The Navy SEALs and other secretive units are quietly battling a frightening rise in parachute deaths

[rangerrebew]

The Navy SEALs and other secretive units are quietly battling a frightening rise in parachute deaths

By: David Larter and Meghann Myers,

February 4, 2017 (Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Terrance Payton)

Navy SEAL Jason Kortz was 10,000 feet over Perris, California, about to perform his first a high-altitude, high-open jump while wearing night vision goggles and weighed down with bulky, cumbersome combat gear. America's elite special operations troops conduct such training missions to prepare for the types of high-stakes, clandestine missions that have become a centerpiece of the U.S. military's war on terrorism.

Tragically, this jump was also Kortz's last.

As a student in the Navy’s Advanced Tactical Air Assault Course, Kortz had completed 32 prior free-fall jumps. But this training mission was much more complex — and it became a catastrophe almost the instant he exited the aircraft. Tumbling head over heels at speeds exceeding 100 mph, Kortz panicked. He was unable to arch his body and stabilize the fall, military investigators concluded.

http://www.militarytimes.com/articles/navy-seals-green-berets-delta-force-army-rangers-parachute-deaths

[sneakypete]

This is the kind of thing that happens when the demand for special operators exceeds the number of trained and experienced operators available. Too many people are pushed through the courses to match the numbers required,and then expected to learn what they need to know on the job running actual missions. That USUALLY works,but the ones that were marginal students at best who only got the tabs or badges because "x-amount" of warm,breathing bodies are needed are going pay the price.

I KNOW I am going to get flamed for this,but that now-famous SEAL team leader that wrote the book the movie was about wasn't competent to even be a team member,never mind a team leader. His lack of judgement and experience is why every member of his team died on that mission. I will give him credit for admitting that most of his team didn't agree with his decisions and tried to talk him out of them,but the mere fact that a majority of his team told him he was screwing up and putting them all in danger unnecessary and chose to ignore them proves he was lacking in judgement and should have never became a team leader.