By Troy Turner
Seeing people jump into Lake Martin is a pretty routine sight, but it’s a bit different look when 60 or so U.S. Army Rangers are doing it with parachutes and jumping from a helicopter more than a thousand feet high.
Multiple local emergency services joined forces with the Army on Tuesday, Sept. 23, to take part in a training exercise involving Army Rangers from the Warrior Training Center Brigade (Airborne) at Fort Benning, Georgia.
The exercise included approximately 60 Rangers, jumping from helicopters at an altitude of 1,200 feet.
The Rangers parachuted into Lake Martin where they were recovered and taken ashore aboard vessels operated by local emergency and Army personnel.
The annual training event gives Rangers the opportunity to become proficient in water landings and ensures physical endurance and readiness for aquatic environments.
Sheriff’s departments from Tallapoosa, Chambers and Lee counties and the Alexander City and Kellyton fire and rescue departments were among those participating.
Lake Martin is located in central Alabama within Elmore and Tallapoosa counties. The Ranger exercise took place near the Air Force Maxwell-Gunter Recreation Area, near Dadeville.
Fort Benning is about an hour’s drive east of the lake, just across the Alabama-Georgia state line.
Photos and information via Facebook from the Tallapoosa County Sheriff’s Department and Alexander City Fire Department.
Troy Turner is the editor and senior consultant for AlaDefense.com. He can be reached at [email protected]. His bio can be found here.
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