Spartans fly high with northern neighbors

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska - Paratroopers with the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division and paratroopers with the Canadian army celebrated a recent partnership jump with a wing exchange ceremony Feb. 26, 2015 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.

The unique opportunity provided invaluable insight into partnership airborne operations for both armies.

"I find this training very enriching," said Master Corporal Leander Volz a jumpmaster with the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI), Canadian army. "It is a treat to see how the American Army does business."

Canadian and U.S. paratrooper partnerships date back to World War II when both forces trained together at Fort Benning, Ga., and in England before jumping into Normandy on D-Day. Now, nearly 71 years later Volz and his Canadian jumpmaster team strengthened the partnership between Canadian and U.S. paratroopers as they pinned Canadian jump wings onto the chests of over 140 U.S. paratroopers.

Lt. Col. George Walter, commander of the 6th Brigade Engineer Battalion (Airborne), 4th IBCT (A), 25th ID, presented American jump wings to the jumpmasters from Canada.

The ceremony culminated a two-day long exercise in which Spartan Brigade's paratroopers and the Canadian army worked side-by-side to conduct combined airborne training operations.

On Feb. 23, 2015 the Canadians participated in airborne sustainment training with the 6th BEB as they prepared for an airborne operation held the next day.

"The drills are quite similar to ours and the equipment and air frames they use here are really good," said Sgt. John Prior a jump master and parachute instructor from PPCLI, the Canadian army. "This is actually the fourth or fifth time I've jumped with Americans and I absolutely love it!"

"We are learning from each other, so for instance with the C-17 training here, we are going to be doing Canadian jump commands and American drills," said Volz." It's very different, but we can make it happen, because we're jumpmasters!"

Putting on the finishing touches at the wing-exchange ceremony, Walter exchanged gifts with the Canadian team, commemorating and honoring their time together during the exercise.