Stunning images of U.S. Marines free-fall parachute ops from Black Hawk helicopters

October 9, 2013 Helicopters, Special Operations

David Cenciotti

The images in this post, released by the U.S. Marine Corps, show Marines assigned to Force Reconnaissance Platoon, Maritime Raid Force, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), conducting military free-fall parachute operations from a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter assigned to Alpha Company, 1-189th General Support Aviation Battalion (GSAB), Montana Army National Guard in the 5th Fleet Area of Operations (possibly in Kuwait, at least based on tags on the image).

What is interesting is that the UH-60 is equipped with with main engine inlet barrier filter system fitted.

The 26th MEU is currently forward-deployed in the Middle East area aboard the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group serving as a sea-based, expeditionary crisis response force capable of conducting amphibious operations.

A MEU is made of 2,200 Marines and sailors deployed as a Marine air-ground task force (MAGTF) that includes a Marine infantry battalion equipped with tanks, amphibious assault vehicles, light artillery as well as Mv-22B Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, AV-8B Harrier combat planes, UH-1N Huey and AH-1Y Cobra helicopters.

Footage of the UH-60 going down in Mogadishu 20 years ago has emerged lately.

Image credit: U.S. Marine Corps

About David Cenciotti

David Cenciotti is a journalist based in Rome, Italy. He is the Founder and Editor of “The Aviationist”, one of the world’s most famous and read military aviation blogs. Since 1996, he has written for major worldwide magazines, including Air Forces Monthly, Combat Aircraft, and many others, covering aviation, defense, war, industry, intelligence, crime and cyberwar. He has reported from the U.S., Europe, Australia and Syria, and flown several combat planes with different air forces. He is a former 2nd Lt. of the Italian Air Force, a private pilot and a graduate in Computer Engineering. He has written five books and contributed to many more ones.

Tomcat says:

October 9, 2013 at 5:16 PM

Can’t click on the main image to enlarge. Please fix as I would like to use the higher resolution image as my new background. Great photo none the less!
- cencio4 says:
  
  October 9, 2013 at 8:41 PM
  
  Here you can find the very hi-rez one:
  http://www.flickr.com/photos/navcent/
  - Tomcat says:
    
    October 10, 2013 at 2:56 PM
    
    Thanks.
Sash says:

October 9, 2013 at 11:32 PM

The Crew Chief is wearing a Maxillo face shield. It is used mostly by helo aft crewman (but sometimes pilots as well) to protect the face from sand and debris. It also helps reduce some noise over the intercom when speaking with your head in the air stream.

http://www.gentexcorp.com/default.aspx?pageid=2922
- Tomcat says:
  
  October 10, 2013 at 2:57 PM
  
  Thanks a lot. Interesting.
Mike says:

November 4, 2013 at 12:55 AM

….one image of U.S. Marines free-fall…
- cencio4 says:
  
  November 4, 2013 at 5:39 PM
  
  There are three in the post, can’t understand your comment.
  - Mike says:
    
    November 4, 2013 at 6:57 PM
    
    Your headline states this: “Stunning images of U.S. Marines free-fall parachute ops from Black Hawk helicopters in the…”
    
    My first impression from the headline is that you have multiple pictures of U.S. Marines doing free-falls, from Black Hawk helicopters. However, I only see “one” picture of “one” U.S. Marine doing a free-fall from a Black Hawk helicopter. The other two pictures are of U.S. Marines riding inside Black Hawk helicopters who are not doing free-falls.
    
    Does this make sense?
    
    All I’m trying to say is that I was disappointed that the pictures did not actually match the headline. Or it could be stated that the headline did not accurately match your photos.