The United States Army Maneuver Center of Excellence Command Exhibition Parachute Team, commonly known as the Silver Wings, is the official demonstration parachute team of Fort Benning, Georgia, United States Army. It is made up of US Army Paratroopers who have demonstrated excellence in parachuting skills, drawn primarily from the 1st Battalion of the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Fort Benning.
In 1958 a group of experienced parachutists from 1-507 Parachute Infantry Regiment formed the Fort Benning Sport Parachute Club in order to recreationally hone their free-fall parachuting skills on the weekends. Their efforts to promote the club and talent in the air brought higher-level attention to the club over the following seven years. Renamed the 5000 Jumpers, the club conducted its first official demonstration at the Fort Benning Airfield in 1962. In 1965, the 5000 Jumpers were officially redesignated as the United States Army Command Exhibition Parachute Team, nicknamed the Silver Wings. [1]
The Silver Wings mission is to perform live aerial demonstrations in support of the United States Army, and Fort Benning public relations and recruiting. [2] The Silver Wings team is composed of sixteen jumpers, ten of them holding full-time orders to the unit and six serving part-time with the unit. In order to qualify for a position on the team candidates must, at a minimum, hold a novice freefall USPA jump rating, be Basic Airborne qualified, and come from the 1-507 Parachute Infantry Regiment or a unit permanently assigned to Fort Benning. Candidates also must:
Candidates are hand-selected by their chain of command, with approval by their Battalion Commander. All candidates then undergo a demanding 90-day training and assessment phase, during which candidates must master aspects of ground control, to include time warnings, target placement, and radio procedures, rigging smoke, team organizations and equipment storage. Candidates who fail to master these disciplines will not be selected as a member of the Silver Wings. [3]
The Silver Wings conduct demonstrations in a variety of locations during almost every weekend of the year. The team has jumped into events such as the Taladega Speedway, Daytona 500, and a number of university- and professional-level sporting events. The team regularly conducts tandem jumps with various celebrities and VIPs. Weekends not spent on demonstrations are filled with additional jumps and drop zone training. The Silver Wings conduct a number of specialty jumps as well, including night and water landing jumps.
The 17th Airborne Division, "The Golden Talons", was an airborne infantry division of the United States Army during World War II, commanded by Major General William M. Miley.
Fort Moore is a United States Army post near Columbus, Georgia, adjacent to the Alabama–Georgia border. Fort Moore supports more than 120,000 active-duty military, family members, reserve component soldiers, retirees and civilian employees on a daily basis. As a power projection platform, the post can deploy combat-ready forces by air, rail, and highway for their designated mission. Fort Moore is the home of the United States Army Maneuver Center of Excellence, the United States Army Armor School, United States Army Infantry School, the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, elements of the 75th Ranger Regiment, the 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade, and other tenant units.
The Air Assault Badge is awarded by the U.S. Army for successful completion of the Air Assault School. The course includes three phases of instruction involving U.S. Army rotary wing aircraft: combat air assault operations; rigging and slingloading operations; and rappelling from a helicopter.
A parachutist badge is a military badge awarded by the armed forces of many states to soldiers who have received parachute training and completed the required number of jumps. It is difficult to assess which country was the first to introduce such an award.
The Parachutist Badge, also commonly referred to as "Jump Wings", is a military badge of the United States Armed Forces. Some services, such as the Marine Corps, officially refer to it as an insignia instead of a badge. The United States Space Force and United States Coast Guard are the only branches that do not award the Parachutist Badge, but their members are authorized to receive the Parachutist Badges of other services in accordance with their prescribed requirements. The DoD military services are all awarded the same Military Parachutist Badge. The U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force issue the same Senior and Master Parachutist Badges while the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps issue the Navy and Marine Corps Parachutist Insignia to advanced parachutists. The majority of the services earn their Military Parachutist Badge through the U.S. Army Airborne School.
The 187th Airborne Infantry Regiment (Rakkasans) is a regiment of the 101st Airborne Division.
The 508th Infantry Regiment is an airborne infantry regiment of the United States Army, first formed in October 1942 during World War II. The 508th is a parent regiment under the U.S. Army Regimental System, and two battalions from the regiment are currently active: the 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment is assigned to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, and the 2nd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment is assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. The regiment served in combat during World War II, and regimental elements have served in combat in the Dominican Republic, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Iraq and Afghanistan.
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The 503rd Infantry Regiment, formerly the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment and the 503rd Airborne Infantry Regiment, is an airborne infantry regiment of the United States Army. The regiment served as an independent regiment in the Pacific War during World War II; at Fort Campbell, Kentucky; in Okinawa, Japan; and in Germany. Regimental elements have been assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division, the 11th Airborne Division, the 24th Infantry Division, 25th Infantry Division, the 82nd Airborne Division, 101st Airborne Division, and the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. Regimental elements have participated in campaigns in the Vietnam War, Operation Enduring Freedom–Afghanistan, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The regiment claims 15 Medal of Honor recipients: two from World War II, ten from Vietnam, and three from Afghanistan. A parent regiment under the U.S. Army Regimental System. The regiment's 1st and 2nd Battalions are active, assigned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade, based at Caserma Ederle, Vicenza, Italy. The 3rd and 4th Battalions as well as Companies E, F, G, H, and I have been inactived.
The 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment, now the 507th Infantry Regiment, is an airborne infantry regiment of the United States Army. The regiment was initially assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division in World War II before transferring to the 17th Airborne Division. Now 1st Battalion, 507th Infantry Regiment is part of the United States Army Infantry School, subordinate to its Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade, responsible for the Army's Basic Airborne School, Jumpmaster School, Pathfinder School, and the "Silver Wings" Command Exhibition Parachute Team.
The United States Army Airborne School—widely known as Jump School—conducts the basic paratrooper training for the United States Armed Forces. It is operated by the 1st Battalion (Airborne), 507th Infantry, United States Army Infantry School, Fort Moore, Georgia. The Airborne School conducts the Basic Airborne Course, which is open to troops from all branches of the United States Department of Defense, Reserve Officer Training Corps, and allied military personnel.
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The United States Army Parachute Team, nicknamed the Golden Knights, is a demonstration and competition parachute team of the United States Army. It consists of demonstration and competition parachutist teams, drawn from all branches of the U.S. Army. Members must demonstrate excellence in parachuting.
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