad/section levels of organization?

[Rifleman]

( * The Javelin is a good if heavy weapon; its predecessor, the Dragon, was an unmitigated -- and unsalvageable -- disaster and didn't die soon enough.)

Oh boy, I gotta tell you a story. It has nothing to do with this thread, but I gotta tell you a story.

March of 1988: 3rd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment - that great unit of units - has finished an FTX in Grafenwohr, Germany and is flying back to Vicenza, Italy. That great Alpha fire team leader extroidinaire (that would be your's truly, folks) who is due to ETS in one month has been selected by his platoon sergeant for the distinguished honor of jumping back into Italy with an item known as.....a Dragon Missile Jump Pack.

Why not, huh? We've got a squad full of cherries and the Bravo fire team leader is about 5'5". The cherries don't have enough jumps to be trusted with the thing and the Bravo fire team leader can barely get out the door without dragging his rucksack on the floor anyway. Your's truly is 5'11", had forty-something static line exits at that point, and used to jump the M60 regularly. So it falls to me. Who can fault the platoon sergeant's logic?

With a DMJP I should have been the lead jumper in the starboard side stick but I got bumped back to #3 somehow. IIRC, the jumper who took my door position was wearing gold oak leaves and was an "S" something or other but I might not be remembering that correctly. I believe #2 was the assistant "S" something or other.

We started in-flight rigging at two hours and twenty minutes out. Unlike the others I didn't do a complete rig, just main and reserve. At the twenty minute warning I stood up and the starboard side safety helped me hook up my ruck and the DMJP. I sat back down to watch a cherry across the isle blow chunks into a barf bag for a few more minutes of nap of the earth till the ten minute warning.

Oh boy, this is my last jump and I'm going to make it my best ever.

Red light, jump commands, doors open, fresh air, jumpmaster door check, green light!

Like a cherry that I wasn't supposed to be I brushed the DMJP on the leading edge of the starboard side troop door and staggered off the step in one of the sloppiest body positions I ever had. I more or less just fell into the prop blast.

Twists! Twists! Twists! Past the risers and halfway up the suspension lines.

Bicycle, bicycle, bicycle, bicycle!

When I cleared the twists I lowered my ruck and just got that *x#@* DMJP lowered when I heard my ruck hit the ground. The DMJP didn't make it all the way down my 15' lowering line.

I did get my feet and knees together but I didn't get much of a slip pulled.

Balls of the feet, buttocks (what happened to calf and thigh?) pushup muscle, and back of the head (added that one for good measure). Hey, at least I managed not to smack an elbow.

Ah, memories. Some days I miss it and some days I don't. Today.....I miss it!