Drf1: Fill & Download for Free

It kind of sucks.The 82nd Airborne is the largest RDF with the fastest deployment time. They maintain an entire battalion of paratroopers on DRF1 (Division Readiness Force) which is the ability to deploy anywhere in the world in 18 hours. The 82nd can then deploy the rest of an entire brigade within an additional 24 hours.The paratroopers in that battalion are on a 2 hour recall. So when your battalion gets the call, your company has 2 hours to be in formation, with your weapons and gear, ready to board an aircraft. This means that individual paratroopers have an hour sometimes less, to get to the barracks. So no movies, no driving outside the city, no drinking, etc.I think part of the reason for short recall times, is these paratroopers will drop from the skies, not having had a drink in weeks. Woe to any enemy that stands between a paratrooper and their whiskey!18 hours. You call. We fall.

The biggest problem I had was being dropped into a 50+ knot crosswinds in the Mojave Desert on an Operation called Gallant Eagle 82. The winds were too strong for the canopy releases to properly operate on the old T-10 harnesses about half of us were using. We ended up being dragged and scraped across the Mojave ending up with several hundred treatable injuries (the original report read 150, but there were about that many in my hospital) and six dead before it was over from their injuries. I heard the medics dcclare me dead and go to help “someone who needs it.”As Mark Twain said, reports of my death were greatly exaggerated. I came back on jump status about eight months later and spent another five or so years on status - going to Grenada in 83 with the DRF1 TF from the 82nd.But never had to pull my reserve.

This argument has been going on since the inception of the Airborne concept. I’ve written extensively on this elsewhere so I won’t go too deeply into it except to say that time and time again - after about every combat jump in World War 2 where casualties were deemed too high or drops scattered (usually because of a lack of understanding on how to properly use the concept of vertical envelopment); after the War and throughout and after the Cold War folks have said paratroopers were obsolete - until they were needed again.From personal experience I know there was talk in the 1980s of the Air Assault concept making our parachute capability obsolete. Then came Grenada in 1983 and our Rangers spearheaded the operation. I was on DRF1 in the 82nd Abn Division and was issued a parachute. I about had it completely on when we were told to “de-rig” I ended up airlanding after the Rangers secured Salines Airstrip and our Division Commander (who hadn’t ever served in an Airborne unit since Jump School) decided to land us instead of jumping.That turned out to be a major tactical error and was roundly criticized in the After-Action report on the operation. The lesson was learned and 82nd elements DID drop into Panama a few years later.There have been drops since then.Just a note; when the first troops returned from Grenada (first in- first out) we were given a few weeks to rest and refit after the battle. Our rest didn’t last long as we had to re-assume the Rapid Deployment Ready Force role we had been on when we were first called out. This was because there were no other units capable of deploying in any force anywhere in the world and inserting ourselves within eighteen hours notice.You see, conventional forces require either a coast or an “airhead” to land on. Airborne (parachute) forces create the airhead for others to follow on. So, be it Ranger or Airborne troops until we come up with rocket packs or some other method of insertion - the parachute is valuable tool to have in your kit.