The photo below shows an early demonstration airborne drop. It was possibly the first U.S. Army paratroop jump, and was made at Brooks Army Airfield on September 28, 1929. The drop demonstrated the practicality of tactical paratrooper warfare as proposed by General Billy Mitchell during World War I in 1917

A further demonstration of General Mitchell's concept was made at Kelly Field in San Antonio, Texas. Six soldiers parachuted from a Martin Bomber, safely landed, and in less than three minutes after exiting the aircraft had their weapons assembled and were ready for action. However, the US observers dismissed the idea as folly.

Not all of the observers arrived at the same conclusion. Representatives from the Soviet Union and Germany were impressed with the outcome. In the USSR, parachuting was introduced as a national sport and the population was encouraged to join the Russian Airborne Corps. German observers eagerly grasped the idea and planners worked quickly to develop an effective military parachute organization. In August 1930, Russian paratroopers participated in military maneuvers for the first time at Veronezh. Their use was so effective that a repeat performance was given in Moscow one month later. The Germans continued to develop their airborne forces and at the start of World War II both nations used paratroopers in their spearhead assaults.

Spurred by the successful employment of airborne troops by the Germans in their invasion of the low countries, US military branches began an all-out effort to develop this new form of warfare. Controversy surrounded the effort and several colorful proposals were made by the various branches. The most unique proposal was made by the Air Corps. Its staff proposed that the Air Infantry be called "Air Grenadiers" and be members of the "Marines of the Air Corps." In April 1940, the War Department approved a plan for the formation of a platoon of Airborne Infantry, which was to function under the direction and control of the Army's Infantry Board. In June, the commandant of the Infantry School was directed to organize a test platoon of volunteers from Fort Benning's 29th Infantry Regiment. Later that year, the 2d Infantry Division was directed to conduct the necessary tests to develop reference data and operational procedures for air-transported troops.

In July 1940, the task of organizing the platoon began. First Lieutenant William T. Ryder from the 29th Infantry Regiment volunteered and was designated the test platoon's platoon leader. Lieutenant James A. Bassett was designated assistant platoon leader. Forty-eight enlisted men were selected from a pool of 200 volunteers based on high standards of health and rugged physical characteristics. The platoon then moved into tents near Lawson Field and an abandoned hanger was obtained for use as a training hall and parachute packing.

Then Major William C. Lee, a member of the staff of the Chief of Infantry, was intently interested in the test platoon. At Lee's recommendation, the platoon was moved to New Jersey only 18 days after organization for one week training at the Safe Parachute Company. Heightstown, New Jersey. Their training, as reported by Ed Howard, a retired U.S. Army 1SG, was conducted on two 125' towers and not on the 250-foot the parachute drop towers used during the New York World's Fair.

Howard also reported that no towers from the World's Fiar were purchased and moved to Ft Benning. The four 250' towers at Ft Benning were newly built in 1942 and did not resemble the eleven arm tower of the World's Fair, or the 125' towers of Hightstown, NJ.

The training was particularly effective. The similarity of a drop from the tower to a drop from an airplane added realism that was impossible to duplicate otherwise. The drop also proved to the troopers that their parachutes would function safely. The Army was so impressed with the towers that it purchased two of them for erecting at Fort Benning. Later, two more were added. Two of the original four towers are still in use for training paratroopers at Fort Benning.

The first jump from an aircraft in flight was made at Lawson Field on 13 August 1940 by members of the test platoon, less than 45 days after organization. Although reported in some accounts to have been made from a B-18 Bomber, Howard reports the aircraft used in the jump was a C33.

The test platoon held a lottery before the drop to determine who would follow Lieutenant Ryder out of the airplane. Private William N. (Red) King placed second in the lottery, but after the lottery winner declined to jump, King became the first enlisted man out the door of the C-33. The entire platoon completed their first jump by 16 Aug. Thereafter, on 29 August 1940, members of the test platoon made the first platoon mass jump held in the United States at Lawson Field.

The first parachute combat unit to be organized was the 501st Parachute Battalion. It was commanded by Major William M. Miley, later a major general and commander of the 17th Airborne Division. Members of the test platoon were the battalion's cadre. New jump areas were cleared by the Civilian Conservation Corps and three new training buildings were erected. Several B-18 and C-39 aircraft were provided for training. (The traditional paratrooper cry "Geronimo" was originated in the 501st by Private Aubrey Eberhart to prove to a friend that he had full control of his faculties when he jumped. The cry was adopted by the 501st and has often been used by paratroopers since then.)

The 502d Parachute Infantry Battalion was activated on 1 July 1941 with Lieutenant Colonel William C. Lee as commander and men from the 501st as cadre. The 502d was far below strength, and 172 prospective troopers from the 9th Infantry Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, were needed. The response to LTC Lee's call for volunteers was startling: more than 400 men volunteered, including many noncommissioned officers who were willing to take a reduction in rank ("take a bust") to transfer to the new battalion.

Airborne experimentation of another type was initiated on 10 October 1941 when the Army's first glider infantry battalion was activated. This unit was officially designated as the 88th Glider Infantry Battalion and was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Elbridge G. Chapman, Jr. LTC Chapman later became a major general and commander of the 13th Airborne Division.

As more airborne units were activated, it became apparent that a centralized training facility should be established. As a result, that facility was organized at Fort Benning on 15 May 1942. Since that date, the US Army Parachute School has been known by a variety of names: The Airborne School (1 January 1946); Airborne Army Aviation Section, The Infantry School (1 November 1946); Airborne Department, The Infantry School (February 1955); Airborne-Air Mobility Department (February 1956); Airborne Department (August 1964); Airborne-Air Mobility Department (October 1974); Airborne Department (October 1976); 4th Airborne Training Battalion, The School Brigade (January 1982); 1/507th Parachute Infantry, The School Brigade (October 1985); and the 1/507th Infantry (Airborne), 11th Infantry Regiment (July 1991).

Although several types of headgear insignia have been worn by parachute and glider organizations since 1942, an insignia peculiar to the Airborne was not authorized until 1949 and did not appear in Army regulations until 1956. The authorization was first mentioned in AR 670-5 (20 September 1956), which stated, "Airborne insignia may be worn when prescribed by the commander...The insignia consists of a white parachute and glider on a blue disk with a red border approximately 2 1/4 inches in diameter overall."

In December 1943, the all black "555th Parachute Infantry Company (Colored)", later redesignated Company A, 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion (remembered by many as the "Triple Nickel"), arrived at Fort Benning for airborne training. This event marked a significant milestone for black Americans in the combat arms. On 14 December 1973, another milestone in airborne history was established when Privates Johnson and Kutsch became the first women to graduate from the Basic Airborne Course. The two were recruited and trained as a result of a critical shortage of parachute riggers during the early 1970s. Following graduation from the airborne course, with a modified program of instruction, the two women successfully completed the US Army Quartermaster School's Parachute Rigger Course and were assigned to aerial delivery companies at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

The different airborne units' combat records tell stories of unexcelled valor. From their first major combat jump during World War II in North Africa, through Vietnam, until the most recent jumps in Grenada and Panama, paratroopers have fought with a spirit, determination, and tenacity that has captured and held the imagination and respect of the world. Future events will continue to find the American paratrooper in the forefront of hostilities.

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