On May 7, four of the Jaguars ROAR Cheerleaders traveled a few hours to Skydive City in Zephyrhills, Fla., to tandem jump with the Special Operations Command Parachute Team, "The Para-Commandos." Carrie, Chelsea, Devin and Jordan all got a chance to jump for the first time with one of the top parachute teams in the world.
"I had an amazing time and I wasn't really nervous at all," said Devin. "It was one of the best experiences of my life and I hope I get an opportunity to do it again."
Each cheerleader jumped from about 13,500 feet above the ground, freefalling for approximately 45 seconds at speeds in excess of 120 miles per hour before opening her parachute at around 6,000 feet above the ground.
"It was an experience of a lifetime," Jordan said. "The Para-Commandos made it such a memorable experience and made us feel safe the entire time. I think it's something everyone should have the chance to do."
The tandem instructors included SOCOM Team Leader Keith "Keef" Walter and Harold "Chip" Bowlin, both retired Army Lieutenant Colonels. Walter, who has been on the team for five years, was a Ranger Qualified Special Forces officer (Green Beret), served in Special Ops for 20 years and has about 4,000 jumps. He has also medaled in competition skydiving on many occasions. Bowlin, a former Special Operations Aviator has been on the team for over 10 years, has about 2,000 jumps and is a former world record holder for the most tandem jumps in a single day, with 103.
"It was great to have the Jaguars cheerleaders come to the drop zone and interact with the team," said SFC Marley "Peanut Butter" Milbank. "They do such a great job of representing their organization and hopefully they enjoyed their skydives as much as we enjoyed their company – they're great ladies."
The Para-Commandos jumped into EverBank Field last year during halftime of the September 26th game against the Philadelphia Eagles, and pending approval will jump again this year on opening day for the September 11thgame vs. Tennessee. For more information about the Para-Commandos, join their facebook page or The ROAR's page.
