SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii -- Seven members of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command Parachute Demonstration Team, known also as the "Black Daggers," filled the air with colorful smoke and unfurled a 1,000-foot long American flag in banner form as they exited a CH-47 Chinook over Schofield Barracks.
This incredible demonstration of skillful precision was part of the team's first-ever Hawaii performance at the Fourth of July Spectacular, with family, friends, and members from the island community lifting their eyes to the sky to watch.
"We brought the United States Army Special Operations Command Parachute team, here, to Schofield Barracks, for the Fourth of July Spectacular to assist us in marketing and public relations for the Special Operations community," said Sgt. 1st Class Shelby Bixler, the noncommissioned officer in charge of U.S. Army Special Operations Recruiting Hawaii.
"These jumpers come from a Special Forces background," he explained. "They're Rangers, Civil Affairs and Psychological Operations. They perform all over the nation as a public affairs asset to recruiting."
This year, the team has as many as 50 shows nationwide, and could add more. The team jumps from various types of aircraft, depending on what is available at each venue, such as C-17s, a Cessna and fixed or rotary wing aircraft. At this particular Hawaiian show, the team jumped from a CH-47 Chinook provided by the 3rd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, 25th Combat Aviation Brigade, 25th Infantry Division.
Master Sgt. Travis Alfred, the Black Daggers' team leader, said he was grateful to the 25th Infantry Division for their efforts, as well as to the local Special Operations recruiting office for the invitation to perform here.
The Black Daggers are based out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina. There are little less than a dozen on the team, which is made up of USASOC Soldiers. The Black Daggers perform for both military and civilian audiences.
"Our job is to be goodwill ambassadors and interact with the populous," said Staff Sgt. Sean O'Toole, the parachute rigger for the Black Daggers. "It's our joy just to interact with everybody."
TARGET PRACTICE
O'Toole has been with the team since last December. For the Hawaiian native, the best part of performing as a Black Dagger is interacting with the thrilled observers who come to watch the show. The free-fall parachutists, who use rectangular ram-air parachutes, landed in a designated area that was 100 feet long by 100 feet wide among the crowd.
"I absolutely love interacting with the crowd," O'Toole said. "You jump, you land, you can hear kids cheering for you, you can see smiles on people's faces. [You] shake the hands of veterans; they thank you for their service. I get to thank them for their service because they've paved the way for us."
Weather permitting, O'Toole said, the team can jump from as high as 10,000 feet. He described 120 miles per hour as the optimum speed for the parachutists. In ideal conditions, O'Toole said the team conducts a three-tiered performance, with jumpers opening their parachutes at different heights.
A Soldier must perform a minimum of 200 jumps to be a demonstrator for the team. Some performances, such as the one here at Schofield, have a prerequisite of 500 jumps.
The team regularly trains during the winter for a month, 12 hours a day, five to six days a week. Additional training is conducted in the time available between each performance.
One of the challenges of the role is the constant travel schedule of the Black Dagger team, O'Toole said.
"It's a very busy (operation) tempo. It's hard to take care of home life, but it's still my pleasure to be here."