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An official Army article describes a fascinating tradition of the Army honoring the patron saint of paratroopers, Saint Michael, with a parajump training event:<\/p>\nAn official Army article describes a fascinating tradition of the Army honoring the patron saint of paratroopers, Saint Michael, with a parajump training event:<\/p>\n
The Saint Michael\u2019s Jump is meant to celebrate the airborne community\u2019s patron saint and promote spiritual resiliency across the Division.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Perhaps most interesting is the fact the jump is explicitly a chaplain’s event<\/a>:<\/p>\n
[T]he Saint Michael\u2019s Jump is significant in several ways, starting with the way a paratrooper qualifies to get on the jump.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have to go through a spiritual training event with your unit chaplain,\u201d said [Chaplain (Col) Randy] Griffin… \u201cThat could be a physical fitness spiritual event or some other type of formal spiritual fitness event…\u201d<\/p>\n
Then on the day of the jump…the chaplains have an opportunity to help instill encouragement, hope and courage into their paratroopers. Sometimes this is through prayer, sustained airborne training or when they perform jumpmaster duties during the jump.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
And, of course, there are direct analogies to the military profession and the Christian walk:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Scriptures say \u2018I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me\u2019 for \u2018With God all things are possible,\u2019\u201d said [Chaplain (Capt) Hank] Mauterer. \u201cIf you make sure you\u2019re properly connected, to God and family, when you\u2019re jumping out of an airplane in flight you can boldly leap forth with confidence and defeat the enemy.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Well said. Read more<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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