‘Wings of Blue’ catch air

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Matt Gilreath
  • 21st Space Wing Public Affairs
PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (AFPN) --  Most college students are still sleeping at 5 a.m. Some might be getting up to cram for an exam. At the same time, some students at the nearby U.S. Air Force Academy are preparing for an adrenaline rush only a few people can ever dream about.

They are the men and women of the academy’s “Wings of Blue” parachute demonstration team.

Tech. Sgt. Jason Tepool, noncommissioned officer in charge of the team, has been an instructor at the academy for 15 months. In the past 17 years he has accumulated more than 12,000 jumps.

But before academy cadets step out of an airplane, they must first step into the aerospace physiology altitude chamber here, he said.

“We have to make sure the cadets can perform at the altitudes we jump at,” Sergeant Tepool said. “We have a couple of instructors who go down to Peterson to help out with cadet training and sometimes with the Army troops from Fort Carson who certify here. We don’t want anyone getting hurt.”

Sergeant Tepool said once they get past the chamber, it is off to jump school and opportunities to perform in front of millions of people.

“We did our first jump Sept. 3 into Qwest Field up in Seattle for the academy’s first [football] game,” Sergeant Tepool said. “This year we’ll be jumping into the Insight, Fiesta and Rose Bowl games.”

The jumpmaster said being in the spotlight is great, but he likes to work things on a smaller scale.

“I really like when we get to jump into high school football games,” Sergeant Tepool said. “What a great recruiting tool. The cadets get a chance to talk with students and tell them what academy life is like.”

It was that same kind of event and wanting to follow in her father’s footsteps that motivated Cadet 1st Class Jennifer Evans to join the Air Force and pursue her goal of being a member of the team.

“My father was a pilot and used to jump,” Cadet Evans said. “I heard about the Wings of Blue when I was in high school and decided that is what I wanted to do.”

Sergeant Tepool said making the team is not easy. Only 25 out of an average of 200 applicants make the cut each year. These freshman and sophomores make up the team of hopefuls, affectionately called the “Wings of Green.”

“There are 25 juniors and 25 seniors who make up the Wings of Blue,” Sergeant Tepool said. “They are the ones responsible for training the lower classmen. It builds teamwork and our most important focus, character development and airmanship.”

With so many cadets wanting to learn how to jump, one of the most important functions is to maintain the parachutes.

Steve Archuletta, parachute loft superintendent, said the loft has nine riggers, and they keep 500 chutes online at once.

“It’s a lot of work,” Mr. Archuletta said. “We have a lot of experience here between our civilian and military people. One of our most experienced guys, Bonz Alteri, is a former Golden Knight.”

With every stitch checked and automatic activation devices calibrated, the Wings of Blue will board the plane with confidence.

Sergeant Tepool said they look forward to new challenges and adventures.

So, perhaps one day, another little boy or girl may look to the sky and say, “That’s what I want to do.”