How to Become an Army Paratrooper

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: February 8, 2023 Approved

To become an Army paratrooper, you have to have discipline in order to complete all the required physical training, pass all the needed examinations, and prepare for all the changes between training units. It can be a long process, but this is what you need to do in order to become an airborne soldier successfully.

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Joining the Army

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Know what you need to apply. You need to understand exactly what paperwork and documents you will need in order to join the army. Here is how you should start the process. ^{[1]
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- Research online for information. Go online to the main website for the Army to obtain information that can answer amy questions or concerns that might rise through the application process.
- Locate an Army recruiting office. Find a recruiter that will be able to help you throughout the enlistment process. The recruiter will also be your guide through enlistment and will help you up until you start physical training.
- Complete all required paperwork. You will need to verify your identity. Provide a birth certificate, social security card, a driver's license, and academic records.
2
Pass all required examinations. There are a couple of examinations you need to complete and meet specific scores in order to continue the process of joining the Army.^{[2]
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- Make sure you pass your required background check. If you have ever been convicted of a felony, you will not be able to enlist.
- Take the academic evaluation to determine what role you are eligible for in the army. Based on what you score in the skills test, you will have several options to start your career.
- Get a physical evaluation done. You have to meet certain height, weight, and health requirements in order to be qualified to serve the army.
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Complete your basic Army training. You'll learn basic survival and combat skills by finishing the intensive training of 9 weeks.This will be the first of two intensive training phases you will go through before becoming a paratrooper.
- You will have to undergo rigorous mental and physical training to ensure you have both the psychological and physical strength required for combat.
- Strengthen your stamina through extensive running exercises that although difficult at first, your your body will get use to as you undergo training.
- Develop dedication and determination through early morning and late night training.
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Finish training with graduation. After you finish basic training, you will officially be trained as a combat soldier. You will have the opportunity to celebrate with family and friends with a graduation ceremony.
- Let the people who you are inviting to the ceremony know what date and time the graduation will take place so they can make prior arrangements to be able to attend.
- Purchase the necessary formal attire needed in order to attend the ceremony. Make sure you understand what uniform you need obtain for the unit you are in to avoid any issues the day of graduation.
- Keep in mind important dates and deadlines coming after graduation so that you continue with the process of becoming a paratrooper.

Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Preparing for Paratrooper Training

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Finish Advanced Individualized training. After basic training, you will be transferred to a unit where you will learn skills about the position you are training for. You need to finish this before you apply to jump school.
- Continue being physically active, even if there isn't formal physical training. This will keep you prepared for jump school.
- Be attentive to all the on-hands experience you gather during this training, it will probably help you when you train at airborne school.
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Start process for jump school. Understand what you need for Army paratrooper training so that you can begin the process after your advanced training. The process will be similar to that of applying to join the army again.^{[3]
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- Speak to your commanding officer in order to enroll in Paratrooper training. They will get in contact with the right people that will help get the process started.
- Get ready to travel again for specialized training. Paratrooper training is conducted at Fort Benning, Georgia, so you will have to go there once you are enrolled in airborne school.
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Verify that you meet all the additional requirements needed in order to enroll in paratrooper training. The requirements needed are more specific than the ones to enlist, so make sure you understand what they are.^{[4]
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- Be under the age of 36 when you apply for paratrooper training.
- Pass another physical fitness test with certain minimum requirements that are much more stringent than those for entering the Army.
- Have good physical health without mobility, vision, or hearing impairments. Having any impairments will disqualify you from enrolling successfully in jump school.

Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Training as a Paratrooper

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Begin on the ground. You'll start off your training on the ground, similar to basic training. There are specific skills you need to master before training in the air.^{[5]
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- Learn how to make a parachute jump safely, without hurting yourself upon landing. How you do it here will be the first step before you practice with the parachute at higher ground.
- Practice getting out quickly by using the the mock door to acquaint yourself with exiting an aircraft while airborne. This skill will definitely be once you work on aircrafts.
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Start training on higher ground. Once you finish your physical challenges on the ground, you will complete challenges on higher ground.
- Use a landing fall platform to develop proper parachute landing techniques. This is an important skill to learn early in training because it will be harder to do once you train on higher ground.
- Practice controlling your parachute during a descent. You have to learn this skill before you can continue with jumping off the training towers.
- Complete jumps from a 34-foot tower that will allow you to get used to the actual sensation of a parachute jump. This will be your first high jump during your airborne training.
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Continue training above ground. In the second week, your training will be reinforced with more physical training. The intensity will increase, and training will consist of more off the ground challenges.
- Learn how to deal with oscillation and falls upon landing. This is important so that you can make sure you do not get hurt.
- Practice how to recover from the drag. Learning how to recover quickly will make jumping a smoother experience.
- Jump from a 250-foot tower to transition into the actual parachute jumping. Starting from the tower first will help ease any fears before jumping from the aircraft.
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Finish in the air. The third and final week of Army paratrooper training will be completely different. You'll actually get to jump from an aircraft.
- Use both conventional parachutes and steerable parachutes. You will need to successfully use both in order to complete training correctly.
- Complete 5 successful and qualifying jumps. All 5 jumps need to be done right in order for you to qualify for your wings.
- Make the jumps without assistance and land safely on the ground. This will determine if completed your training successfully, or if you will have to re-try again during another training session.

Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Becoming an Army Paratrooper

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Celebrate again with graduation. After completing your required jumps, you successfully finished training as a paratrooper. You will get to celebrate your success again with a graduation ceremony.
- Be prepared to have a short celebration. The graduation process will be much shorter at airborne school because you will have your next assignment ready after the ceremony.
- Let family members know who are invited to graduation that you might not have time to spend with them after the ceremony.
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Receive your Army paratrooper wings. Upon satisfactory completion of your qualifying jumps and graduation, you become an Army paratrooper. This means that you can be deployed to assist in airborne operations.^{[6]
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- Earn an additional skill identifier that only an elite group of soldiers are able to obtain.
- Obtain the right to wear the coveted “Silver Wing” on your uniform that represents the additional extensive training you completed to become an Army Paratrooper.
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Prepare for your next assignment. After you receive your wings, you should already know where you are heading from Benning, Georgia.
- Make sure you know what unit you will be traveling to in order to understand the weather you will be living in for however long you assignment will be.
- Be ready to start using your new skills as an airborne soldier in your new assignments. You will finally be able to use your skills as an official Army paratrooper.

Community Q&A

Question

What is the jumping height?

Community Answer

Several jumps from a 34 foot tower, several from a 250 foot tower, and then five from either a C-130 or a C-17 at 1250 feet.
Question

How many jumps do I need to do in order to pass the course?

Community Answer

You need 5 satisfactory jumps in order to pass the course - 2 of them carrying equipment, 1 of them at night.
Question

Can I have any back problems?

Community Answer

No.

Warnings

If you are not use to intense physical training, basic training might be too difficult for you to complete. Prepare for basic training by increasing daily physical activity.

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Not everyone makes it past basic training to join the army, so have a backup plan to fall back on if it does not work out.

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