Some people think the idea of jumping out of a perfectly good airplane is a little crazy. Others absolutely love the rush skydiving offers. For those in the latter category, the U.S. Army has a career offering that provides intensive training, even more extreme competitions, and the opportunity to jump out of airplanes (or use wind tunnels) pretty much as often as you would like.
In 1959, 19 Airborne soldiers from various military units formed the Strategic Army Command Parachute Team (STRAC). The team was gathered to compete in the relatively new sport of skydiving, which at that time was dominated by the Soviet Union. The U.S. Army team performed their first demonstration representing the United States at an international competition held in Danville, Virginia.
Two years later, the team was renamed the United States Army Parachute Team. By 1962, they earned the nickname the “Golden Knights” because “Golden” signified the gold medals the team had won in competitions, while “Knight” alluded to the team’s ambition to conquer the skies.
Since then, the Golden Knights have participated in more than 16,000 shows in all 50 states and 48 countries. The team has earned the U.S. Army 2,148 gold, 1,117 silver, and 693 bronze medals (and counting) in national and international competitions. They have also broken 348 world records.
The Golden Knights consists of both demonstration and competition teams that are drawn from all components of the U.S. Army. The demonstration teams appear at events such as air shows and other special events, and there is a tandem team that provides tandem jumps for celebrities, media personnel, and other VIPs, most notably President George H.W. Bush, who made three jumps with the Knights. The other members of the squad are two competition teams consisting of four-way formations (four jumpers) and eight-way formations (eight jumpers).
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Sgt. 1st Class Jess Stahler, a 92R Parachute Maintenance Technician, serves as a competitor on the Golden Knights Eight-Way Formation Skydiving Team. His journey to “knighthood” began when he was in college, but he had no ambition at the time to join the Knights. On one summer break from school, he took a job as a wind tunnel instructor at SkyVentures Orlando (now iFly). After working there for a few years, he became close to the skydiving community and had more than 500 jumps under his belt before joining the Army.
“It kind of consumed me,” Stahler said. “I didn’t expect it to. Obviously, that was not my intent when applying for the job. But I got so much fulfillment and enjoyment because it challenged me in a completely new way — both physically and mentally. The sport of skydiving is pretty surreal when you’re learning how to control flight through the movements of your own body. You’re controlling the way the wind affects your movements.”
During his time as a civilian wind tunnel instructor, he met members of a team from Patrick Air Force Base who would use the wind tunnel for practice. He had seen the “Band of Brothers” series after graduating high school and wanted to serve his country as his grandfathers had in World War II. The team from Patrick AFB solidified his conviction.
“These guys represented something different, something more,” Stahler explained. “They were well-traveled and they were cultured, internationally speaking. You could tell they had each other’s backs. That was really the spark that connected the dots of my experiences, talking about ‘Band of Brothers,’ and wanting to support my country and be a U.S. American soldier.”
Stahler also met a former member of the Golden Knights who went the extra mile to mentor him and help position him in a way where he could select his MOS and have the greatest chance to serve on Fort Bragg, which is where the Knights are based.
There are two selections to the team made annually — one in the spring and one in the fall. In addition to having jump experience, they want to make sure that each candidate is instilled with the fortitude and endurance to do the job. Once they are selected and the team puts forward the effort to train them, they need to be able to sustain the mission and represent U.S. soldiers all over the world.
“It is difficult, and it is 100% unlikely you’ll make it unless you take the first step,” said Stahler, when offering advice to others who may also want to join the Golden Knights. “Have your aspirations and your dreams, and lock onto them, focus on them. It might seem like a lot to tackle, but try to accomplish one small thing every day and you’ll get a little closer to your goal. If you’re able to do that, it’s hard to imagine what you’ll be able to achieve in your lifetime.”