FORT BENNING, Ga., (Jan. 20 2016) -- Retired Command Sgt. Maj. Bob E. Spencer, who spent more than 26 years in Airborne or Ranger assignments including serving as a Ranger instructor, fulfilled a bucket list wish by conducting his first ever free fall jump Jan. 5 with the members of the Silver Wings, the Fort Benning Command Exhibition Parachute Team at Eubanks Field.
Spencer, who retired from civil service with Training Aids Service Center last year at the age of 75, had been talking about wanting to do a freefall jump for years, but didnt act on it until his retirment party at the end of 2015.
Sgt. 1st Class Kelsie Walls, Jr., the NCO in charge of the Silver Wings Team, was Spencer's tandem jumper.
"We jumped out of a UH-60 blackhawk, 10,000 feet above the ground," Walls said. "Spencer was nervous at first - the minute we exited the aircraft his Airborne training took over and he snapped into that good tight body position he's been accustomed to.
"But while falling through the skies over Fort Benning, he was all smiles and thumbs up. After landing safely on the ground, when asked if he was glad he finally made a freefall jump, he said "I don't know why I waited this long" and "it's never too late to try new things."
Social Sharing