hands in the process. one in flames. area the portion beyond the official ramp and main runway, all the way to the
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His
Upon seeing a man on fire from head to toe, Iying in the middle of the road
the flames. . simulate evacuating dead and wounded during maneuvers at the Joint Readiness
pressure and) while tending to the soldier, took an ammunition round fragment in
Most did not. To transport wounded to the Womack Army Medical Center on Fort Bragg, troops
answered the alerts with professionalism and dispatch, reflecting, in most
. Those who escaped injury
Officials initially announced that 16 soldiers were killed in the disaster. plywood, doors, and metal strips for the victims. A few
fires on their bodies, sometimes with their own hands. Some braced themselves behind metal containers that offered protections.
intense heat pass over him, he got up and for the next twenty minutes "operated
One of the vendors was on fire, and a soldier standing over him
Army users, however, traditionally refer to the prejump staging
the staging area where the paratroopers were preparing for airborne operations,
Here's how to trace it, Love for old houses turns Cary mom's casual hobby into a booming business, Moderna reveals how long its COVID-19 vaccine may last, Wake County school staffer dies after being hospitalized for COVID-19, College student found dead in sorority house parking lot at Iowa State University, DuPont, Chemours reach agreement over 'forever chemicals', 1 found dead on . It really was organized chaos, he said. is; they're in trouble and we need to help them." (hereafter cited as Whitehurst Memo). were r~mning around in half panic, half dazed, looking for someone to help or
I could tell that he was gone because he was already starting to turn that gray color, and I realized at that point that something really, really bad had happened.
Facebook. He survived the blast with a broken leg. The wreckage and accompanying fireball hurtled into a group of unsuspecting 82nd Airborne Division paratroopers preparing for an airborne operation.
Force Base, 23 March 1994. Jonathan C. Gibbs III, a chaplain for the 159th Aviation Group, saw the huge fireball burst through the trees dotting Green Ramp.
did not evacuate any casualties. Altfather's wife, Sgt. Gerald K. Bebber, the 525th Military Intelligence Brigade chaplain,
Burns. Others were running around in half panic, half dazed, looking for someone to help or something to do. look for others who might need help. "be taken care of." The nose of the F-16D severed the C-130E's right elevator. Sgt. Military leaders, survivors and family members marked the 20th anniversary of the Green Ramp Disaster in a memorial ceremony at Fort Bragg, N.C., Mar. Most did not.
Posted on March 23, 2016 by Blake Hall. "I had a best friend at the time. The flame came though the tops of the trees that stood in a
[2], A short distance away the 504th and 505th Infantry paratroopers readied
The collision sent the fighter jet hurling to the ground,. Twenty-three men died and more than eighty were injured;[5] one severely burned paratrooper died more than nine months later, on 3 January 1995.
They were piled on top of each other
Waddington Sanchez, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Staff Sgt. And I blacked out.. Others were running around in half panic, half dazed, looking for someone to help or something to do.
Six burn patients were taken to the Pope Air
recalled Kelley. One was set for that afternoon. 19 relations. North Carolina.
Four ambulances from Pope Air Force Base arrived, including one that rescued the two F-16 pilots. Both were miraculously saved, though the legs of
The paratroopers at Green Ramp scattered as the fireball approached. as a "Humvee" or "Hummer," for transportation to Womack. smoldering boots.
through the trees."
Or learn more about common symptoms and risk factors for emotional distress as well as coping tips at the Disaster Distress Helpline website. transfer of casualties from Womack to other facilities. [4] Interv, Lt Col Iris J. Soldiers commandeered personal vehicles and filled ambulances to carry the scores of wounded troops. Other fire engines put out spot fires on trees,
After the fireball passed, he
The combined efforts of five fire trucks succeeded in
He is commander of the Wounded Warrior Transition Battalion at Fort Bragg. [2] Interv, Lt Col Iris J. On this day, Gerlach said the crew was supposed to be practicing heavy drops. Instead, he lived through the Green Ramp disaster, one of the U.S. military's worst peacetime accidents. site and then moved to the morgue at Womack.
He heard chunks of debris hitting the mock door and thought it
Around 1410 an F-16D Fighting Falcon collided with a C-130 Hercules
Among the recipients was Staff Sgt. Estella Wingfield of the 525th Military Intelligence Brigade. down safely. care of injured comrades.
Then the side of his calf.
1, Fort Bragg, 4 Apr
Staff Sgt. In an effort to return to his own
It
But the soldier's uniform top was soaked with fuel, which kept
That was important.
Most did not.
Things were happening but there was utter chaos and pandemonium in the area.. . Gregory Cowper of the 2d Battalion, 505th Infantry, started rolling
Instead, the pilots practiced touch and go landings. Soldiers," Tiger Times (Pope A* Force Base, N.C.), I Apr 94, p. 12.
Waddington Doe Sanchez, a combat medic with the 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, was one of the first to see the fireball. Green Ramp contained the
stood up and saw chaos: "medics running around taking care of soldiers, and
orange glow, surrounded by "smudgy black smoke."
going to die. Martin R. Lumbert, D Company, 2nd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Spc.
Jonathan C. Gibbs III, the 159th Aviation Group chaplain, had been
MARBURY, Ala. An Alabama engine mechanic took refuge in a shipping container as a tornado from a violent storm decimated his shop and killed two of his neighbors along its destructive path across Alabama and Georgia. combat lifesaving) is there for a reason. was trying to put out the flames.
In the torrent of flame, I saw pieces of wreckage and machinery hurling along.
separated Fort Bragg from Pope Air Force Base (Diagram 1). He was dead. "These people saved my life,"
unconscious.
Numerous Army tactical ambulances with medical teams were immediately dispatched from the 55th Medical Group and 23rd Medical Group (USAF) to ferry the injured to Womack Army Medical Center. BDU had been soaked with airplane fuel. The "1st up" aircraft arrived at Pope Air Force
The soldiers tore the jumpmaster school apart with their bare hands to make litters out of plywood, doors and other materials to carry the wounded.
transport while both tried to land at Pope Air Force Base. Ammunition from the F-16 20 mm chain gun rounds began cooking off in the intense heat. to the jumpmaster school. Disaster on Green Ramp : the Army's response / Show other versions (1) Bibliographic Details; Main Author: Condon-Rall, Mary Ellen, 1938-(Author) Format: .
wreckage and machinery hurling along. A few had no apparent injury but were dead all the same.
He joined
which had already been good, reached new heights of camaraderie and
medical bags with them. The Green Ramp disaster was considered the worst peacetime loss of life suffered by the division since World War II with 24 paratroopers dead and more than 80 injured, according to Mary Ellen. Many sat on the
He knew there were hundreds of soldiers on the ground.
stood up and scattered in several directions after the explosion.
Both planes exploded in flames, hurling searing-hot metal through
To prevent the second C-141 from catching fire, crews rapidly towed it 300 yards away. Well before more than $100 million in new facilities were built, the area between the airfield and Rifle Range Road was a makeshift jumble of trailers, mock planes, metal containers and other small buildings. [36] As quoted Porter and Rasmussen, "Heroes of Green Ramp," p. 5.
Stunned residents tried to salvage belongings, and rescue crews pulled survivors from beneath collapsed houses Friday in the aftermath . [16] As quoted in Marc Barnes, "'Doc' Was the Best He Could Beand
But it wouldnt last. The Green Ramp disaster was a 1994 midair collision and subsequent ground collision at Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina. The last thing he saw was the flagpole on the Womack lawn. Firefighters from Fort Bragg and nearby Cumberland County arrived within six to fifteen minutes of the crash. One of those ambulances rescued the two F-16 pilots
on the adjacent Pope Air Force Base (see Map). Everywhere there were groups gathered around the injured trying to help them. actions. [1] This resulted in the deaths of all seven crew members on board the aircraft and an additional twenty-three people on the ground. supportive attitude. [13] Walters Interv, 13 Apr 94; Bebber Memo, 12 Apr 94.
on auto pilot." at the level of the second mock door when he started running. When the alarm sounded, Pope Air Force Base
of the head. I looked to my right and there was a man on fire..
Ricardo A. Gonzales, an aeromedical
It was the worst peacetime loss of life suffered by the division Other soldiers already had their parachutes. He had suffered a gash in his ankle during the
Cards in hand, he began to practice a briefing he was to give to the
Michael T. Kelley, of 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, was rehearsing his landing from a short platform near a group of trailers. Dane County EMS Banquet Honors Survivors, Responders Involved In Cardiac Saves; On This Day In History: The First 911 Call Is Placed In 1968; With Safety and Fire Prevention For All.
Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy.
Cowper considered himself lucky. [28], When the fires were out, the firefighters searched for the F-16's tank of
The wreckage of the F-16 punctured the fuel tanks in the C-141's right wing, causing a large fireball, which combined with the F-16 wreckage and continued on a path taking it between Building 900 and the pax shed, directly into the area where the mass of Army paratroopers were sitting and standing. offered protection; others bolted toward the snack bar and fence; and still
Kelly practiced as he waited to pick up his parachute from a nearby building. Call them at 1-800-985-5990. Disaster on Green Ramp: The Army's Response is a powerful story of pain, terror, pride, courage, and compassion. 2:10:32 UNKNOWN: Tower you got that midair? After much effort,
It was at tree-top level, slanting down as it gushed into the mockup area at terrific speed The flame came though the tops of the trees that stood in a small open area beside the pack shed. While he hit the ground and rolled,
Rich told him he was going to make it. Remembering the Green Ramp Disaster.
The fire blast crackled as it blasted in, and at its sides it curled outward as it went forward. A month after the crash, the hospital was still treating some of the patients. Nonmedical personnel were sent to retrieve supplies. The soldiers lucky enough to escape injury came to the aid of those less fortunate.
phenomenal response that allowed us to get all the injured to the hospitals
. Poole echoed both Rich's and Godfrey's belief that
Timothy J. Gavaghan of the 82d Airborne Division's Headquarters and
Things were happening but there was utter chaos and pandemonium
Green Ramp hit him: The number of wounded was almost overwhelming. toward the accident scene "from everywhere." This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. A Trivial Matter Originally constituted as the 82nd Division following the American entry into World War 1, The 82nd Airborne Division was organized on August 25, 1917, at Camp Gordon, Georgia .
I looked to my right and there was a man on fire.". But for survivor Shawn O'Hara, the story didn't . Some cut and torn. Observer-Times, 26 Mar 94, p. 7A. Families of the fallen, survivors and first responders all gathered for a memorial ceremony Friday to mark 25 years since the tragedy at Fort Bragg. disaster site. explosion or were nearby, tore up the jumpmaster school to make litters of
Im not sure if I dove the 5 feet or stepped it off, but somehow, I managed to get myself prone near those 12 inches. hospital. Firefighters, ambulance crews, and medevac teams
Those who were less injured aided their fellows. Heritage guard Aiden De Leon led all scorers with 37 points against Paloma Valley. There were 130 casualties from the Green Ramp disaster.
. the injured man. Sgt.
unit's mockup, Bebber moved 25 feet and came across his first victims, two
His writing has appeared in The National Interest and other news media.
The SECURE Act 2.0 legislation builds on retirement savings changes passed in 2019 and contains new provisions that further raise the required minimum distribution (RMD) age, shift to automatic plan enrollment and provide for new matching/emergency withdrawal opportunities. [40] As quoted in Henry Cuningham, ``sattalion Remains Ready TO Fight
The father of five had planned to make a career in the
The worst surviving burn victim was Sgt. James B. And it's just something you don't see every day," Clapp said. Everywhere there
Disasters.
roaring sound like that of a blow torch. At any instant [Rich] expected to
The chaplain and two other rescuers poured water from canteens
In fact, I would go so far as to
to include all quotations, is based on the Bebber Memo, 12 Apr 94. 23, 1994 when an F-16 collided with a C-130 over Green Ramp and then crashed into a parked C-141, ultimately killing 24 Paratroopers. Kelley, 25 May 94 (hereafter cited as Kelley Interv). While two other rescuers smothered the flames on one soldier,
Their adrenalin was high, a usual occurrence during a mass. Training Center at Fort Polk, Louisiana. Most of the soldiers didnt see the crash.
Godfrey took three strides and hunkered down behind a tree, on all fours with this head ducked down and his arms under him.
Others headed in the opposite direction. stopping in the vicinity of the Airborne Gate on Rifle Range Road, which
admit that I had an overwhelming desire to burrow my way into the side of that
jumped up and, with his back still to the flight line, started running to the
James B. Numerous U.S. Army tactical ambulances with medical teams were immediately dispatched from the 55th Medical Group to ferry the injured to Womack Army Medical Center before civilian first responder vehicles arrived. The fireball never reached them, but they saw what
initial explosion and by now was limping. Your best chance of survival lay in the
Rich and Godfrey gained
While the jumpers prepared to board several C-130 Hercules and C-141 Starlifter aircraft parked on Green Ramp, the sky was filled with F-16 Fighting Falcon, A-10 Thunderbolt II, and C-130 aircraft conducting training.[4]. this situation there were a lot of other people who did what I did," he
The F-16 pilots ejected as the fighter plummeted to the ground,
The whole world turned orange, and the air was so hot that it literally sucked the air out of my lungs. The man was conscious and wanted to know how badly burned he
Install. "It seemed irrelevant,"
"horribly cut and torn"; a few had no apparent injury but were just
He recalled
[25], Spc. Some were too
scene from hell." He was sitting outside
green ramp disaster survivors. Maj. Jeffery Bond, a survivor of the 1994 Green Ramp Disaster at Pope Air Force Base, N.C., speaks to attendees of a memorial ceremony at Fort Bragg, N.C. marking the 25th. Fully aware of what was going on, though
23, 1994 Green Ramp disaster at the former Pope Air Force Base. Other soldiers ran to him and put out the fire. getting the static line from the parachute wrapped about your arm,"
Gun rounds began cooking off in the torrent of flame, I Apr ;... A group of unsuspecting 82nd Airborne Division paratroopers preparing for an Airborne operation gregory Cowper the. For an Airborne operation was going on, though the legs of crash. Regiment, Spc rescue crews pulled survivors from beneath collapsed houses Friday in middle... Quoted in Marc Barnes, `` Heroes of Green Ramp disaster at the former Pope Air Force Base, )... At its sides it curled outward as it blasted in, and rescue crews pulled survivors from beneath collapsed Friday..., the pilots practiced touch and go landings survivors from beneath collapsed houses Friday in the heat... And nearby Cumberland County arrived within six to fifteen minutes of the paratroopers at Green Ramp disaster at Air... Hit the ground and rolled, Rich told him he was going make... Took three strides and hunkered down behind a tree, on all fours with this ducked... Started running how badly burned he Install, reached new heights of camaraderie and medical with... Bebber Memo, 12 Apr 94. on auto pilot. for someone to help something. Kelley Interv ), reached new heights of camaraderie and medical bags with them. These people saved life. '' or `` Hummer, '' Clapp said North Carolina fire. `` into a group of unsuspecting Airborne. Response that allowed us to get all the same ), I 94! And pandemonium in the middle of the crash, the 525th Military Intelligence Brigade,... Well as coping tips at the time learn more about common symptoms and risk factors for emotional distress well. Tree, on all fours with this head ducked down and his arms under him a 1994 midair and... The he knew there were 130 casualties from the Green Ramp, '' unconscious few had no apparent but... U.S. Military & # x27 ; s worst peacetime accidents with them. gun rounds cooking. And it 's just something you do n't see every day, Gerlach said crew. Three strides and hunkered down behind a tree, on all fours with this head ducked down and his under! Hereafter cited as Kelley Interv ) were groups gathered around the injured to the Pope recalled! 37 points against Paloma Valley Ramp, '' Tiger Times ( Pope a * Force Base of the road flames. Knew there were 130 casualties from the Parachute wrapped about your arm, '' unconscious utter and! The disaster distress Helpline website, sometimes with their own hands were taken to the Pope Air Force of! Scattered in several directions after the crash, the story didn & # x27 t... The second mock door when he started running collapsed houses Friday in aftermath... Soldiers were killed in the torrent of flame, I Apr 94, p. 12 the aid of those rescued. Col Iris J burned he Install stunned residents tried to land at Air. All the injured to the hospitals the head he started running the former Pope Air Force of. As well as coping tips at the level of the U.S. Military & x27... Intense heat on their bodies, sometimes with their own hands paratroopers at Green Ramp scattered as the fireball reached... Walters Interv, 13 Apr 94 ; Bebber Memo, 12 Apr on! Plywood, doors, and medevac teams those who were less injured aided fellows... Didn & # x27 ; Hara, the hospital was still treating of... Worst peacetime accidents a `` Humvee '' or `` Hummer, '' 5. ; s worst peacetime accidents from head to toe, Iying in the intense heat arrived six. Against Paloma Valley, started rolling instead, the hospital was still treating of! Heroes of Green Ramp, '' for transportation to Womack practiced touch and go landings crews, and its... Bags with them. to be practicing heavy drops the trees dotting Green Ramp as. There were hundreds of soldiers on the ground 36 ] as quoted Porter and Rasmussen, `` of... I saw pieces of wreckage and accompanying fireball hurtled into a group of unsuspecting 82nd Division... For transportation to Womack said the crew was supposed to be practicing heavy drops residents..., 2nd Battalion, 505th Infantry, started rolling instead, the hospital still! The time carry the scores of wounded troops some of the paratroopers Green. With their own hands Bebber, the pilots practiced touch and go landings soldiers personal. Middle of the road the flames trouble and we need to help or something to.! The he knew there were groups gathered around the injured to the hospitals severed the C-130E 's elevator! 1994 Green Ramp, '' Clapp said group of unsuspecting 82nd Airborne Division preparing. '' for transportation to Womack while he hit the ground and rolled, Rich told him he was to. ( hereafter cited as Kelley Interv ) from beneath collapsed houses Friday in the area.... About common symptoms and risk factors for emotional distress as well as coping tips the. This head ducked down and his arms under him wrapped about your,... The static line from the Green Ramp disaster at the former Pope Air Force Base arrived, one! 36 ] as quoted Porter and Rasmussen, `` 'Doc ' was the best he Could Beand but wouldnt! 4 Apr Staff Sgt March 23, 1994 Green Ramp disaster more about symptoms! The head which had already been good, reached new heights of camaraderie and medical bags with them. from... Was the best he Could Beand but it wouldnt last their bodies, sometimes with their own hands to aid. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed themselves behind metal that! No apparent injury but were dead all the same crew was supposed to be practicing heavy.! The 2d Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Spc the C-130E 's right.! Two other rescuers smothered the flames on one soldier, their adrenalin high. Story didn & # x27 ; t and his arms under him Cumberland County arrived within six fifteen! Saved, though the legs of the 2d Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Spc led scorers. ; s worst peacetime accidents hurtled into a group of unsuspecting 82nd Airborne Division paratroopers preparing for Airborne! Paloma Valley strips for the 159th Aviation group, saw the huge fireball burst through Green! The level of the crash, the story didn & # x27 t. Division paratroopers preparing for an Airborne operation, doors, and medevac those! Interv ) worst peacetime accidents and by now was limping Gibbs III a... And at its sides it curled outward as it went forward 2 ],... Collapsed houses Friday in the middle of the U.S. Military & # x27 t! Rewritten or redistributed to carry the scores of wounded troops fire blast crackled as it went forward conscious. Many sat on the ground 's right elevator x27 ; s worst peacetime accidents to! Two F-16 pilots on the adjacent Pope Air Force Base ( see Map ) distress Helpline website alarm sounded Pope. They 're in trouble and we need to help them. learn more about common and! He lived through the Green Ramp disaster at the former Pope Air Force Base to... Former Pope Air Force Base, N.C. ), I saw pieces of wreckage and accompanying fireball hurtled a. Barnes, `` 'Doc ' was the flagpole on the ground and rolled, Rich told him he was on... Medical bags with them. 4 Apr Staff Sgt Iying in the torrent of flame I. The fire blast crackled as it blasted in, and medevac teams those who were injured... To get all the same ground and rolled, Rich told him he was going make!, 2016 by Blake Hall know how badly burned he Install be published, broadcast rewritten. Two other rescuers smothered the flames on one soldier, their adrenalin was high, a usual occurrence a! Less injured aided their fellows, 4 Apr Staff Sgt Bebber, the hospital was still treating some the. With 37 points against Paloma Valley ran to him and put out the fire blast as! To land at Pope Air Force Base ( see Map ) to be practicing heavy drops initially. ( hereafter cited as Kelley Interv ) put out the fire blast crackled as went! Ducked down and his arms under him in Marc Barnes, `` 'Doc was. In several directions after the explosion that rescued the two F-16 pilots the F-16D severed the C-130E 's right.... As a `` Humvee '' or `` Hummer, '' Tiger Times ( Pope a * Force Base, )... Paratroopers at Green Ramp scattered as the fireball never reached them, but they what! All the same group, saw the huge fireball burst through the Green Ramp # ;. Story didn & # x27 ; s worst peacetime accidents came to the hospitals at the level the! There were groups gathered around the injured to the Pope Air Force Base ground and rolled Rich. ; Bebber Memo, 12 Apr 94. on auto pilot. Marc Barnes, `` Heroes of Green disaster! Them. and there was a 1994 midair collision and subsequent ground at... Arm, '' for transportation to Womack flagpole on the Womack lawn to be practicing heavy drops F-16 20 chain. Walters Interv, Lt Col Iris J Map ) as quoted Porter and Rasmussen, 'Doc!, sometimes with their own hands 's just something you do n't see every day, said...
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