Now that he successfully completed the course, Morelli looks to the future and sees more of his fellow combat camera Soldiers following in his footsteps.
US ARMY FREEFALL BADGE FULL
“As a combat camera operator I’m supposed to document a mission from start to finish, but if I can’t get to work that day because I don’t have the qualifications to jump with the rest of the team on a mission, then I don’t have a complete story and can’t provide my full capability to the elements that need it.”
US ARMY FREEFALL BADGE FREE
Morelli, who completed 20 free fall jumps during the course, felt it was important for him to achieve this goal because it adds another capability to his career field. By the end of the course, you will be part of an entire team of free fall personnel jumping at night at a high altitude with oxygen, full combat equipment, and your individual weapon with the goal of landing on a target no more than 100 meters from the first person to the last.” “You start off jumping with just a parachute, your plate carrier, and a helmet, so that you learn what free fall feels like. The second week of the course, the students make their first free fall jump and then continue jumping and practicing their skills 2-3 times a day until the end of the course.
US ARMY FREEFALL BADGE HOW TO
“You learn about your equipment, your procedures, and how to pack a parachute.” “All of the main free fall fundamentals necessary to complete the course are covered during that first week,” said Morelli. The first week of the course is ground week which encompasses a lot of classroom time and time in the wind tunnel, where students learn how to properly position their body in the air during the free fall. “It was very evident to me early on in the course, that the instructors and the personnel in charge of the school were very supportive and really wanted to make this capability available to combat camera,” said Morelli. Once he was medically cleared and had a reserved seat in the course, he showed up at the school and began in processing. He also had to travel to Fort Benning on three separate occasions to complete the qualification physical. The process itself was pretty lengthy because the free fall physical is much more in-depth than most.” Morelli had to travel to Fort Rucker, Alabama and go through a hyperbaric pressure chamber to ensure he could withstand the pressure and oxygen changes at high altitudes. “The command was very supportive of me pursuing this opportunity, and offered assistance when and where it was needed. He also had to pass several in-depth physicals. The next step in the process was convincing his command to approve the idea, find a seat in the school, and ensure funding was available for it. So about a year ago, I dug deeper into the regulations and began making a case that we need to start a free fall program.” “When I first started in this specialty, I read in some of our doctrine that the combat camera field had military freefall qualified personnel, but as I started to meet people and talk to them about it, I never met anyone who had actually been through the course. “This goal has always been a dream of mine,” said Morelli. To earn the badge, the military member first must receive all necessary ground training, have earned the Parachutist Badge (be jump-qualified), and must complete all of the course required free fall jumps, which include night operations, jumps with full combat equipment, and jumps utilizing an oxygen system. Morelli, a combat cameraman, assigned to the 982nd Combat Camera Company, 335th Signal Command (Theater), watched his goals become reality recently when he became the first combat cameraman to earn the coveted Free Fall Parachutist Badge after successfully completing the four-week military free fall course in Yuma, Arizona. East Point, Georgia – Many people set high goals for themselves, but one Army Reserve Soldier here set his goals higher than most, aiming at an achievement that would take him more than 12,500 feet above the ground.Īrmy Reserve Staff Sgt.
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