The Soldier of Stars [1] - Band of Brothers

6 | jump wings

" The best feeling in the world is watching things finally fall into place after watching them fall apart for so long." 

- Unknown 

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Hazel slowly entered the gate, before the man shut it behind her.

" Alright! Ladies, listen up!" yelled the man that had been opening the gate, " I will be your jump master for your 5 jumps that will certify you as Army paratroopers, is that understood?"

" Yes, sir!"

" Good, we'll begin training after you've dropped your luggage off." he explained over his shoulder as he began leading the women through where the 82nd members were staying as well. The man lead them to a 20 man barrack.

" Please pick a place for your belongings and change into your ODs, we'll be practicing jump techniques for the time being." he said, " And I'm Captain McPeterson, and I'll be training you for the expansion on Operation Virago for the female paratroopers." Each woman filed into a bed and Hazel, Catherine and Lizzie managed to snag beds next to each other again. They all quickly changed into their ODs, from Lieutenant Wilson's quick and snappy wake up calls through basic. The 20 women filed out and were lined up in front of Captain McPeterson, who stood with his basic ODs on and an Airborne leather jacket on, with his chocolate locks blowing a bit in the wind as he looked at the group of women.

" As I have said previously, I am Captain McPeterson formally of the 82nd Airborne and I am here to start your training today to get you to becoming the first 20 female paratroopers who will soon be spread through the 11th, 13th, 17th, 82nd and the 101st." McPeterson explained to them all, " The Commander, Major General James Mingus, has assigned me to this task. As I am prepared to train you, and help you perform the 5 jumps that will get you all your Jump Wings."

" Yes, sir."

" Follow me, then, we're going to start on basic maneuvers of what jumping from a plane should look like, but instead it'll be a 3 foot jumping base." McPeterson explained to the group. Hazel glanced at Lizzie beside her, who looked towards her with wide, curious eyes. 

The training over the next 2 weeks which would help the women receive their jump rings, went through with quick and intense, rapid-fire power of how you should be jumping out of a plan, but in the end, you were jumping from a plane and making sure your chute came out. 

McPeterson, Hazel felt, was a good teacher, at explaining each and every little bit of a parachute and how it opens when you jump out of an airplane. He was thorough in his words, as well as making sure each person knew each bit of the parachute before they were to even train with it. 

They didn't pack their own chutes, other organizations performed that task for them, but McPeterson went through the trouble of making sure the small group of women each knew how to do so.