Dec. 8, 2020
Airmen of the 363rd ISRW take a leap of faith
JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. —
Sitting on the small bench within the aircraft, surrounded by instructors and first-time jumpers, reality starts to set in. The aircraft elevates, getting colder and colder as we increase in altitude, causing the hair on my arms to stand up. As I look around at all the first-time jumpers, they all have the same expression; the expression that they too are coming to grips with the impending jump. We reach the necessary height and the red light by the door turns from red to green. The instructor taps my shoulder, letting me know that it’s time to stand up; it’s time to jump.