U.S. Department of Defense
08/13/2025 | News release | Distributed by Public on 08/14/2025 18:26
The Jump That Changed U.S. Warfare History
Since the inception of airborne warfare, the practice of using parachutes to insert troops into combat zones without land passage has turned the tides of conflicts. Commanders use airborne forces to seize the initiative. A brigade of paratroopers can envelop the ground from the sky in moments, allowing an army to strike deep inside enemy territory to gain key terrain and rapidly build combat power.
C-47, and 75th Troop Carrier Squadron
Paratroopers board a Douglas C-47 aircraft to perform a practice jump at Fort Benning, Ga., August 1946.
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Credit: Air Force
VIRIN: 020930-O-9999G-014
Paratroopers today learn their craft in the Basic Airborne Course at Fort Benning, Georgia, where soldiers leapt into history 85 years ago.
On Aug. 16, 1940, 48 volunteer members of the Army Parachute Test Platoon jumped from a Douglas B-18 Bolo bomber at 1,500 feet. The jump was less than 45 days after the establishment of the platoon and marked the true beginning of U.S. airborne forces.
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Paratroopers everywhere now celebrate that date as National Airborne Day, commemorating "the bravery and daring spirit of sky soldiers," according to the 2002 presidential proclamation that established the observance.
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The Art of the Jump
Ever wonder what it's like to learn to be a paratrooper? Here's what it's like for students of the Army's Basic Airborne Course. Get ready for a crazy ride!
Airborne School: What It's Really Like Learning to Jump Airborne School: What It's Really Like Learning to Jump: https://www.defense.gov/News/Feature-Stories/Story/Article/2062418/airborne-school-what-its-really-like-learning-to-jump/
Paratrooper Cascade
Paratroopers assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade descend during an airborne operation at Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany, Jan. 13, 2025. The 173rd Airborne Brigade serves as the Army's rapid response force in Europe.
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Credit: Army Pfc. Francisco Torres
VIRIN: 250113-A-FT253-1005E
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U.S. Department of Defense published this content on August 13, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on August 15, 2025 at 00:26 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]