Staff Sgt. Kyle Dunwiddie (second from right) gives recent Army recruits a tour of U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground's Air Delivery facility on July 10, 2025. “It’s definitely fun getting to interact with the local population, especially kids that are already signed up and waiting to ship out or who are on the fence and have questions,” he said.

Recent Army recruits from the Yuma, Arizona area watch a static line parachute jump conducted by members of U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground's elite Airborne Test Force on July 10, 2025.

Most newly enlisted recruits’ knowledge of the nature of Army service is secondhand.

If they’re part of the lucky few, perhaps a parent or other close relative served. Others know of it entirely from television and movies.

On July 10, 12 recent recruits from the Yuma, Arizona area spent an early morning at U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) with members of YPG’s elite Airborne Test Force (ATF) getting a dynamic look at how they conduct their mission testing all manner of cargo and personnel parachutes.

YPG frequently hosts such visits, and local Army recruiters say doing so is making a big impact.

“Some of the recruits here have an airborne contract, and they are motivated to see what the airborne community is about,” said Staff Sgt. Rigoberto Montoya, recruiter. “We’re giving them a taste of the real Army. Hopefully some of them can learn something out of this today and use it for the future.”

The visits were spearheaded by ATF’s Staff Sgt. Kyle Dunwiddie, who credits retired Master Sgt. Brian Davis, the ATF Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge during his first stint with the unit last decade, with inspiring him to begin organizing the opportunities.

“I grew up in the Army, so it’s what I’m used to. Most people from Yuma aren’t from a military family, or if they are it is because of Marine Corps Air Station-Yuma. Anybody going in on an airborne contract or parachute rigger contract can definitely benefit from the exposure of visiting here.”

One of the visitors had already been here during the last opportunity in February but came back mere weeks before reporting to the Military Entrance Processing Station at the end of the month.

“I wanted to get a chance to see some of the things I didn’t see last time,” said Anthony Cardona, who expects to serve in an airborne unit and wants to eventually become freefall qualified. “Last time was mostly free fall jumpers, this time was static line jumpers. I wanted to see the different processes and procedures between those two systems.”

Darren Langstaff will be an Electromagnetic Warfare Specialist but was still interested in what he saw during the visit.

“It looks like everyone can go to airborne school, so maybe that is in my future. Becoming a ranger is looking a little interesting. I’ve seen some Soldiers out here with multiple patches, so maybe I can be one of them before I get out.”

Both the recruits and ATF Soldiers felt the visit was worthwhile and informative.

“It’s definitely fun getting to interact with the local population, especially kids that are already signed up and waiting to ship out or who are on the fence and have questions,” said Dunwiddie.