Veteran jumpmaster amasses 850 free-falls November 14, 2010 - at last Wednesday’s Military Tattoo VETERAN jumpmaster, Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Lieutenant Colonel Enoch Gaskin on Wednesday chalked up a total of 850 free-jumps as a paratrooper, having commenced his parachuting career in 1982. The specific achievement, which was recorded at a Military Tattoo held at the GDF Base Camp Ayanganna playfield as part of an ongoing programme of activities to mark the Army’s 45th anniversary, does not include his overall jump feats as a paratrooper. And while some may question why anyone in his right mind want to jump out of a completely serviceable aircraft, Lt. Col. Gaskin, who was trained locally and in Rio de Janeiro in neighbouring Brazil, describes the experience of floating around in midair as “wonderful!” “Wonderful! It’s an exhilarating feeling to be totally free; no support until you open that parachute…! You get a different perspective on life; everything seems to happen in slow motion… You see everything around you in very clear perspective and there are no chances for errors,” he told the Guyana Chronicle after participating in the first of two jumps staged at the event. He also sees the importance of having the public view such an exercise as not only having entertainment value, but also demonstrating the Force’s capacity. Lt. Col. Gaskin, in addition to jumping, also had the task of organizing the entire occasion in his capacity of Coordinator of the Military Tattoo. He was one of seven paratroopers, including from the Brazil military, who exited from a Britten Norman Islander aircraft at 9, 000ft, and plummeted free-style for an altitude of 4, 000 ft before opening his parachute, as per display plan. And, as the lead Guyanese jumper, he carried the Golden Arrowhead, which fluttered proudly in the wind as he made his descent. Wonderful! It’s an exhilarating feeling to be totally free; no support until you open that parachute…! You get a different perspective on life; everything seems to happen in slow motion…. You see everything around you in very clear perspective, and there are no chances for errors’ – Lt. Col. Gaskin Parachuting, while only seen in displays like the military tattoo, Gaskin said, “is a very serious art” that is primarily used to infiltrate enemy territory. “You are trained to do what the ordinary troops don’t do,” he said. In stressing the value of the art form as a mode of entertainment and as a way of demonstrating what the Force is capable of achieving, the veteran paratrooper said: “What you saw today (Wednesday) is a public demonstration of paratrooping, but paratrooping is a very serious art; it is primarily used to insert troops behind enemy lines and to confront unexpected circumstances. “Paratroopers are a special breed of people; we are trained to do what the ordinary troops don’t do,” he added, while noting that the GDF has several paratroopers, such as those from the Special Force Squadron, who are all paratroop-qualified, as well as other members. He noted that sustaining injuries comes with the territory. In executing the free-fall as was performed at Wednesday’s display, Lt. Lt.Col. Gaskin explained that there is an internationally-known stance called ‘the box position’ to be adopted before landing. “It is a stable position where the hands and legs are used to present a stable plain or an air foil, where the air flowing around the body is equal all around, and you fall stable. That is the first part of the training you must master; a basic stable position, which is simply hands in a folded position, head back, feet up and toes pointed. “From such a basic stable position, the paratrooper can turn, dive or roll. The basic position is what you master before you can do anything else.” Asked whether the insertion of paratroopers behind enemy lines suggests that such exercises are not conducted at nights, Col Gaskin responded: “Oh yes! Oh yes! We do jump at nights, and at a lower altitude!” He however explained that such a manoeuvre would require using a different type of parachute, and for the jumpers to adopt a combat-ready mode. He further explained that so as not to attract the attention of the enemy, there are techniques that can be used. “You do not jump on the enemy; you jump beyond their lines, and you look for an area that you can jump and reorganise before they (the enemy) can get to you, because you are vulnerable while in the air. “When you get on the ground,” he added, “you make up for any vulnerability by being aggressive, forceful and ruthless to win the battle.”
Posted on: Sat, 18 Oct 2014 01:43:12 +0000
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