Just when we begin to eliminate ankle injuries via Parachute Ankle Braces (PABs), some are complaining of possible bone breaks higher up on the leg. We need to jump smarter here troopers! When we jump, we must also pad the lower legs with some smart placement of TA-50 items.

KNEE/ELBOW PADDING

First wear kneepads, black issue kneepads, facing sideways and out to protect the lower leg and knee where the boots and PABs stop. If in a harassment environment like jump school, wear knee pads underneath your BDU trousers so you don't get macho-stupid talk for being smart. You can cut pieces of an unused part of a sleeping mat and insert them into your BDU trouser knee and elbow reinforcements by cutting a small slot from the inside, fold the pad, insert then flatten once inside.

UPPER LEG PADDING

Fill your BDU trouser side pickets with soft TA-50 you have to carry anyway....to protect your legs in event of a hard landing. The nylon kit bag (not the cotton one) will fit into the BDU side trouser pocket instead of cluttering the parachute harness under leg straps. The kit bag hinders exiting the harness in a combat/water landing and may have contributed to several parachute drowning deaths. A T-21 parachute should have a place to store the kit bag away from the leg straps, and have split saddle construction so no discomfort padding is needed.

Cotton kit bags can be better stowed in an outer rucksack pocket than under the parachute harness and the PABs exchanged during air item recovery. On the outer leg pocket place your patrol cap and gloves. This will pad both of your legs. After the jump, (leaving or recovering air items) donning the rucksack, the gloves can be put on.

The space emptied from the BDU trouser pocket, by the kit bag being used to recover air items and the gloves put on can be used to hold the hook, pile tape lowering line quickly removed from the rucksack by using a snaplink to the Harness, Single-Point Release (HSPR "X" instead of a girth hitch. The snaplink is clipped to the LBE to recover rifle/carbine magazines with 550 cord loops. The HSPR D-ring attaching straps can also be put in the side BDU trouser pockets or the PABs, though I suggest keeping an outer pocket of the ALICE or MOLLE rucksack empty or keep the kit bag there for exchange with PABs.

The 82d Airborne Division Airborne SOP should be amended to remove the kit bag from under the leg parachute harness straps and placed into either an outer rucksack pocket or if nylon a BDU side trouser pocket. The wear of PABs, knees pads and soft items in BDU trouser pockets should be encouraged. The use of the snap-link as a quick-release of the HPT LL from the ruck should be authorized.