CityView Magazine

14 | May/June 2018 Many have heard of the Golden Knights, the U.S. Army Parachute Team, which is based at Fort Bragg. But the post is also home to another elite parachute demonstration team – the Black Daggers from the U.S. Army Spe- cial Operations Command. Formed in the mid '90s, the team is comprised of volunteers from through- out the Special Operations Command. eir military specialties include Spe- cial Forces, civil affairs, psychological operations, and signal and support. e team nearly folded a few years ago as membership shrank under the pressure of automatic spending cuts. But now it's back and growing. e team, embraced by the Special Opera- tions Command as a tool for commu- nity relations and recruiting, currently has 12 members and plans call for that number to double by the end of 2018. e team can perform high-altitude, high-opening jumps but it specializes in HALO jumps – high-altitude, low- opening jumps. at's a form of stealth insertion used to land troops and equip- ment behind enemy lines and was first conducted in combat during the Viet- nam War. e Black Daggers have a signature jump – two team members descend to- gether with an American flag suspended between them while red smoke billows from canisters attached to their feet. Other teams use a single jumper when displaying the flag. e team's combat jump is also unique. In it, they jump from the plane at 12,500 feet, fall two miles at nearly 120 miles per hour, deploy their canopies at about 2,000 feet, then fly in formation until about 100 feet from the ground. ey lower their military gear and land on target with pinpoint accuracy. Crowds cheer their performances. e Black Daggers smile. eir job is done – until next time. No Mosquitoes. GUARANTEED. 910-387- 4004 BugsBITE.com Offer Expires 08/31/2018 First Treatment Only $ 39 A $ 79 VALUE No Mosquitoes. GUARANTEED. 910-387- 4004 BugsBITE.com Offer Expires 08/31/2018 First Treatment Only $ 39 A $ 79 VALUE No Mosquitoes. GUARANTEED. 910-387- 4004 BugsBITE.com Offer Expires 08/31/2018 First Treatment Only $ 39 A $ 79 VALUE Find Concerts, Children's Activities, Marathons, Fundraisers, and Other Local Events INSTANTLY! Just text the word EVENTS to the number 88000 Local Events Will Display On Your Phone. USE IT ANYTIME & ANYWHERE

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