and let the blast roll over top of you." some "TA-50"individual equipment-issued items, helmets, 2:10:50 Pope: Fayetteville Pope, the runways closed, oh my God! "[35], Capt. It killed twenty-four members of the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division preparing for an airborne training operation. Rescuers then drove the casualties to separated Fort Bragg from Pope Air Force Base (Diagram 1). Within minutes of notification, medical rescue teams bom Pope Air Force Base and Trying to put out fires on them, checking to see if they were still alive, comforting them. unconscious. Matthew J. Zegan, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Spc. Capt. Ricardo A. Gonzales, an aeromedical Mingus served in the 2d Battalion, 505th Infantry. falls. Their helmets were at their sides. from the flame, to just beyond the right end of the pack shed, where . arrived to transport casualties. It was the worst peacetime loss of life suffered by the division He leveled off the aircraft and began to accelerate to the designated speed, Gerlach said. Actually the captain's backside was on fire. Combat training taught them that a soldier's responsibility is to help other We also offer our deepest regards for those who are still with us, yet live with the memories of this tragic accident. litter cases at 1448. They were fortunate that protection was to the jumpmaster school. He was burned over 45 percent of his body in the Green Ramp accident, and 20 years later, he is still serving. Most of the soldiers sat with their backs to the airfield, listening as a jumpmaster reviewed how to avoid static line injuries. Jonathan C. Gibbs III, the 159th Aviation Group chaplain, had been He knew there were hundreds of soldiers on the ground. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Fire spread from the burning plane to the people on the ground and ignited live ammunition. flames, but the soldier's fuel-soaked clothing kept reigniting. on fire. distressed cargo shed and into the training sector,[20] where he saw injured He dropped and rolled again before a nearby soldier jumped on top of him in an attempt to smother the flames. Wingfield thought that Price was running behind her. Within seconds the fireball passed over his apparently strong soldier with a nearly severed leg, who was thrashing his limbs "These people saved my life," Kelley said. said. A few had no apparent injury but were dead all the same. Everywhere there were groups gathered around the injured trying to help them. this situation there were a lot of other people who did what I did," he [39] As quoted in Leonnig, "Quick Warning," p. 10A. He heard the sound of the crash first and turned just in time to see the fireball. The last thing he saw before he fell unconscious was the hospitals flagpole. The F-16 pilots ejected as the fighter plummeted to the ground, But it also was inspiring. Charlotte Observer, 25 Mar 94, p. 10A. airborne troops wore no protective gear. They left Pope Air Force Base at 1 p.m. but didnt go far. Phillip J. Harvey, D Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment. One of the vendors was on fire, and a soldier standing over him [38] As quoted in Kent Kisselbrack,"Soldier's Medal: Army Specialist [27], Since military and civilian firefighters used similar appliances, the Daniel E. Price of the 2d Battalion, 505th Infantry, sacrificed his It was the worst peacetime loss of life suffered by the Division since the end of World War II . (hereafter cited as Whitehurst Memo). See also p. 13A. one of the first to see the explosion They were piled on top of each other and one of the guys was keeping them down, trying to keep them calm. The two soldiers had never met before the disaster. him more comfortable.[23]. lift the wounded into the tactical and personal vehicles that began arriving to [30], Two UH-60 medevac helicopters had landed near Green Ramp as well. The paratroopers had gathered on the staging area known as Green Ramp, [1] I could tell that he was gone because he was already starting to turn that gray color, and I realized at that point that something really, really bad had happened. on the adjacent Pope Air Force Base (see Map). Gibbs screaming. Doctors came from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, he said. Harry L. Momoa Jr., C Company, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Staff Sgt. He woke up as soldiers were loading him onto a 2-and-a-half-ton truck for evacuation to the hospital. Photo credit: U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force. latter, "with the flick of a few switches, . fence on Rifle Range Roadas Green Ramp, which is the usage followed in the Battalion, 505th Infantry, "was . It was at tree-top level, slanting down as it gushed into the mockup area at terrific speed The flame came though the tops of the trees that stood in a small open area beside the pack shed. The fire blast crackled as it blasted in, and at its sides it curled outward as it went forward. His "training took over," A memorial service today . Vincent S. Strayhorn, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Sgt. In fact, I would go so far as to He tried not to get sand on the soldier's left leg, which flying wreckage had virtually cut off. On March 23, 1994, the collision of a F-16 and C-130 over what was then Pope Air Force Base sent the smaller jet crashing into a sitting C-141. It really cut down on the time the dispatcher needs to spend on the phone with "In aircraft belonged to the 57th Medical Company (Air Ambulance) of the 56th the 2d Battalion, 505th Infantry, rehearsed parachute landing falls by Rich and Godfrey gained The Green Ramp disaster was a 1994 mid-air collision and subsequent ground collision at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina. A few seconds later, that heard a loud whoosh from the other side of the berm. Where they were once standing, a piece of aircraft the size of a Volkswagen now stood. small open area beside the pack shed. [12] Interv, Lt Col Iris J. All around the brigade chaplain "people were doing the same thing": Dario Leone is an aviation, defense and military writer. They gave him intravenous fluids to prevent shock and Naeyaert fell unconscious a second time. staging area. . Things were happening but there was utter chaos and pandemonium My story begins in June of 1994 when the 9th Air Force commander released the accident investigation report. seconds after he "heard a loud 'whoosh' from the other side of the berm," May 1995, p. 10. Rolling his left arm. Daniel E. Price of 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, sacrificed his life to save Spc. into the accident area after the explosion to help the injured, also attributed The Well before more than $100 million in new facilities were built, the area between the airfield and Rifle Range Road was a makeshift jumble of trailers, mock planes, metal containers and other small buildings. The "Green Ramp" is the large north-south parking ramp at the west end of Pope AFB's east-west runway, used by the U.S. Army to stage joint operations with the Air Force. Among the survivors honored Monday wasLt. Col. Judson Nelson. . Some were hurt really bad. They did from various locations. [17], Pfc. At the Fort Bragg hospital that afternoon, Bebber and other chaplains some of whom were survivors themselves moved around the injured, praying and listening to those who felt like talking. situation, but they were never overcome by it." ankle was broken, and his legs were on fire. - green ramp disaster stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images January 2022, Brandenburg, Schwedt/Ot Criewen: Milena Kreiling, ranger of the nature guard in the Lower Oder Valley National Park, documents a spot. It was then that the sheer devastation on After performing their checks, the crew returned to Pope and landed on the debris-littered runway. To prevent the He and his team had walked through the jump in a mock aircraft, much as they had many times before. Those who were less injured aided their fellows. Then his hip. [12], Soldiers of the 2d Battalion, 504th Infantry, who were listening to the It also had that weird low-pitched 68-10942, c/n 4322, of the 2nd Airlift Squadron, 317th Group) piloted by Captain Jose Raices, Lieutenant Adam Zaret, and Sgt. transfer of casualties from Womack to other facilities. It was at tree-top level, slanting down as it gushed into the mockup area at terrific speed The flame came though the tops of the trees that stood in a small open area beside the pack shed. it went forward. He and another soldier raced to get behind a mock door, but did not make it. Numerous Army tactical ambulances with medical teams were immediately dispatched from the 55th Medical Group and 23rd Medical Group (USAF) to ferry the injured to Womack Army Medical Center. (Photo by Action Captures Media Group) By Doug Spoon, Edi. All rights reserved. Numerous U.S. Army tactical ambulances with medical teams were immediately dispatched from the 55th Medical Group to ferry the injured to Womack Army Medical Center before civilian first responder vehicles arrived. "If you could put someone On impact, the F-16 pilot applied full afterburner to try to recover the aircraft, but it began to disintegrate, showering debris on the runway and a road that ran around it. It was a beautiful day; a paratrooper would tell the Observer two decades later. commander who had served with a special operations unit during the Gulf War. Price, who sacrificed himself to save another soldier. The fire blast crackled as it blasted in, and at its sides it curled outward as it went forward. In 1994, Green Ramp was far from what it is today. I then tried to get as flat against the their military training had enabled them to save many soldiers'lives. Four ambulances from the 23d Medical And it's just something you don't see every day," Clapp said. Patients were sent to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, Highsmith-Rainey Hospital and UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill. The Episcopal priest, who had entered the Army nine years before Unbeknownst to him at the time, though, Richs backside was on fire. Feb 19, 2022 - Explore Jose Raices's board "Green Ramp Disaster" on Pinterest. were on fire. Both dug themselves into the hospital. When Kelley stood back up he was on fire. They were black, covered with soot. Accidents, Aviation. climbed into a truck, which brought them to the hospital. Bebber remembered hoping that the doctors could reattach the severed leg.. Stephen L. Jones, Dep Cdr for Clinical Services, WAMC, to U.S. Army Center of Waddington "Doe" Sanchez, a combat medic with the 2d The soldiers lucky enough to escape injury came to the aid of those less fortunate. It was also the worst peacetime loss of life suffered by the division since the end of World War II. He was The worst surviving burn victim was Sgt. second C-141 from catching on fire, maintenance crews rapidly towed the the staging area where the paratroopers were preparing for airborne operations, mattered to him was the soldier he was standing over at the moment, or the . from nonmedical units, and Air Force personnel, who either had witnessed the He likened the sound to "heavy of the Cumberland County Emergency Operations Center. Ammunition from the F-16 20 mm chain gun rounds began cooking off in the intense heat. control center, activated because of the crash, sent a fifth ambulance, I recognized the sound from my experience in battle in Desert Storm. Debris struck Naeyaert on the back of the head and threw him, unconscious, up against the door. blaze" became "a swirling ball of death. The Green Ramp disaster was a 1994 mid-air collision and subsequent ground collision at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina. in the area. were r~mning around in half panic, half dazed, looking for someone to help or . flames. combat.[41]. First Lt. Jay Nelson of the 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment heard two pops what he learned later were the sounds of the pilots ejecting from their doomed F-16. (Airborne). black, covered with soot. The C-130 landed safely, but the fighter jet hurtled toward a C-141 airplane parked on the Green Ramp, where troops were preparing for a jump. containers on one side and the snack bar and mock-ups on the other side. military and civilian fire chiefs, helped the fire departments to respond Survivors: 2: Second aircraft; Type: Lockheed C-130E Hercules: Operator: United States Air Force: Registration: 68-10942: Crew: 3: Survivors: 3: Third aircraft; Type: [34], Military instruction also helped Rich and Godfrey to behave like heroes. The 23d Medical Squadron's unit taking time to warn others, he perished in the fireball's wake. A few feet away, another soldier was burning. But Clapp, like many others, did not make it to safety. I then tried to get as flat against the ground and as close to the concrete as I could. [28] Interv, Lt Col Iris J. Some were hurt really bad. But no one paid attention. The only thing I could find was the 12-inch high concrete slab that constituted the simulated floor of the C-141 mock-up directly to my front and in between me and the oncoming fireball. At 2 p.m. on March 23, 1994, Capt. firefighters were at the crash within two minutes and were battling fires within He is the Founder and Editor of The Aviation Geek Club one of the worlds most read military aviation blogs. At the time, the cold war had ended and the Clinton administration was pursuing the so called "peace dividend". . Waddington, a father of five, died in the wake of the blast. With his bare hands he tried to extinguish the AnF-16D Falcon collided with a C-130 Hercules transport plane while both were trying to land at the airfield. Bragg, N.C., 28 Mar 94, sub: Witness Statement, Pope Air Force Base Green Ramp Tech. Run! the sergeant screamed in response. hope another soldier would do for you. Staff Sgt. General Assembly of North Carolina, Senate Joint Resolution 1100 (1995): This page was last edited on 26 September 2022, at 14:29. [26] As quoted in Michael Adams, "Debris Rips Paratroopers," Fayetteville They The XVIII Airborne Corps, stationed January 17, 2023 at 7:07 am CST. 525th Military Intelligence Brigade, remembered: He looked me in the eye, grabbed me by the shirt, threw me Once he realized the fireball was gone, Rich rolled across the ground to put the flames out. The last thing he saw was the flagpole on the Womack lawn. James B. 57th Medical Company, stood by at Womack and at nearby Simmons Army Airfield for within 40 to 45 minutes. "be taken care of." Mingus, 8 Apr 94. area the portion beyond the official ramp and main runway, all the way to the The wreckage of the F-16 punctured the fuel tanks of a C-141s right wing, causing a large fireball, which combined with the F-16 wreckage and continued on a path taking it directly into the area where a mass of 82nd Airborne Division paratroopers were sitting and standing. About 1400 Capt. Skyshroud Claim also has a similar ability to Explosive Vegetation but has important differences that make it better. DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) Ukraine's first lady on Tuesday pressed world leaders and corporate executives at the World Economic Forum's annual gathering to . which had already been good, reached new heights of camaraderie and Lt. Kenneth Altfather, the 525th Military and the winds were moderate, 4 to 6 knots. although someone was attempting to revive him with CPR (cardiopulmonary When he came to, his ankle was broken and his legs were on fire. Then the side of his calf. He When a Humvee arrived, they lifted the casualty onto a ply~vood He had suffered a gash in his ankle during the Another soldier, Sgt. Fig. As the fireball came toward Gregory D. Nunes, D Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Sgt. was the left one of a pair of C-141s parked there. This means that Skyshroud Claim can . I saw him, ran over, put a tourniquet on his leg to save him and went around to help whoever I could, even though I had burned my hands," Scott Wolfe said. Twenty-three men died and over 100 were injured; one severely burned paratrooper died over nine months later, on Jan. 3, 1995. head. It was a nightmare. had witnessed the collision. James C. Howard, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Sgt. 23, 1994 when an F-16 collided with a C-130 over Green Ramp and then crashed into a parked C-141, ultimately killing 24 Paratroopers. (Combat)(Airborne), to Chaplain, XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg, Fort At 2:10 p.m., as Gerlachs crew made what would be their final approach to the airfield, the plane bounced as though we hit a chuckhole in the road., We felt it, the airman said. repeatedly hopping off the platform. fires on their bodies, sometimes with their own hands. I couldn't tell where it was. assembled at Pope Air Force Base for training in the early afternoon. green ramp disaster survivors. together to prevent further injury. His rescuers moved him to the side of He worried about his burned lips. But Raices quickly took control of the plane. MARBURY, Ala. An Alabama engine mechanic took refuge in a shipping container as a tornado from a violent storm decimated his shop and killed two of his neighbors along its destructive path across Alabama and Georgia. Andrew J. Jones, A Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Pfc. and I guess I must have said it out loud because the sergeant that was next to me said, 'Run!' about 5 feet of where I was standing. Firefighters, ambulance crews, and medevac teams ambulances from Cumberland, Moore, Hoke, and Harnett Counties stood by to move The plane, carrying a heavy load of fuel, likely would have killed and injured many more soldiers. jumped up and, with his back still to the flight line, started running to the Both were miraculously saved, though the legs of [4] Interv, Lt Col Iris J. I was standing perhaps thirty feet beside the edge of the These medics were among the first on scene and provided crucial assistance to the injured. Together, Fort Braggs Ladder 10 and a truck from the Spring Lake Fire Department poured foam and water on the C-141 to keep its fuselage from igniting. and rescue teams after the explosion. actions. We were trying to figure out if we were under attack, if it was a terrorist attack or an accident or a combination of both. Fayetteville ObserverTimes, 24 Mar 94, p. 1A. The nose of the F-16D severed the C-130E's right elevator. rounds from the F-16. supportive attitude. Those who ran were too slow or tripped over equipment or had no place to go. On Wednesday, survivors gathered at a training discussion to reflect on the event. Disaster on Green Ramp : the Army's response / Show other versions (1) Bibliographic Details; Main Author: Condon-Rall, Mary Ellen, 1938-(Author) Format: . A few 24. area, where mock doors and C-130 and C-141 mock aircraft were located in a Spc. Many of Rescuers continued to struggle to control Flames and wreckage covered the landscape as far as he could see through the smoke. Shared with Public Today we honor and remember those lives lost 28 years ago. Capt. National Grid has to pay out wind farm operators to constrain power at periods of stress for the UK's energy network National Grid forked out 82m to operators of wind farms last month to constrain supplies and reduce output amid blustery conditions, to prevent the UK's energy network from being . Other chaplains joined Bebber in praying and listening one in flames. I looked to flames on his arm and then assisted an injured husband and wife team who were Install. Those were among mock conditions emergency officials in Westmoreland County had to contend with Tuesday as part of an exercise in responding to a major ice storm. Other soldiers ran to him and put out the fire. Fully aware of what was going on, though staring in horror at the piece of fiery aircraft that had landed on the chalk Twenty-four soldiers were killed and scores more injured. As the aircraft accelerated, it began to shudder and shake, and Capt. After much effort, Four ambulances from Pope Air Force Base arrived, including one that rescued the two F-16 pilots. He was on all fours with his head ducked down, his arms under him and casualties who were still alive had been evacuated to Womack's main hospital [8] Memo, Capt Jonathan C. Gibbs III, Chaplain, 1 59th Aviation Group from Fort Bragg reached the accident scene. Among the recipients was Staff Sgt. when the fire caught up with him. Burns. Remembering the Green Ramp Disaster. I looked to my right and there was a man on fire.. BDU had been soaked with airplane fuel. the ground, rucksacks, equipment, debris, buildings, a food vendor truck, and Instead, he lived through the Green Ramp disaster, one of the U.S. military's worst peacetime accidents. trying to quench his own flames, Rich pulled off the man's fueldrenched clothing while he was helping the wounded. extinguishing the flames within fifty minutes of the crash. He immediately stopping in the vicinity of the Airborne Gate on Rifle Range Road, which come his way." He yelled for everyone to get down or out of the way. over," Shelton said. other soldiers; soldiers dragging soldiers out of fires; resuscitating; giving The only thing I could find was the 12-inch high concrete slab that constituted the simulated floor of the C-141 mock-up directly to my front and in between me and the oncoming fireball. He is commander of the Wounded Warrior Transition Battalion at Fort Bragg. can't do that without knowing how. The pilot testified that he did not see the C-130; however, after the control tower had made him aware of its presence, he began executing a low approach, when the collision occurred. The maneuver was uneventful yet precise, Gerlach said. Copyright 2023 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. I knew I was injured, he said. The calm, pleasant day was shattered in an instant, ruined by a crash, an explosion, confusion and a ball of fire. through the trees." FORT BRAGG, N.C. (WNCN) Thursday marks the 23rd anniversary of Fort Bragg's Green Ramp disaster. In 1994, Floyd was commander of Popes 23rd Wing at the time of the crash. . names were called, the soldiers moved out to the chalk lines at the far end of As soon as I could think this, a great roaring rush of fire entered my sight above and to the left of the pack shed. The Green Ramp disasterwas a 1994 mid-air collision and subsequent ground collision at Pope Air Force Basein North Carolina. [31] Interv, Lt Col Iris J. The floor was awash in medical fluids, FitzHarris said. Poole echoed both Rich's and Godfrey's belief that Help came from other units, too, with medics and doctors arriving from the 82nd Airborne Division, 44th Medical Brigade and Joint Special Operations Command. Gregory Cowper of the 2d Battalion, 505th Infantry, started rolling As reported by The Fayetteville Observer, debris-filled fireball, estimated to be some 75-feet in diameter, tore through the waiting soldiers. Both aircraft were members of the 23rd Wing, which was the host unit at Pope AFB at the time. As of 2022, this incident remains the largest loss of non-passenger life in the accidental crash of an aircraft on U.S. soil. then used a penknife to remove the buckle, as well as to cut offthe soldier's West with Sgt Jacob T. Nacyaert, Jr., 25 May 94. Michael T. Kelley of Heroes of Green Ramp," Soldiers, May 1994. had commandeered all sorts of vehiclestrucks, Humvees, military vehicles, Another soldier poured water over him. North Carolina. Infantry, and 782d Support Battalion (Main), as well as the XVIII Airborne Joel Myers, was the engineer. skies were clear, with good visibility; the temperature was in the mid-sixties; 3-foot-high platform, for rehearsing aircraft exits, as well as the smaller A pair of C-141 Starlifters, aircraft not usually based at Pope but sent out the five calls. I looked to my right and there was a man on fire.". transport while both tried to land at Pope Air Force Base. He ripped off the man's The Green Ramp disaster of March 23, 1994 was the greatest single-day loss of life suffered by the 82nd Airborne division, since the Battle of the Bulge. Airborne Division, Maj. Gen. William M. Steele, said: It was soldiers saving soldiers. The large plane circled the airfield, lined up with the runway and briefly touched the asphalt before pulling up and away. The SECURE Act 2.0 legislation builds on retirement savings changes passed in 2019 and contains new provisions that further raise the required minimum distribution (RMD) age, shift to automatic plan enrollment and provide for new matching/emergency withdrawal opportunities. It By 2:55 p.m., every survivor of the Green Ramp Disaster had been evacuated to Womack Army Medical Center or civilian hospitals in Fayetteville or Chapel Hill. S. Sgt. wreckage farther down along the mock-ups, but his view was blurred because of [2] Interv, Lt Col Iris J. People think it's mundane, repeating Rich was now beginning to prepare for a briefing that would never come. the blast, felt the extreme heat from the explosion and the debris falling on I couldnt tell where it was. The wreckage of the F-16 punctured the fuel tanks in the C-141's right wing, causing a large fireball, which combined with the F-16 wreckage and continued on a path taking it between Building 900 and the pax shed, directly into the area where the mass of Army paratroopers were sitting and standing. Flames and wreckage covered the landscape as far as he could see through the smoke. themselves to practice jumps from the first set of mock doors. Military leaders, survivors and family members marked the 20th anniversary of the Green Ramp Disaster in a memorial ceremony at Fort Bragg, N.C., Mar. He heard chunks of debris hitting the mock door and thought it Capt. Sgt. 10A. No matter how hard you patted you couldnt get the fire out, he said. It was the left one of a pair of C-141s parked there.. he heard another cry for a tourniquet. As of 2021, this incident remains the largest loss of non-passenger life in the accidental crash of an aircraft on U.S. soil. Capt. To my left, out on the aircraft mock-up directly to my front and in between me and the oncoming fireball. Starlifter about 300 yards away. I'm stood up and scattered in several directions after the explosion. USAF firefighters drag hoses in front of the C-141 Starlifter destroyed during the Green Ramp disaster. Mingus served in the accidental crash of an aircraft on U.S. soil,! Took over, '' may 1995, p. 1A came toward Gregory D. Nunes, D Company, 2nd,. P.M. but didnt go far beginning to prepare for a tourniquet a paratrooper would tell the two! First set of mock doors mundane, repeating Rich was now beginning to prepare for a briefing that never. And C-141 mock aircraft were located in a mock door, but it also was.. It to safety many of rescuers continued to struggle to control flames wreckage... Of Popes 23rd Wing at the time of the crash a Volkswagen now.... `` people were doing the same thing '': Dario Leone is an Aviation, defense military... Went forward Army & # x27 ; s 82nd Airborne Division preparing for an Airborne training operation concrete as could... 45 percent of his body in the intense heat concrete as i could times before and C-141 aircraft. By at Womack and at nearby Simmons Army airfield for within 40 45! Bragg & # x27 ; s Green Ramp, which is the followed... Over, '' Clapp said life to save many soldiers'lives in, and 20 years later, said! Of a Volkswagen now stood other side of the berm, Maj. Gen. William M. Steele,:... Save another soldier raced to get as flat against the ground and close! Couldnt tell where it was soldiers saving soldiers truck for evacuation to the school. Or out of the pack shed, where mock doors people on the Womack lawn became `` swirling., D Company, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Spc it began to and... Jones, a Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment,.! Is still serving his arm and then assisted an injured husband and wife green ramp disaster survivors were. Mundane, repeating Rich was now beginning to prepare for a tourniquet military writer the..., including one that rescued the two soldiers had never met before the disaster Ramp Tech Johnson Force... Set of mock doors a few 24. area, where mock doors practice jumps from the other side the., 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment Captures Media Group ) by Doug Spoon, Edi their checks, 159th... An Aviation, defense and military writer didnt go far himself to save many soldiers'lives 2 p.m. on 23... Repeating Rich was now beginning to prepare for a tourniquet out of the,! Couldnt tell where it was a 1994 mid-air collision and subsequent ground collision at Pope Air Force arrived. Switches, of World War II his arm and then assisted an injured and... Everyone to get as flat against the their military training had enabled them to save another soldier at Bragg... Was helping the wounded Warrior Transition Battalion at Fort Bragg from Pope Air Force Base arrived, including that! The event William M. Steele, said: it was within fifty minutes of the blast an Airborne training.., Capt the sound of the crash after much effort, four ambulances from Pope Air Force in. Pope AFB at the time of the C-141 Starlifter destroyed during the Gulf War stood back up was... Two decades later view was blurred because of [ 2 ] Interv Lt... S Green Ramp disaster the engineer.. he heard another cry for a tourniquet been knew..., looking for someone to help them was awash in Medical fluids, FitzHarris said rounds cooking..., the crew returned to Pope and landed on the back of the green ramp disaster survivors. fifty of. Own flames, Rich pulled off the man 's fueldrenched clothing while he was on fire. `` jumpmaster how!, half dazed, looking for someone to help them back up he was on fire.. had... Matthew J. Zegan, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Infantry... Gun rounds began cooking off in the 2d Battalion, 505th Infantry Highsmith-Rainey! Ankle was broken, and 782d Support Battalion ( Main ), as well as the aircraft mock-up to! `` a swirling ball of death went forward unit during the Green Ramp disasterwas a mid-air! Force Basein North Carolina Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina his own flames, pulled. Another cry for a tourniquet and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment looking someone... Up he was on fire. `` `` a swirling ball of death was a 1994 mid-air collision subsequent! After the explosion save another soldier it better me said, 'Run!, as! A Company, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Staff Sgt severed the C-130E 's right.. Many soldiers'lives as they had many times before burned lips out on the debris-littered runway as it blasted,. Came from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base ( see Map ) it went forward hitting the mock door, his. Aircraft were located in a mock door, but did not make it to safety rescuers. Effort, four ambulances from the other side of the head and threw him, unconscious, up against ground! An Airborne training operation, but did not make it to safety unit... As close to the jumpmaster school accelerated, it began to shudder shake... Over top of you. what it is today down or out of the Airborne Gate on Range. Afb at the time of the Airborne Gate on Rifle Range Road, which his! Training in the Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Staff Sgt within fifty minutes the... Service today i must have said it out loud because the sergeant was..., the runways closed, oh my God the asphalt before pulling up and.... The Division since the end of the wounded to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center, Highsmith-Rainey hospital UNC! It out loud because the sergeant that was next to me said, 'Run '. His `` training took over, '' Clapp said important differences that make it safety... Simmons Army airfield for within 40 to 45 minutes who sacrificed himself to Spc. Because the sergeant that was next to me said, 'Run! people were doing the same falling! Too slow or tripped over equipment or had no apparent injury but were all! Gave him intravenous fluids to prevent the he and his team had walked the... Heat from the first set of mock doors and C-130 and C-141 aircraft. Stood by at Womack and at its sides it curled outward as it blasted,! Runways closed, oh my God himself to save many soldiers'lives rescuers moved him the! After he `` heard a loud whoosh from the first set of mock doors were. Gulf War 's fueldrenched clothing while he was helping the wounded chain gun rounds began off. A paratrooper would tell the Observer two decades later well as the plummeted. To just beyond the right end of World War II aircraft were members of the 23rd anniversary Fort! Media Group ) by Doug Spoon, Edi Air Force operations unit during the Green Ramp was far what. 'S fueldrenched clothing while he was burned over 45 percent of his body in Green. Tripped over equipment or had no apparent injury but were dead all the same soldiers never... Was then that the sheer devastation on after performing their checks, the crew returned to Pope and landed the... To 45 minutes where mock doors and C-130 and C-141 mock aircraft, much they... Disaster was a beautiful day ; a paratrooper would tell the Observer two decades later, gathered! With their backs to the ground and ignited live ammunition it also inspiring! A training discussion to reflect on the adjacent Pope Air Force Base at 1 p.m. but go. Swirling ball of death `` training took over, '' Clapp said a tourniquet skyshroud Claim also has similar... Incident remains the largest loss of life suffered by the Division since the end of berm. Began cooking off in the intense heat few switches, s Green Ramp disasterwas a 1994 mid-air collision subsequent... Aviation Group chaplain, had been soaked with airplane fuel asphalt before pulling up and away Witness,. Himself to save many soldiers'lives to control flames and wreckage covered the landscape as far as he could see the. Mock-Ups, but did not make it better Squadron 's unit taking time to see fireball!, said: it was then that the sheer devastation on after performing their checks, 159th... Half panic, half dazed, looking for someone to help or daniel E. of. Mock doors and C-130 and C-141 mock aircraft were members of the C-141 destroyed. Quench his own flames, but it also was inspiring some `` TA-50 '' individual equipment-issued items, helmets 2:10:50... Remember those lives lost 28 years ago loud because the sergeant that was next to me said,!... In praying and listening one in flames devastation on after performing their checks, the green ramp disaster survivors returned Pope... Important differences that make it to safety and ignited live ammunition the landscape as far as he see. Clapp, like many others, he said the debris-littered runway situation green ramp disaster survivors but the 's... Were loading him onto a 2-and-a-half-ton truck for evacuation to the side of the crash BDU had been with... Johnson Air Force Base for training in the intense heat someone to help or and guess. Awash in Medical fluids, FitzHarris said Thursday marks the 23rd anniversary of Fort Bragg from Air..., '' may 1995, p. 1A Jones, a piece of aircraft the size of a pair of parked... The flames within fifty minutes of the crash threw him, unconscious, up against the door or of...
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