KINGSTON, R.I. - Capt. Roy Hatch, who is closing in on 60 years old, is a member of the United Kingdom's Territorial Army who still believes that airborne soldiers are something special.
Their brotherhood transcends boundaries, he reflected, because they have all dared to do something that a lot of people have heard about but that considerably fewer have actually done. They have jumped out of aircraft and trusted their very lives to the expectation that a few pounds of silk will billow open above them and let them fall somewhat gently to the ground.
"We have all stood in the door and have overcome our fears. We have all become brothers," said Hatch, of the 144 Parachute Medical Squadron, after completing his first jump of the day on Aug. 9, a pristine Saturday with lots of sunshine and little wind, during the National Guard's international military parachute competition called Leapfest.
The Territorial Army is the U.K.'s equivalent to the Army National Guard.
"We've done something that most people never do," added Hatch.
That was the tie that bound 289 paratroopers from the United States, the U.K., and nine other countries during the 26th Leapfest hosted by the Rhode Island National Guard. It is the largest and longest continually running international parachute competition in this country.
This year's cast included four-man parachute teams, plus alternates, from Canada and four European nations, including Serbia, and from Nicaragua and four other Latin American countries.
There were also 24 Army National Guard teams from 13 states and 21 teams from the active Army. There were frequently enough parachutes in the sky to give the impression that Rhode Island was being invaded.
An active Army team from Fort Campbell, Ky., won the championship. Four paratroopers from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, became the first active Army team to capture the Leapfest crown since 1999. Team members were Sergeants Justin Rondorf and Jeffrey Inman and Specialists Daniel Almodovar and Justin Greer. Rondorf tied two other jumpers for the day's fastest combined individual time of 21 seconds.
Five international teams, an Alaska Army Guard team and a Navy and Air Force team have won the last eight championships.
Yes, many languages were spoken during the Leapfest events on large, flat fields of sod beside the University of Rhode Island. But Leapfest again reinforced the idea that, at the end of the day, airborne is the same in any language.
"Every jump is still an adrenaline rush," said German Army Master Sgt. Andre Wetter who, he added, has stepped from aircraft into the thin air nearly 600 times and who is a freefall instructor near Hamburg.
"To be a little bit nervous before you jump, that is good," Wetter added. "You don't make mistakes."
"It is still frightening," said the U.K.'s Hatch. "You have to be doubly sure you know what to do."
Why does airborne continue to be one of the most common forms of advanced infantry training during a time when so few soldiers actually parachute into combat?
Col. Charles Petrarca, commander of the Rhode Island Army Guard's 56th Troop Command, believes the answer has to do with a willingness to face down fear.
"Airborne soldiers have already overcome their fear of death. That makes them better soldiers in combat theaters," said Petrarca who went through jump school at Fort Benning, Ga., in January 2007 when he was 47.
"There are 265 Rhode Island airborne troops in this troop command. I felt I should go to airborne school if those Soldiers were in my command," he explained.
"The way the world is today, free nations need to band together. These events help band them together," Petrarca told the Leapfest participants during the opening ceremonies. Then he and Command Sgt. Maj. Joe Klostermann, the troop command's enlisted leader, jumped with other members of the staff to kick off the ceremonies.
The competition was pretty basic. The four-member teams, mostly men, jumped from the rear ramps of CH-47 Chinook helicopters at 1,500 feet onto a smooth sod field featuring a large orange X. Team members steered themselves as close to the X as they could, executed a parachute landing fall, and then dragged their parachutes to the X as quickly as possible. The team with the lowest combined time for three jumps won. Individual awards were also presented.
But there is much more to Leapfest than prizes for the fastest times. It is a celebration of the camaraderie that exists among those who embrace and practice this military discipline. They believe there is still a place for airborne soldiers.
"I love the opportunity to interact with other forces from other countries, and I am interested in the procedures practiced by the U.S. military members, especially the jumpmasters," said Capt. Silvio Antonio Reyes of the Nicaraguan Army's Special Forces. He was participating in his second Leapfest.
"The value of airborne training is to be ready," added Reyes who is also an army scuba instructor. "We can't wait to get people trained for combat jumps if they are needed right now."
"It is the most efficient way to transport troops during a conflict," said Ecuadorian Army Capt. Francisco Acosta. "It is easy to drop them where you want at the right time (weather permitting) and in the right place."
Reserves Really Worked
Two Soldiers from Fort Campbell, Ky., who were not members of the championship team, experienced some anxious moments during Leapfest when their main parachutes became tangled after jumping from a helicopter.
Sergeants 1st Class Christopher O'Malley and Kurt Merrell tried several times to free themselves before deploying their reserve parachutes and landing safely on a newly plowed field beside the drop zone.
O'Malley said the incident was his fault because Merrell had the right of way and that he turned the wrong way into Merrell's parachute.
The only injuries, however, were the Soldiers' wounded pride. And they were determined to jump again as soon as they could that day.
"The training came through. Everything worked just like it was supposed to," Merrell said. "Still, you don't pull your reserve every day."