United States Special Operations Command Insignia

The

United States Special Operations Command The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM or SOCOM) is the unified combatant command charged with overseeing the various special operations component commands of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force of the United States Arm ...

(USSOCOM) Parachute Team, called the Para-Commandos, is composed of volunteers from the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...

Marines Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...

and U.S. government civilians who are assigned to Special Operations Command. They are selected for the team after a rigorous training program. They participate with the USSOCOM

Parachute A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag or, in a ram-air parachute, aerodynamic lift. A major application is to support people, for recreation or as a safety device for aviators, who ...

Team in addition to their regular duties, with training conducted during off duty time. The USSOCOM is one of nine unified commands in the

United States Armed Forces The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...

's combatant command structure. The bulk of the command's 47,000 people are made up of Army Rangers and

Special Forces Special forces and special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...

(Green Berets); Navy Sea/Air/Land (

SEAL Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to impr ...

) teams; Air Force

combat controllers United States Air Force Combat Control Teams, singular Combat Controller (CCT) ( AFSC 1Z2X1), are an elite American special operations force (specifically known as "special tactics operators") who specialize in all aspects of air-ground communi ...

pararescuemen Pararescuemen (also known as PJs) are United States Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) and Air Combat Command (ACC) operators tasked with recovery and medical treatment of personnel in humanitarian and combat environments. These Speci ...

and combat crew airmen; United States Marine Corps Forces Special Operators; and Army Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations forces.

History

Formed in 1991, the USSOCOM Parachute Team represents the elite of the United States armed services, its Special Operations Forces (SOF). Team members are trained for a variety of combatant and

humanitarian Humanitarianism is an active belief in the value of human life, whereby humans practice benevolent treatment and provide assistance to other humans to reduce suffering and improve the conditions of humanity for moral, altruistic, and emotional ...

missions. One of the many techniques used for undetected infiltration into enemy zones is the dangerous and difficult military freefall (MFF) operation. USSOCOM Para-Commandos parachuting

Techniques

The team normally jumps from an altitude of 12,500 feet above ground level,

freefall In Newtonian physics, free fall is any motion of a body where gravity is the only force acting upon it. In the context of general relativity, where gravitation is reduced to a space-time curvature, a body in free fall has no force acting on i ...

ing approximately 2 miles, reaching speeds in excess of 120 miles per hour. This freefall can last up to one minute. During their freefall, the members of the team maneuver their bodies, like the flight surfaces of an aircraft, to form numerous aerial designs and formations in the sky. When the jumpers approach an altitude of 4,000 feet, they will break their formation and glide in different directions. As each team member reaches an altitude of 2,500 feet, they will begin deploying their parachutes. Once open, the members steer their parachutes and perform what is called " stacking." Stacking enables the jumpers to form up in the air as a group and land one behind the other, with precision accuracy. The USSOCOM Parachute Team modifies the military aspects of MFF operations and provides graphic displays of intricate maneuvers and precision canopy control techniques. Jumps by the team may include carrying a

flag A flag is a piece of fabric (most often rectangular or quadrilateral) with a distinctive design and colours. It is used as a symbol, a signalling device, or for decoration. The term ''flag'' is also used to refer to the graphic design empl ...

or passing a baton while descending in freefall, all while wearing burning

smoke canister A smoke bomb is a firework designed to produce a large amount of smoke upon ignition. History Early Japanese history saw the use of a rudimentary form of the smoke bomb. Explosives were common in Japan during the Mongol invasions of the 13th ...

s attached to their boots to allow viewers to see them better.

Currently

The USSOCOM Parachute Team has appeared at numerous military and civilian airshows, sporting events at all levels (professional, college, high) and various patriotic, civic and school celebrations throughout the United States. Members of the USSOCOM Parachute Team have established themselves as showmen, traveling ambassadors, and SOF recruiters for the

Department of Defense Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to: Current departments of defence * Department of Defence (Australia) * Department of National Defence (Canada) * Department of Defence (Ireland) * Department of National Defense (Philipp ...

External links

USSOCOM website
{{US Special Operations Forces Military units and formations established in 1991 Parachute display teams Special operations units and formations of the United States 1991 establishments in the United States

History

Techniques

Currently

See also

External links