Airborne (Once In A Blue Moon:Three)

My adrenaline is pumping as I wait.

For three years now I’ve been the only female in this army airborne unit. It never bothers me. I grew up with two absolutely merciless brothers so frankly it is just like being at home.

I have more than 50 combat ready jumps with full equipment including ruck sack, gas mask and M-16 rifle all strapped to my waist and legs.

It takes an athletic person to pull off a combat jump. But today is a pure thrill ride, a short Hollywood jump. Hollywood just means that we have no extra equipment and don’t even have to pop our own chutes on this jump. The chute release is hooked to the helicopter by a static line.

Suddenly the Jumpmaster’s big hand slaps my shoulder. I can barely hear him over the deafening whop, whop, whop of the Huey helicopter rotor blades. “Go Lieutenant!”

Careful not to catch my feet in the long, thin helicopter skids, I launch my 5’3” body into the bright blue sky. The sound of the helicopter fades away as the hot summer wind rushes across my sun kissed face.

Every time I make the leap out of an aircraft I get the same rush of adrenaline and that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. The dread never goes away no matter how many times I parachute but with experience I get more accustomed to the sensation.

I push myself away from the chopper and immediately begin to count, “one one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand…”

There is a phenomenal rush of wind as I fall.

At the sixth count the static line pops my chute open and my body is yanked back up into the sky becoming part of the wind. Suddenly I am floating as the parachute fully opens.

In seconds, Meyers, Kolton and Brigg’s chutes open in the clear blue sky behind me. I pull the left toggle on my risers turning toward the three young jumpers.

Instead of creating air space, Meyers is turning towards the other two. What is he thinking? He is suddenly right above Kolton and tries to walk across the top of Kolton’s chute.

Kolton is so focused Meyers that he drifts too close to Briggs.

We jump at just 1200 feet above the ground and now we are too low for a safe opening of the reserve chutes now. I hold my breath.