The military freefall parachutist badge is a military badge of the United States Army and United States Air Force awarded to qualified U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force personnel as high-altitude military parachute specialists.Air Force Guidance Memorandum to Air Force Manual (AFMAN) 11-402, Aviation and Parachutist Service, U.S. Department of the Air Force, dated 13 September 2022, last accessed 8 October 2022
Qualifications To earn the military freefall parachutist badge, the military member first must receive all necessary ground training, already have earned the military parachutist badge (jump-qualified), and must have completed the requisite freefall (night, combat equipment, oxygen) jumps and graduate from the Military Free-Fall Parachutist Course.MFFPC ATRRS Information Changes, U.S. Army Special Operations Center of Excellence, last accessed 3 January 2020
A star and laurel wreath, centered above the badge, called the master military freefall parachutist badge, is authorized for U.S. Army Soldiers and U.S. Air Force Airmen qualified as a Master Military Freefall Parachutist (Jumpmaster). Such qualification requires completing the Military Free-Fall Jumpmaster Course, wherein the student learns how to be a jumpmaster in military freefall operations.Military Free-Fall Jumpmaster Course (MFFJMC), U.S. Army Special Operations Center of Excellence, last accessed 3 January 2020
Combat jump devices As with the U.S. Army's military parachutist badge, small bronze and gold stars are placed on the badge to represent participation in combat jumps, known as Combat Jump Devices, and can be awarded with either the basic and master versions of the badge. To earn the device, a Military Freefall Parachutist must have conducted a high-altitude/low-opening (HALO) or high-altitude/high-opening (HAHO) jump in a war zone. The stars are awarded as follows:Qualification Badges, Military Free Fall Parachutist Badge, United States Army Institute of Heraldry, last accessed 22 April 2017 + Combat jump device placement on military freefall parachutist badges One combat jump A bronze star centered on the dagger Two combat jumps A bronze star on each wing Three combat jumps A bronze star on each wing and one centered on the dagger Four combat jumps Two bronze stars on each wing Five + combat jumps A large gold star centered on the dagger +List of published U.S. combat high-altitude parachute jumps of the U.S. ArmyUnited States Combat Jumps, GlobalSecurity.org, last updated 7 May 2011, last accessed 6 January 2019Units Credited With Assault Landings, General Orders No. 10, Department of the Army, dated 25 September 2006, last accessed 6 January 2019Hitting the ground with coalition partners; Special Warfare Magazine; Valume 21, Issue 6; dated November–December 2008, last accessed 6 January 2019History of Military Operational Parachute Jumps, Special Forces Association, dated 7 March 2013, last accessed 6 January 2019These are the only 5 combat jumps by US troops that we know about since September 11, Business Insider, by Eric Milzarski from "We Are The Mighty" program, dated 7 October 2019, last accessed 9 July 2020DateUnitOperationTroopersCountryDropzone28 November 1970Recon Team Florida, CCN, MACV-SOG (HALO)Vietnam Conflict3 Americans, 1 ARVN officer and 2 MontagnardsLaosNVA road inside Laos7 May 1971Captain Larry Manes' Recon Team, CCN, MACV-SOG (HALO)Vietnam Conflict4South VietnamBetween Ashau Valley and Khe Sanh, NVA trail extension of Laotian Highway 92122 June 1971Sergeant Major Billy Waugh's Recon Team, CCN, MACV-SOG (HALO)Vietnam Conflict4South Vietnam60 miles SW of Danang22 Sep. 1971Captain Jim Storter's Recon Team, CCC, MACV-SOG (HALO)Vietnam Conflict4South VietnamPlei Trap Valley, NW of Pleiku11 October 1971Sergeant First Class Dick Gross' Recon Team, CCC, MACV-SOG (HALO)Vietnam Conflict5South Vietnam25 miles, SW of Pleiku in the Ia Drang Valley15 January 19911st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (HAHO)Operation Desert Shield12IraqNorthwest desert3 July 200475th Ranger Regiment, Regimental Reconnaissance Detachment, Team 3 (HALO)Operation Enduring FreedomAfghanistanSoutheastern region30 May 200710th Special Forces Group, 3rd Battalion, ODA 074 (HALO)Operation Iraqi Freedom11IraqNinewah Province11 July 200975th Ranger Regiment, Regimental Reconnaissance Company, Team 1Operation Enduring FreedomAfghanistan
History of the badge's design
The original design of the Military Freefall Parachutists Badge was submitted in March 1983 by Sergeant First Class Gregory A. Dailey of Special Forces ODA-552, Company B, 2nd Battalion, 5th Special Forces Group. Updates on the design, adding a master military freefall parachutist badge, were submitted by General Wayne A. Downing of U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and James Phillips of the Special Forces Association. The badges were approved for wear by U.S. Army soldiers assigned to U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) on 1 October 1994."...Gen. (Ret.) Fran Hendricks holds original sewn prototypes of the Military Freefall Parachutist Badge...", Special Warfare Airman Facebook page, posted 1 April 2026, last accessed 1 April 2026"Origins of the Military Freefall Parachutist Badge", 7th Special Forces Group Official Page (YouTube), dated 8 April 2026, last accessed 9 April 2026 Unrestricted wear was approved on 7 July 1997 by General Dennis Reimer.
Symbolism of the badge's design: The dagger is a Fairbairn–Sykes fighting knife, used by the Office of Strategic Services during World War II, and represents infiltration techniques. The arched tab represents tabs worn by special operations forces. The parachute is a seven-celled MT1-X, the first ram-air parachute to be adopted by the U.S. Military as the standard freefall canopy. The wings represent flight and airborne capabilities.
Freefall training
The U.S. Military Free-Fall School (MFFS) is operated by the USASOC's John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School (SWCS), 2nd Special Warfare Training Group (Airborne), 2nd Battalion, Company B at the U.S. Army's Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) in Arizona, which is the USSOCOM proponent for military freefall.Welcome to the official website of the 2nd Special Warfare Training Group (Airborne), soc.mil, last accessed 14 April 2020Special Forces Qualification Course to incorporate military free-fall training, Army.mil, by MAJ James Branch (USA), dated 4 October 2012, last accessed 22 April 20171st Special Warfare Training Group (Airborne), U.S. Army Special Operations Center of Excellence, last accessed 22 April 2017 The MFFS conducts four primary training courses, the Military Free-Fall Parachutist Course, the Military Free-Fall Jumpmaster Course, the Military Free-Fall Advanced Tactical Infiltration Course, and the Military Free-Fall Instructor Course.Welcome to the official website of the Military Free-Fall Instructor Course (MFFIC), Yuma Proving Ground, AZ, www.soc.mil, last accessed 3 May 2020 The U.S. Air Force also conducts the Military Free-Fall Jumpmaster Course—certified by the MFFS—at Davis–Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona for airman that are not able to attend the MFFS's jumpmaster course.Mastering the jump, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base official page, by Airman Nathan H. Barbour, dated 1 July 2016, last accessed 22 April 2017 Alternatively, detachments from the MFFS conduct the Military Free-Fall Jumpmaster Course via a Mobile Training Team (MTT) for military freefall units that have difficulty attending the course at the Yuma Proving Ground.First Ever Military Freefall Jumpmaster Course Hosted Overseas, Defense Video & Imagery Distribution System, by LCpl Jordan Talley, dated 21 April 2017, last accessed 3 January 2020
The Military Free-Fall Parachutist Course (MFFPC) is open to special operations forces assigned to military freefall coded positions, parachute riggers, and select DoD civilian personnel or allied personnel assigned to military freefall positions. To attend MFFPC, students must have graduated from the U.S. Army Airborne School and must meet specific medical requirements. Week one of the four-week course focuses on vertical wind tunnel body stabilization training at the MSG George A Bannar Wind Tunnel as well as parachute packing and an introduction to military freefall operations. The remaining weeks focuses training on varying jump profiles using three airborne operations per training iteration, totaling 30 military freefall operations per course encompassing various conditions and equipment loads. At the end of the course, students will have learned how to: Pack the RA-1 Military Free-Fall Advanced Ram-Air Parachute System main parachuteRA-1 Military Freefall System Config Packing, U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School, courtesy of "Deez Nutz" YouTube Channel, dated 17 November 2017, last accessed 21 September 2020How to Pack the RA-1 Main in Free Fall Configuration using PRO Pack Procedures, U.S. Army (courtesy of "Sky Shark" YouTube Channel), dated 10 August 2019, last accessed 27 September 2020 and don the system Rigging/jumping procedures for weapons, combat equipment, night vision goggles and portable oxygen equipment Aircraft procedures Exit an aircraft from the door and ramp using dive and poised exit positions Emergency procedures and body stabilization HALO and HAHO parachute jumps from altitudes of to
Upon completion of the MFFPC, graduates are awarded the military freefall parachutist badge.
To attend the Military Free-Fall JumpMaster Course (MFFJMC), students must have graduated from the U.S. Army Airborne School, the MFFPC, the U.S. Army Jumpmaster School, be a current military freefall parachutist, served as a military freefall parachutist for a minimum of one year, and must have completed at least 50 military freefall jumps. The three-week MFFJMC focuses on training students on jumpmaster duties and responsibilities, such as: Nomenclature Jumpmaster personnel inspection Emergency procedures Oxygen equipment Wind drift calculations Altimeter calculations Emergency automatic activation device calculations Jump commands Aircraft procedures Techniques of spotting HAHO techniques Various ram-air parachute systems packing and rigging
Upon completion of the MFFJMC, graduates are awarded the master military freefall parachutist badge.
To attend the Military Free-Fall Advanced Tactical Infiltration Course (MFFATIC), students must have the same qualifications and completed the same prerequisites required of the MFFJMC. The three-week MFFATIC focuses on educating and training joint special operations forces and other selected personnel in the planning and conduct of night military freefall tactical infiltrations as a group onto unknown and unmarked drop zones. Training includes:Military Free-Fall Advanced Tactical Infiltration Course (MFFATIC), U.S. Army Special Operations Center of Excellence, last accessed 3 January 2020 Following GPS guided bundles Carrying various combat equipment Various communications Wearing various night vision devices Jumping with non-standard weapons while using oxygen equipment Utilization of various parachutist navigational devices
Upon completion of the MFFATIC, graduates are awarded a certificate of completion; there is no badge or badge device awarded for completion of the MFFATIC.