Golden Knights sharpen skills at annual training

By Jerry Merideth, U.S. Army Accessions Support BrigadeApril 22, 2016

Golden Knights tandem in action
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Parachute Stack
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Golden Knights Board Aircraft
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Landing zone
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Planeside view
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By Jerry Merideth

U.S. Army Accessions Support Brigade (USAASB) Public Affairs

HOMESTEAD AIR RESERVE BASE, Fla. -- From 13,000 feet above Homestead, Soldiers from the U.S. Army Parachute Team (USAPT), the Golden Knights, sharpen the skills and teamwork they bring to millions of Americans during air shows across the country in 2016.

Much like conventional Army units that conduct individual and collective training before traveling to one of the Army's national training centers, the Golden Knights stage their specialized training at Homestead Air Reserve Base from January to March, according to USAPT Commander, Lt. Col. Matthew J. Weinrich.

"We conduct an annual certification cycle (ACC) each year at Homestead Air Reserve Base to prepare the demonstration, tandem, and competition teams for the upcoming show and competition seasons," said Weinrich.

The team leadership evaluates parachutists on specific maneuvers, tasks, and safety requirements to ensure they are prepared to represent the Army in front of millions of spectators, Weinrich said. For the demonstration teams, training begins with basic individual jump skills and culminates with a full demonstration show rehearsal.

The Air Reserve Base at Florida's southern tip provides a way for the team to keep training in mid-winter. It is about 30 to 40 degrees warmer at Homestead in January than at the unit's home base of Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

While at Homestead, the team also conducts joint training with other military parachute demonstration teams such as the U.S. Navy Leap Frogs and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point Parachute Team to cross-train and ensure safe interoperability at demonstrations throughout the year.

The Golden Knights Soldiers do up to eight jumps a day during their ACC.

In addition to the Black and Gold Demonstration Teams, the USAPT Tandem team also trains at Homestead.

The tandem

program adds a unique aspect to the Golden Knights mission, allowing key centers of influence including local academic and civic leaders to national news representative to experience one aspect of the Army life firsthand.

To Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Melton, who manages the tandem program, the ability to bring the experience to people across America means sharing his Army story and the only job he has ever wanted.

"I walked in to a recruiting office in 1996 and saw a picture of a Soldier jumping out of an airplane," he said. "I told them that was what I wanted to do. People tell me all the time that I have a great job. I tell them that they could do it too."

Perfect execution is a job requirement for the Golden Knights who represent Soldiers serving around the world as the U.S. Army's premiere demonstration team. That level of excellence extends overseas where the USAPT's competition team has captured international championships, including the gold medal in the eight-way formation skydiving event at the 2015 U.S. Parachute Association National Skydiving Championships.

These accolades, along with many medals the team has won since 1959, are kept at the Golden Knight's museum at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Fewer than 1,000 Soldiers have earned the right to be called Golden Knights.

The team travels more than 250 days a year and is watched by more than 100 million people in a season.

"This is no small task," Weinrich said. "They may often be the only Soldier that many Americans ever meet."

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Editor's note: The U.S. Army Parachute Team is part of the U.S. Army Accessions Support Brigade which is aligned under the Army Marketing and Research Group. The USAPT represents the Army and the United States at International Skydiving Competitions and supports public awareness of the U.S. Army mission by appearing at air shows and other public events across America each year.