LTC Coulson
January 17, 2014
"Hit the hole pole-man, hit the hole! Hit the hole pole-man, hit the hole!"
Trainee chant during Tower Week at US Army Airborne School, referring to hooking the top of the parachute to the ascension apparatus of the "Mighty Ung-gawa" 250 foot drop tower using a ten foot pole. Once the 'hole' is hit, the chute is secured to the apparatus and the trainee is then hauled aloft and summarily dropped. Upon arrival back at the ground, the trainee is strongly encouraged to "execute a dymamic PLF!" or Parachute Landing Fall.
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"Hit the hole, pole man, hit the hole."
ReplyDeleteMusic to my ears. No doubt the sexual innuendo helps everyone focus on the task at hand.
Not music to my ears. I got selected as the Pole Man when I went thru jump schoo in 1978 as A 21 year old ROTC cadet. Every time we were no the fastest group on our tower we got dropped for pushups. Easy enough for the guys just flipping the clips to connect the canopy. I thought someone else would get nailed when I had to make my jumps (I went 2 for 2 and passed the exercise). Soon as I got out of the harness Sgt Airborne told me I would remain “his pole man.” For the week. I could barely lift a fork at evening chow.
DeleteI’m laughing now. Back then, not so much. What doesn’t kill us...
Like jumping out of a perfectly good airplane while in fright.but the the army never had perfectly good airplanes!
ReplyDeleteLike jumping out of a perfectly good airplane while in fright.but the the army never had perfectly good airplanes!
ReplyDeleteWhen I went through airborne in 1981 the women trainees had to yell "Stick it in!" afterwards.
ReplyDelete