Update: 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), (Spartans) Jump That Injured 18

Rough Jump for US Army Alaska paratroopers Update

3 Oct

Camp Shelby Update

Geronimo families,

We have fully recovered all 87 paratroopers from across the Fourth Brigade Airborne Tram that landed in trees on last night’s jump. We had a few jumpers remaining that were so high in the trees that they required significant recovery support. Thankfully, a majority of the paratroopers were uninjured from their tree landings.

The 18 paratroopers that required care will all recover. One soldier received a successful surgery for a broken back, and is expected to recover well.

The community around Camp Shelby, MS went above and beyond to care for your Geronimos. From the Doctors at Forest General Hospital, Camp Shelby Range Control, Camp Shelby Assault Strip Fire Department, and the Mississippi Task Force Urban Search and Rescue. Thanks to all for the help!!

As I have said before, service as a paratrooper requires a level of toughness that most do not understand. Despite the difficulty of this training jump, the battalion performed well and will recover well to continue our training mission.

We will continue to recover our equipment over the next day before we continue training.

Thanks for your continued support and understanding.

LTC Matt Myer
Commander, 1-501st IN (ABN)
Geronimo!

Good morning Spartan friends and family:
Update from Camp Shelby

All injured personnel have been able to call home and let their families know they are ok. 

Those that were admitted to the Forrest General Hospital are recovering. 

All unit training has resumed as of 6pm (CDT) on October 3rd. 

Sparta Lives!

4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, latest update on the Airborne Operation for Arctic Anvil: Currently, five Soldiers are in hospitals. One for evaluation and the other four are all recovering. All injured Paratroopers have contacted their families. If you have not heard from your loved ones, they were not injured during this airborne operation. – as of 0934 (AKST

At 8:00 P.M. this evening the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, United States Army Alaska, conducted an Airborne Operation on Camp Shelby, with approximately 650 Soldiers jumping in to begin a ten-day training exercise. We are still consolidating Soldiers on the drop zone at this time.

Airborne Operations all bear an inherent risk. We strive to mitigate this risk as much as possible. Forrest General Hospital was notified prior to the jump of the potential influx of patients and the types of injuries to be expected and emergency vehicles were on standby on Camp Shelby prior to the jump.

Once all Soldiers have been accounted for, our goal is ultimately to continue training. Despite the challenges that we currently face, Soldiers always place the mission first.

** To the families and friends of our Spartan Brigade, any injured paratroopers taken to a hospital will be provided the opportunity to contact their families. There are no life threatening injures at this time. Please stand by as more accurate and up-to-date information becomes available

The 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division is an airborne brigade combat team of the United States Army. The unit is home-stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska and is a subordinate unit of U.S. Army Alaska. The first airborne brigade combat team activated since World War II, the 4/25 IBCT (ABN) serves as the only airborne brigade in the Pacific Theater and the U.S. Army’s only arctic airborne unit. The Brigade, also known as the Spartans, was activated for that purpose. Additionally, the 4/25 IBCT (ABN) is one of only five airborne brigades in the U.S. Army; the others are the three brigade combat teams of the 82d Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg, N.C. and the 173rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne) in Vicenza, Italy.