An Army investigation concluded that wind speeds were within safe limits when a parachute team missed the landing area during a Winston Cup race in February. The demonstration was part of pre-race activities for the Subway 400 on Feb. 23 in Rockingham. Four soldiers from the Black Daggers, the Army special operations parachute team, were injured when winds carried them away from the planned landing area. Col. Leonard H. Kiser, a senior Army National Guard adviser for the command, injured his back. Sgt. 1st Class Stuart J. Goodall, a civil affairs team leader with 96th Civil Affairs Battalion, broke his ankle. Maj. Anthony C. Dill, executive officer for 3rd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group, broke his wrist, and Air Force Capt. Jesse L. Peterson of the 10th Combat Weather Squadron suffered cuts on his face. Maj. Gary Kolb, a spokesman for the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, said the conditions changed drastically after the jumpers left the aircraft. The winds were still within the military’s safety limits, he said. The eight-man parachute team jumped from a helicopter at 3,000 feet. All of the soldiers are expected to completely recover from their injuries, Kolb said. Due to deployments and the injuries to the four jumpers, the Black Dagger parachute team was forced to cancel its remaining demonstration jumps. ”We have a lack of team members,” Kolb said. The team will resume jumping when team members return from deployments. None of the four jumpers that were injured have deployed.( Fayetteville Observer )(3-14-2003)
