2025 Rigger Rodeo Marks 75 Years of Parachute Rigger Excellence

FORT BRAGG, N.C. - October 25, 2025

Parachute Riggers from across the Army gathered on Fort Bragg, North Carolina, from

Oct. 20-24, 2025, to test their speed, skill, and precision during the biannual Rigger

Rodeo, hosted by the XVIII Airborne Corps and executed by the 82nd Airborne Division

Sustainment Brigade.

“This marks our 75th anniversary for Parachute Riggers in the U.S. Army,” said Chief

Warrant Officer 5 Crystal Gonzalez, senior airdrop advisor to the XVIII Airborne Corps.

In 1950, the Army designated the Quartermaster Corps as the proponent for aerial

delivery operations, including parachute rigging. The following year, the U.S. Army

Quartermaster School at Fort Lee established the Parachute Rigger Course, an

enduring program that continues to train and certify Riggers to this day. Prior to this,

airborne paratroopers had maintained their own chutes.

This year’s week-long Rodeo brought together four teams: the 647th Quartermaster

Company, 75th Ranger Regiment, Delta Company, 189th Division Sustainment Support

Battalion (DSSB), and Echo Company, 189th DSSB. A smaller field of contestants than

had been originally planned, teams from Fort Benning, Italy, and Germany were unable

to make the trip.

The competition began with the Red Hat Run, a mass formation jaunt down Ardennes

Street led by Brig. Gen. Peter L. Gilbert, commander of the 3rd Expeditionary

Sustainment Command (ESC), and Col. Jonathan Gregory, commander of the 82nd

Airborne Division Sustainment Brigade (ADSB).

Following the run, competitors transitioned into two days of technical challenges inside

the ADSB’s Parachute Issue Facility (PIF), testing their speed and accuracy in packing

the MC-6, T-11, and T-11 Reserve parachutes, as well as conducting maintenance tasks

such as basic patch repair.

“This is more or less a team-building event that’s going to build camaraderie,” said Sgt.

Maj. Kevin Beatty, XVIII Airborne Corps Parachute Office Sergeant Major. “It shows

they’re willing to compete among their peers and prove they’re proficient in their craft.”

On Wednesday, teams donned parachutes and took to the skies for the Airborne

Operation out of Green Ramp, jumping into St. Mere Drop Zone before heading to the

Heavy Drop Rigging Site for the Container Delivery System (CDS) Build. There, teams

were judged by their adherence to standards in rigging palleted supplies for Airborne

deployment.

“We don’t handle personnel chutes every day,” said Sgt. Justin Hastings, Echo

Company, 189th DSSB. “But when it came to the CDS bundles, that’s our bread and

butter. We were confident in that event.”

Thursday’s events began dark and early at Hercules Field, where competitors gathered

that cold morning to test their physical endurance with an Army Fitness Test (AFT).

Following that, the challengers faced a “Rigger Board”, a formal setting within the

confines of the 151st Quartermaster Company where the Paratroopers were fielded

MOS-specific technical questions before senior leaders.

Staff Sgt. Tarik Cook, 647th Quartermaster Company, described the preparation it took

to compete: “We started training 30 days out. [Physical Training] every morning,

practicing each parachute system daily. My team has great communication. We know

each other well, and I think that made all the difference.”

After scores were tallied, the week’s events culminated with the Rigger Ball held that

Friday night at the Iron Mike Conference Center. There, following toasts and traditions,

was revealed the winning team: Delta Company, 189th DSSB, followed closely by the

75th Ranger Regiment and Echo Company, 189th DSSB in third place.

“It took effort from every member,” said Staff Sgt. Luiz Lopez, Delta Company’s team

captain. “At Delta, we focus mostly on personnel parachutes, but in just a few weeks,

my team learned the full range of aerial delivery tasks. Their dedication and willingness

to learn is what made the difference.”

Sgt. Jacob Eastabrooks, representing the 75th Ranger Regiment, spoke to the spirit of

competition: “Coming from Ranger Regiment, it’s a world among giants. Every day we

push ourselves to be the best versions of who we can be.”

As the Rigger Ball came to a close, Red Hats past and present reaffirmed the

craftsmanship, teamwork, and pride that define their community. The 75th anniversary

of the Parachute Rigger Corps is a milestone spanning the breadth of the modern Army,

with the strength of its Paratroopers reassuring, always, that their profession and the

lives of the nation’s Airborne Soldiers are in the best hands.