I believe the rank depicted is LTC (Lieutenant Colonel). He is probably the battalion Commander and is embarrassing that he is jumping (Hollywood) no combat equipment. If you look at the other jumpers they have their packs in the upper/lower legs, he doesn't.

I would not be so harsh. Surely you remember the XVIII Airborne Corps SOP regarding Jump Refresher Training for those who may not have jumped for several years. Specifically, after the refresher ground and 34' tower training, the first jump is required to be daylight and without equipment. I was a major in 1984, rejoining the 82nd and not having jumped since 1977. (In between I had to have a Germany assignment, Infantry Officer Advanced course, Command and Staff College, and a non-troop HQ assignment). Someone in the S-3 shop screwed-up. After I completed ground refresher, they thought that, since I was a master-blaster, I "knew it all anyway" and scheduled me for a night mass-tac, combat equipment jump on Sicily as my first in seven years. Sure enough, my reflexes were not what they should have been, I forgot to lower my ruck, and I crashed and burned on that road down the center of the DZ. Screwed up my right knee on the ruck frame and was on profile for several weeks. Sometimes there's a perfectly legit reason for people--privates up to general officers--jumping Hollywood when others have rucks and weapons. Sometimes it is a Hollywood jump, but a lot of jumpers have their combat equipment: they're building a jump log for senior or master wings and have to have the required number of combat equipment jumps. Lastly, the Hollywood jumper might be departing for TDY or a Army school somewhere and needs to get a jump to be covered for jump pay the next three months. So, the S-3 Air goes shopping around Fort BRAGG for a unit that has extra spaces on their jump. What we call strap-hanging.

Officially 102 (peacetime) Combat add 20-30% more. Safety (seatbelts and proper seating) is more likely ignored for actual combat jumps.

The C-130 was crowded and uncomfortable with ALICE packs digging into your legs, while the C-17 was like jumping out of a Cadillac! 🤣👍

lmao :D

Even if it's a Hollywood jump! 🤣👍

Agreed. I saw the safety drop a static line but it wasn’t his fault for people rushing the door

Saw that too at the end it was like getting to the seats first all scrambled the first 10 people did great

They got scared that they were going to be left behind, then clogged the doorway. No one wants to be late and jump into the woodline, even if (unknown to them) they've got another click to go to get to it! 🤣👍 Besides, they're jumping Hollywood and in broad daylight, so I'd bet they're newer jumpers or trying to get caught up after not jumping for a while... 🤷‍♂️

Ah yes, LTC Buzzard, the guy who promoted one of his sexually deviant E7's over to his sister battalion to be a 1SG which ended with that 1SG getting relieved for not only sleeping with his soldier's wives but also with the soldier at the same time. That officer basically didn't want to do the right thing and prosecute that E7 for the same behavior he'd been doing in his battalion so he made it another battalions problems. Which okay, if you want to swing, I really don't care but what I care about is you abusing your authority and coercing your subordinates you have power over, because you're the company 1SG, to share their wife with you.