Last Jump:XVIII Airborne Corps heads out the door in more ways than one

By Sgt. Jeremy D. CrispJanuary 22, 2008

Last Jump
1 / 12 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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2 / 12 Show Caption + Hide Caption – 1st Sgt. Adam Tweedel, first sergeant, 270th Signal Company, XVIII Airborne Corps Special Troops Battalion, conducts a jumpmaster personnel inspection of a Corps' Soldiers T10D parachute Jan. 15, 2008 at Green Ramp, Pope Air Force Base, N.C. Sixty-tw... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Last Jump
3 / 12 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. Maj. Amos Fischer, sergeant major, XVIII Airborne Corps G6, performs a jumpmaster personnel inspection of a Corps Soldier's reserve parachute at Green Ramp, Pope Air Force Base, N.C., before he and the unit perform their final pre-deployment jum... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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4 / 12 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Col. Ron S. Gallimore, XVIII Airborne Corps assistant chief of staff for the Army National Guard, inspects an XVIII Abn. Corps Soldier's Advanced Combat Helmet for deficiencies Jan. 15, 2008 at Fort Bragg, N.C. This was the last pre-deployment jump ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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5 / 12 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Staff Sgt. Jose L. Hernandez, Sink House manager with the XVIII Airborne Corps Protocol Office, waits to have his military identification card and dog tags inspected by a jumpmaster Jan. 15, 2008, at Fort Bragg, N.C. Both items are required in order ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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6 / 12 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Col. Ron S. Gallimore, XVIII Airborne Corps assistant chief of staff for the Army National Guard and paratrooper since 1973, gives a safety briefing to Corps' Soldiers Jan. 15, 2008 at Fort Bragg, N.C. This was the last pre-deployment jump for the C... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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7 / 12 Show Caption + Hide Caption – A Soldier with the XVIII Airborne Corps Special Troops Battalion sticks a practice parachute landing fall Jan. 15, 2008 at Green Ramp, Pope Air Force Base N.C. This was the last jump for the Corps' STB before deploying to Baghdad in support of Opera... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Last Jump
8 / 12 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers from the XVIII Airborne Corps Special Troops Battalion practice parachute landing falls as part of pre-jump safety procedures Jan. 15, 2008 at Green Ramp, Pope Air Force Base, N.C. This was the last pre-deployment jump for the Corps' Soldier... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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9 / 12 Show Caption + Hide Caption – 1st Sgt. Adam Tweedel, first sergeant, 270th Signal Company, XVIII Airborne Corps Special Troops Battalion, hangs his arm over the mock door anchor-line cable Jan 15, 2008 at Green Ramp, Pope Air Force Base, N.C., in order to demonstrate to paratroop... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Last Jump
10 / 12 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Spc. Tarik S. Abutaa, a chemical operations specialist with the XVIII Airborne Corps Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear staff, looks off in the distance as he gets ready to head out the mock door of a C130 Hercules aircraft Jan. 15, 2008 ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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11 / 12 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Spc. Tarik S. Abutaa, a chemical operations specialist with the XVIII Airborne Corps Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear staff, prepares to hand off his static line to a safety before heading out the mock door Jan. 15, 2008 at Green Ramp, ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
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12 / 12 Show Caption + Hide Caption – This Master Parachutist Badge is adorned on the multi-tool of Col. Ron S. Gallimore, XVIII Airborne Corps assistant chief of staff for the Army National Guard, as he conducts a jumpmaster personnel inspection of a Corps' Soldier Jan. 15, 2008 at Gree... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

The XVIII Airborne Corps Special Troops Battalion performed their last pre-deployment jump Jan. 15 at Sicily drop zone on Fort Bragg - heading out the door of a C130 high-performance aircraft before heading to Baghdad.

Sixty-two paratroopers participated in the jump and were from STB units: Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Headquarters Support Company and 270th Signal Company, all deploying to take on various roles in, or as, the Multi-National Corps Iraq. Some of these Soldiers have already left to begin their deployment, with others on the way over the next month.

But this jump was a little more special for one Soldier, because where a deployment begins; some things come to an end.

Eighty-three jump veteran, Col. Ron S. Gallimore, had to get a letter from the Secretary of Defense to keep from being forced to retire at the age of 60 - an age he will hit while deployed with the Corps.

Gallimore, a master parachutist and the XVIII Abn. Corps assistant chief of staff for the National Guard, said he won't have the time to jump upon redeployment before he will retire, "So this looks like it will be my last jump," he said.

He added that being around paratroopers is one of the reasons he joined the Army well over 30 years ago.

"It's magic," Gallimore said. "Being able to be around young paratroopers makes me want to get up in the morning."

Although the last jump before deployment for Gallimore and the Corps, it proved to be a first of sorts for some.

As Gallimore patrolled the line during manifest call, he asked the ranks, "How many of you will this be your sixth jump'"

Scores of hands popped up, indicating their first jump after graduating airborne school.

For some, it was only their seventh jump, including Pvt. MaryShannon Whitley, a medic with the Corps' Surgeons office.

"I feel good about our last jump," Whitley said while waiting for the plane at Green Ramp on Pope Air Force Base.

She said she was looking forward to getting the deployment started, and this was one piece of that.

Two days after the successful jump, scores of Soldiers headed out the door on their way to Baghdad as the advance party for the Corps deployment. Others left a week prior, with the remainder leaving before the middle of February.