Lessons Learned: 1. Stuff happens. 2. Nothing good comes from posting things on social media. 3. No matter where you are or who you are with, act like someone is recording everything you say and do, because they probably are.
Accidents like this have occurred from time to time for as long as the U.S. Military has conducted parachute drop operations (about 76 years). Jumping out of airplanes is dangerous don’t you know? But such accidents happen less today than they did in years past because of advanced technology and improved safety procedures. Previously when such accidents happened they never received international attention. Now they frequently do thanks to smart phone video cameras and the Internet. I’ll bet the soldier whose voice was recorded on the video wishes now that he hadn’t laughed and cheered quite so much as he watched the Humvees crash.
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Look out below! Failed Army airdrop sends Humvees plummeting
U.S. Army officials are investigating an airborne drop that saw three Humvees destroyed after they went free-falling toward the ground during a training exercise in Germany. No one was hurt in the accident that likely cost the military more than $600,000.
The Army exercise on April 11 saw soldiers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Germany drop about 150 supply bundles, vehicles, communications equipment and indirect weapons systems hundreds of feet above the earth. But three Humvees came free from their rigging as their parachutes deployed, sending the massive vehicles to their demise and kicking up a cloud of smoke.
"The specific malfunctions that occurred on this day are under investigation," Army spokesman Maj. Juan Martinez said in an email to Army Times. "There were multiple rehearsals and inspections of the equipment prior to mission execution. We cannot speculate on what went wrong until the investigation is complete."
More than a million viewers have watched a video of the failed drop since it was posted by U.S. Army W.T.F! moments to Facebook. It shows the vehicles fall from a platform a few seconds after leaving the aircraft.
A witness standing near the camera is heard laughing and yelling "Ooo, Yeah! Yes!" as the vehicles fall. Someone else says, “It’s on fire” and “Hey, do we need to call that up?”
"While (the commanders of the 173rd) are aware of the video, it does not overshadow the hard work of the paratroopers, allies, and partners that took place during Saber Junction 16," Martinez said. "(Joint Multinational Training Command) is conducting (an investigation) to identify the person who shot the video. As far as disciplinary actions are concerned, nothing has been decided."
Pictures of the accident were also posted on Twitter. The exercise involved about 5,000 soldiers from 16 allied European partner nations and is held each year with one of the two Army brigades in Europe.
Humvees can cost upward of $200,000. They have been used by the Army since the mid 1980s.
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