FORT BENNING, Ga., (Jan. 6 2016) -- More than 150 Soldiers gathered in Freedom Hall Dec. 16 to receive their German jump wings during a German Wing Exchange hosted by the 316th Cavalry Brigade.
For the German jump, Soldiers use U.S. equipment but the actions in the aircraft and the commands are given all in German, said Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Pringle, 316th Cav. Bde. The actions and commands were done in repetition to ensure the Soldiers understood and remembered what the German commands translated to, he said.
The jump was meant to build camaraderie between the German and U.S. Army forces, said Lt. Col. Frank Hoelzner, German liaison officer to U.S. Army Special Operations Command.
"Everything you do together in combat or in peacetime during training, that builds a partnership," Hoelzner said. "When you jump together, and you have a special event going on together, then you build the trust you need in a combat situation when we're fighting together."
Hoelzner has completed more than 4,500 free fall jumps and more than 500 static-line jumps in his military career. He was recently featured in an article by Tip of the Spear magazine, a U.S. Special Operations Command publication, for having been part of a group of 71 German liaison skydivers who jumped from a height of 5,400 meters and broke the world record in formation jumping. The group formed and broke four formations above Klatovy, Czech Republic, Aug. 14, reported Mike Bottoms, USSOCOM Public Affairs.
The day prior to the German Wing Exchange on Fort Benning, Hoelzner said he jumped with the 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, on Hunter Army Airfield Army Base in Savannah, Georgia.
Hoelzner said he was surprised by the number of Soldiers on Fort Benning participating who had less than 10 jumps and were already receiving their first foreign jump wings.
"That's phenomenal," Hoelzner said. "I had my first foreign wings when I had more than 150 static-line jumps."
One of those Soldiers was Spc. Thaddius Minor, 1st Battalion (Airborne), 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment, who had completed nine total jumps in his career before earning his foreign wings.
Minor said he was interested in participating because it was something he had never done before and it could be good career progression toward possibly going to Jumpmaster School.
"I thought it'd be a great experience to interact with some allied soldiers," Minor said. "When I first got the news about it, I was all for it."
A total of about 15 Soldiers were set to complete a free-fall jump, but plans changed due to low cloud cover and those Soldiers did not jump free fall.
In conjunction with the wing exchange, every Soldier brought a toy to be donated to Santa's Castle.
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