[AB]

From my stint in the 82nd, I remember that the 'Heavy Drops' (as the tow & scout jeeps, artillery, etc., were called) went out before the troops, since you didn't want those things dropping down on top of your LGOPs. I went on Opereration Bright Star (in Egypt) in 1985 with the advance party, and somehow ended up on the DZ prior to the Heavy Drop (don't ask). It was quite exciting - running around trying to dodge all of these immense bundles hurteling towards the ground. I can assure you you don't want those coming down after the troops.

Unpacking a jeep was very time consumming - lots rope & webbing to cut, and the crushed packing material that has to be pryed out from every nook and cranny underneight the vehicle. If things went very smoothly, it would take 15 minuets. On average, i'd say it took 30 minutes.

Dropping the vehicles for 10' is called LAPES - Low Altitude Parachute Extraction System. i only saw it once, at a VIP (CAPEX) show, because it ruined too many vehicle to do that often. The vehicles had several feet of energy absorbing material (like a heavy corrugated cardboard) beneight them to absorb the shock of landing. It was not easy to free the vehcile from all of this crushed material, certianly harder than undooing four quick release. Dropping a vehicle without this material would likely destroy it, almost as if it were dropped from 10' while traveling forward at 100mph. It is one of those things that looks good in shows, but not in real life.

If you think the US army would would never fake something in a show, think again. I once did a VIP (capex) where one company did the parachute jump, and were instructed to just lay down upon landing. A second company then sprang up a minute or two later, with all their gear unpacked. This took place behind some small rises, so the audiance was suitable impressed with the speed that airborne soldiers could prepare themselves after a jump.

Oh, and we young paratroopers refered to the 'big' women at the bars as 'heavy drops'.