SKYDIVING FOREVER

Sometimes life is about taking a leap of faith, and for those in the military, it might mean taking that leap from a height of at least 15,000 feet.

Military free fall or High-altitude military parachuting is a method by which the parachutist jumps out of the transport aircraft from a very high altitude, completely free from everything and falls for a preset time or distance before the parachute is deployed. It is a way of transporting military personnels, equipments, and other military supplies from above. There are two techniques used in the Special Forces unit for covert operations behind enemy lines: high altitude - low opening (HALO) and high altitude - high opening (HAHO).

The HALO technique dates back to 1960. It requires that the aircraft flies nearer to the landing zone but at a great altitude which is usually above 25,000 ft. The parachutist will then free-fall for a period of time at a relatively high velocity towards the landing zone and opens the parachute at an altitude as low as 3,000-5,000 ft. above ground level. This technique of maximum downward speed and minimal forward airspeed helps the jumper make an undetectable insertion - avoid radar systems, stealthy entry, and grants them with minimum exposure until the very last minute.

HAHO is the most commonly used technique by people as a form of skydiving. In the military, the jumper deploys his parachute at a high altitude shortly after jumping out of the aircraft. This is generally used for delivering military personnel into enemy territory when the aircraft cannot fly over enemy airspace without compromising the covert insertion of the personnel. Typically they will plunge at an altitude of 27,000 feet above ground level and pull the ripcord 10-15 seconds after the jump. This will give them longer travel distance of more than 40 miles, allowing them to glide in to the landing zone and make a silent insertion.

Watching from below, those parachutists looked so thrilling as they hover down from above. Looking up to the sky from the ground, thoughts run through your head that you can barely imagine what it feels like to free fall.

Skydiving is an exhilarating way to pump that adrenaline fix and experience the world from a new sky-high perspective. Up in the air as you float down, you have zero control. The moment your body throws itself from the aircraft, you pretty much can’t do anything but fall. You are plunging towards the earth at full speed that there’s nothing you can do about it. You just accept it, and trust the fall.

However, there's more to this extreme military free fall than just plummeting out of an aircraft with a parachute strapped to your back.

Special operations troops conduct these training missions to help them prepare for high-stakes and covert assignments. Either way, HALO or HAHO, parachuting comes with inherent risks and has proven deadly for some jumpers. According to Military Times, from 2004 to 2016, 21 U.S special operators have died performing high risk, parachute training.

After a record number of special operations airborne-related deaths in the year 2015, the military organization saw a sharp decline from five down to one in both years 2016 and 2017. But so far in 2018, the number went back up to two ? two seasoned senior military officers with a number of jumps in their logs.

Specific reasons for the tragic accidents were not immediately available and the U.S. Special Operations Command has been wrestling with the associated risks of military free-fall jumps. The Military Times reviewed some of the accidents and found that training shortfalls and inadequate qualifications played a part to some of the deaths over the past decade.

Other than that, HALO/HAHO also poses some health risks:

Decompression Sickness

Decompression sickness (DCS) is a condition characterized by various signs and symptoms caused by bubbles that are formed from normally dissolved inert gases coming out of physical solution when exposed to low barometric pressures. This can result from exposure to altitude or during rapid ascent from depth like mining or diving.

In military free fall, DCS can occur when the transport aircraft ascends rapidly to its final altitude. The inert gas nitrogen is normally found throughout our bodily tissues and fluids but when there is a drop in barometric pressure, as in riding in an unpressurized aircraft that is flying to high altitude, the dissolved nitrogen in the body comes out of solution. When this happens too quickly, bubbles form in various areas of the body, causing signs and symptoms.

The most common sites of bubble formation involve the large joints of the shoulders, elbows, knees, and ankles, producing joint pain known as “the bends.” In the bloodstream, bubbles can cause an arterial embolism that blocks blood flow and eventually causing tissue death. A few cases of DCS present with neurologic manifestations such as headache and visual disturbances. In major cases, tissue death due to an embolism can result to seizures, strokes, or paralysis. If left untreated, decompression sickness is very serious and can be life-threatening.

Hypoxia

In military free fall, the aircraft needs to ascend to a high altitude before airdropping the personnel. At this great altitude, parachuters need to carry an oxygen tank and wear oxygen masks. Prior to the jump, they need to perform an oxygen pre-breathing where they are required to breathe 100% oxygen for a period of 30-45 minutes to promote flushing out of nitrogen from the body’s tissues and fluids. Pre-breathing 100% oxygen minimizes the risk of developing decompression sickness.

Hypoxia is a serious condition that results when there’s a lack of adequate oxygen supply to the body. It can be affect one part of the body or the whole body area. When the brain is starved of oxygen, this can cause dizziness and loss of consciousness. A parachuter who is jumping alone and suffering from hypoxia can potentially be fatal if he loses consciousness and loses the ability to deploy his parachute. This is especially dangerous in HALO missions since the jumper has less time to employ his backup parachute or disentangle the lines in worst case scenarios.

Frostbite

If you’re jumping on a regular day, the temperature drops 5.4 °F or 9.8 °C for every 1,000 feet increase in altitude. In a typical HALO/HAHO operation, the paratrooper jumps from an altitude of 15,000 ft. to as high as 35,000 ft. in the sky.

There are limits for the human body and that includes temperature. At an altitude of 35,000 ft., jumpers can break freezing as they face temperatures of -25 to -50 °F. Without proper gear, the extreme cold would leave exposed skin vulnerable to the painful effects of frostbite. Breathing will be a struggle and there will be a burning sensation as chilly air enters the lungs. That’s why jumpers need to wear a polypropylene knit clothing to keep them warm from the cold.

So before attempting to military free fall, personnels are required to perform hours of proper training to reduce the risks that comes with HALO/HAHO and be prepared for life-threatening situations.

But that is one of the many beauties of life - it can be scary, yet exhilarating all at the same time. One that would break a person out of their comfort zones.

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