Soaring bonds: A day at the Military Freefall School
The Military Freefall School (MFFS) at Yuma Proving Ground, which is part of the United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center, opened its doors recently to the heartbeats behind the uniforms - the families of the Soldiers who leap into the sky.
Spearheaded by Maj. Nicholas Garver, commander of the MFFS, the special event was aimed at not only at forging bonds among the Soldier’s families, but also to showcase the demanding yet thrilling work undertaken daily by the school’s instructors and support personnel.
“Bringing in the families, giving them an opportunity to fly in the wind tunnel, they get to experience what their spouses do every day,” Garver said. “It’s an incredible opportunity, and the families absolutely love it.”
Throughout the day, families eagerly signed up at the wind tunnel, their hearts aflutter. Garver watched as wives and children of all ages, wide-eyed and fearless, stepped inside, anticipating the thrill.
The invisible currents lifted them, spun them, and painted smiles across their faces. For a time, they were defying gravity while suspended between a net flooring and the roof of the building.
Outside the wind tunnel, several husbands wielded smartphones like magic wands, making videos as they captured their children and wife’s weightless grins.
Andrea Tyrrel, wife of Sgt. 1st Class Ian Tyrrel, expressed her enthusiasm for the event while she and her husband watched their daughters Ailyn and Everleigh when it came their turn.
“This is a great experience for the children,” she said. “They get to see what their daddy does every day.”
An instructor at the MFFS, Tyrrel beamed with pride afterward, adding that his daughters did better than he did his first time in the wind tunnel.
Air Force Sgt. Darren Tobyansen and his wife Lacie were also in attendance with their two children, Bodhi and Maverick.
Lacie Tobyansen, who admitted to experiencing a mixture of excitement and nervousness beforehand, stated afterward that the moment was “way too much fun,” and that she would “most definitely do it again.”
The day, however, was not just about turning the wind tunnel into a shared playground. It also served as a valuable training exercise for the instructors.
Sgt. 1st Class Bryan Reed, of the U.S. Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment, underscored the value of the event, noting that it enhanced the technical skills of the instructors by teaching them how to guide spouses and children through the wind tunnel experience.
“It’s not just about fun; there is a lot of learning going on,” Reed remarked. “Teaching civilians and children require a different approach, and this event provides a unique opportunity for our instructors to hone their skills.”
While some civilian instructors from San Diego had been hired to help, their military counterparts had to undergo specialized training from the International Bodyflight Association to become certified to fly novices safely through a wind tunnel.
Essentially, the wind tunnel was their classroom, and the lessons were priceless. “The instructors learned, adapted, and became safer, more capable,” Reed said.
As the day waned, Garver had seen it all - the happy faces and the high-fives, saying “I don’t think you can ever see anyone who is not smiling. It is one of those things that you never see a sad face in a wind tunnel.”
He added that there are plans to make the event a regular occurrence, possibly two or four times a year, so hearts can soar together more often.