U.S. Army paratroopers assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 11th Airborne Division, and 1st Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment at Fort Polk, Louisiana, jump together from U.S. Marine Corps KC-130J aircraft assigned to the Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron (VGMR) 153, Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, over Malemute Drop Zone at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.
The 1-509th joined members from the 3-509th on their jump to celebrate the donation of items worn by World War II veteran Staff Sgt. Fred Durand, grandfather of current 1-509th paratrooper, 1st Lt. Seth Deltenre. Lt. Col. Kyle Spade, 3-509th commander, presented a plaque to Deltenre, as well as to Deltenre’s great-aunt, and great-uncle, who is a Vietnam War veteran and Purple Heart recipient, honoring the sacrifices that the Geronimo unit lineage made in the war efforts.
#army #airborne #arctic
(U.S. Air Force video by Airman 1st Class J. Michael Peña)