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American Morning
Military Training for Countless Scenarios
Aired February 25, 2003 - 07:40 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Right now we want to focus our attention back on the preparation for war and what that means, what it means for the military, too, training for countless scenarios, many of them dangerous. Among them, U.S. Special Forces training for dangerous free-fall jumps. How do they do it before they get off the ground? An exclusive behind-the-scenes look today at Special Forces urban combat training taking place at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Kyra Phillips is there live to take us through it.
Kyra -- good morning.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Bill. That's right. We are going to show you about -- or show you urban combat training later on in the day.
Right now, we're at the wind tunnel, where a very important part of becoming a Special Forces soldier that takes place right here, the training to free-fall. This is a free-fall military school.
I'm going to bring in command Sergeant Major Joe Callahan.
As we're looking at the scenario behind us, tell us what's going on in the wind tunnel.
SGT. MAJOR JOE CALLAHAN, U.S. ARMY: What's happening right now is our instructors are perfecting their skills in flying, which are essential when exiting an aircraft, when following a student, when correcting a student in free-fall to ensure that he's falling flat and stable, he is not out of control and that he does pull at a prescribed altitude.
PHILLIPS: And just adding something else to the scenario, all of the combat gear. That makes it even more intense, doesn't it?
CALLAHAN: Exactly. When a soldier is equipped to full combat gear, more things can go wrong in the air, and chances are those begin once he leaves the ramp of the aircraft. And what the instructors do once they leave here and go to huma (ph), and a student is in full combat gear, when that instructor begins to spin or tumble violently, the instructor can correct that and make corrections on the student.
PHILLIPS: My final question, we notice that he's got his oxygen mask on, but that's only when you reach past 18,000 feet, correct?
CALLAHAN: And depending on certain military regulations, we go about 15,000 to 18,000 feet, the combatant will wear an O2. PHILLIPS: All right, Sergeant Major Joe Callahan, we're going to talk later on in the hour.
Bill, about an hour from now, we're going to demonstrate more of this training and talk more about paratrooping and why it's so essential in a combat situation. Specifically it's very possible these men may be headed to Iraq and we'll talk about why paratrooping is so important.
HEMMER: Excellent. I understand you're going to climb on board in that thing, too, Kyra, so we will get your reaction as well next hour. Kyra Phillips live in Fort Bragg this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired February 25, 2003 - 07:40 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Right now we want to focus our attention back on the preparation for war and what that means, what it means for the military, too, training for countless scenarios, many of them dangerous. Among them, U.S. Special Forces training for dangerous free-fall jumps. How do they do it before they get off the ground? An exclusive behind-the-scenes look today at Special Forces urban combat training taking place at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Kyra Phillips is there live to take us through it.
Kyra -- good morning.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, Bill. That's right. We are going to show you about -- or show you urban combat training later on in the day.
Right now, we're at the wind tunnel, where a very important part of becoming a Special Forces soldier that takes place right here, the training to free-fall. This is a free-fall military school.
I'm going to bring in command Sergeant Major Joe Callahan.
As we're looking at the scenario behind us, tell us what's going on in the wind tunnel.
SGT. MAJOR JOE CALLAHAN, U.S. ARMY: What's happening right now is our instructors are perfecting their skills in flying, which are essential when exiting an aircraft, when following a student, when correcting a student in free-fall to ensure that he's falling flat and stable, he is not out of control and that he does pull at a prescribed altitude.
PHILLIPS: And just adding something else to the scenario, all of the combat gear. That makes it even more intense, doesn't it?
CALLAHAN: Exactly. When a soldier is equipped to full combat gear, more things can go wrong in the air, and chances are those begin once he leaves the ramp of the aircraft. And what the instructors do once they leave here and go to huma (ph), and a student is in full combat gear, when that instructor begins to spin or tumble violently, the instructor can correct that and make corrections on the student.
PHILLIPS: My final question, we notice that he's got his oxygen mask on, but that's only when you reach past 18,000 feet, correct?
CALLAHAN: And depending on certain military regulations, we go about 15,000 to 18,000 feet, the combatant will wear an O2. PHILLIPS: All right, Sergeant Major Joe Callahan, we're going to talk later on in the hour.
Bill, about an hour from now, we're going to demonstrate more of this training and talk more about paratrooping and why it's so essential in a combat situation. Specifically it's very possible these men may be headed to Iraq and we'll talk about why paratrooping is so important.
HEMMER: Excellent. I understand you're going to climb on board in that thing, too, Kyra, so we will get your reaction as well next hour. Kyra Phillips live in Fort Bragg this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
