Last year, the internet was treated to a video of three Humvees plunging to their doom from a fleet of C-130s during an Army parachute jump in Germany. Despite the footage’s popularity, the only things we knew about the incident at the time were that it involved the 173rd Airborne Brigade and heads were definitely going to roll.
Now, we know that one of those heads belongs to Sgt. John Skipper of the 173rd’s 1st Battalion, 91st Cavalry Regiment. Skipper has been charged with destruction of government property and making a false official statement regarding his conduct during the incident, brigade spokesman Maj. Juan Martinez told Stars and Stripes on July 5.
If convicted, Skipper could face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a dishonorable discharge. However, as Stars and Stripes reports, a recommendation on whether the case will proceed to court-martial is still pending. “Should this case progress, we will continue to release information consistent with Army policy,” Martinez said.
Does the punishment fit the crime? Well, for context: A Humvee can cost up to $220,000, has a curb weight of 5,200 lbs, and explodes like a watermelon when it hits the ground after falling hundreds of feet. We know this because on April 11, 2016, three Humvees were rolled out the backs of C-130 Hercules transports over a field in Hohenfels and slipped from their riggings as their parachutes deployed. Each vehicle was utterly destroyed.
[excerpted]
http://taskandpurpose.com/soldier-charged-in-epic-humvee-free-fall-captured-in-viral-video/Video at link
