JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska - Inside KING 98, the loadmasters were preparing for another group of jumpers while the aircrew up front prepared another approach. A completed parachute drop meant finishing a checklist, re-rigging the static-line retrieval system, and checking it again. As the HC-130J Combat King II climbed, the crew also gathered wind data to determine where the next jumpers should exit.

"The biggest change between each pass, especially the static-line jumps is the rigging," said Tech. Sgt. Kimberly Gunia, a loadmaster with the Alaska Air National Guard's 211th Rescue Squadron. "We have to re-rig our static-line retrieval system."

The work inside the aircraft and the calculations on the flight deck came together during a Sept. 23 mission over Malemute Drop Zone on JBER. In less than two hours of flight time, the crew supported active-duty Army and Air National Guard parachutists at three jump altitudes, deployed free-fall parabundles, and practiced visual and instrument landing system approaches into Elmendorf Field.

The jumpers included pararescuemen, also known as PJs, from the 212th Rescue Squadron and active-duty Army paratroopers from the 4th Quartermaster Company, 725th Brigade Support Battalion (Airborne), 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 11th Airborne Division.

Their parachutes brought different demands. The Army's static-line systems offered limited steering, requiring the aircrew to calculate a release point that accounted for winds, aircraft speed and the time needed for a group of jumpers to exit. The PJs' more maneuverable parachutes gave them greater ability to steer toward their landing point.

"The stricter drop parameters for the Army jumps compared to the 212th highlights the importance of coordinating and planning carefully with two different users with different demands," said Capt. Tyler Dent, a 211th Rescue Squadron combat systems officer.

That coordination began the day before the flight. The aircrew and jumpers planned together, followed by a detailed brief the morning of the mission. Once aboard, the loadmasters reviewed the aircraft's setup with the jumpmasters to resolve any remaining questions.

During the drops, Gunia and her fellow loadmasters counted who was standing and connected to the static line, checking for any differences against the briefed plan. Every pass required a complete checklist, followed by another once the loadmasters and jumpers were ready.

Between static-line passes, they re-rigged the cable and winch used to retrieve deployment bags after the jumpers exited. Gunia said the retrieval system also had a more critical purpose: bringing back a jumper who could have been towed behind the aircraft and could not be cut away.

The loadmasters checked and double-checked the rigging while working around jumpers moving through the aircraft. They also had to account for the aircraft's movement as it climbed and turned.

"Experienced crews can complete this in under 5 minutes," Dent said, "and in that time the crew in the front end is evaluating winds and setting up for their next approach."

The mission called for Army static-line jumps at 1,000 feet, PJ static-line jumps at 3,000 feet and military free-fall jumps at 10,000 feet. During the climbs, the aircrew leveled at intervals to collect actual wind data. The lower-altitude winds closely matched the forecast, but the winds measured higher up differed enough for Dent to update his calculations.

Light winds at 10,000 feet presented another consideration. Releasing near the center of the launch acceptability region, the area where jumpers could exit and still reach their intended target, would place the free-fall jumpers almost directly above that point. During the run-in, Dent and the PJ jumpmaster discussed moving the release farther north so the jumpers could see the target and steer toward it.

"We elected to release on the outer ring of the LAR to allow the jumpers to make good visual contact with the PI and put them in a position to drive towards it rather than wheeling down from directly overhead," Dent said, referring to the point of impact, or intended landing point.

The adjustment connected the wind calculations on the flight deck with what the jumpers needed as they left the aircraft. For Gunia, that exchange was part of the same preparation and communication that kept each pass moving smoothly.

"Everyone needs to be on the same page to make everything happen," Gunia said. "If there are issues or confusion, we pause the checklist and do not proceed until it is cleared up."