TOP STORY >> LRAFB supports Airborne Students

A student paratrooper exits a 913th Airlift Group C-130H as part of the Basic Airborne Course. Students must make five jumps at 1,250 feet from a C-130 or C-17 aircraft during the third and final week of the course.

By Capt. Casey Staheli 

913th Airlift Group

Members of the Air Force Reserve’s 913th Airlift Group supported the Army’s 1st Battalion, 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment’s Basic Airborne Course July 13-17. 

The mission was a Total Force effort of one C-130H and 15 Total Force crewmembers from the 327th Airlift Squadron, 50th Airlift Squadron and 913th Maintenance Squadron from Little Rock Air Force Base.  

The crew, led by Maj. Claude Smith, 913th Operation Support Squadron chief of tactics, flew 20 sorties, 67 airdrop passes and dropped a total of 866 jumpers over the four-day period. In addition to supporting a class of 352 basic airborne students, eight C-130 loadmasters and two navigators from the 913th AG received Actual Personnel Airdrop re-currency training from Tech. Sgt. Nick Crawford, 327th AS evaluator loadmaster and noncommissioned officer of training.

“We had a very productive week with a fully integrated team of Reserve and active-duty crewmembers doing what we do best-- operating the C-130H,” said Smith. “We can stand up a fully cohesive crew and tackle any mission the National Command Authority can throw our way.”  

The 1-507th, located at Fort Benning, Georgia  trains Paratroopers, Jumpmasters, and Pathfinders in order to provide the Department of Defense with Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines to conduct airborne operations anywhere DOD-wide.