The Special Personnel Insertion/Extraction was first designed by the Marines of 1st Force Reconnaissance Company, the Marine division’s 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, and the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing riggers. They created and combat tested several versions of the SPIE before it was officially recommended to be tested. In May 1970, the commanding general of 3rd Marine Amphibious Force coordinated input from the 1st Marine Division and his 1st Marine Air Wing. A request was sent to the Commandant of the Marine Corps and to the Development Center for certification of the SPIE rig and to its safety and use.[3]
The parachute test jumpers of the Naval Parachute Unit (NPU) and Marine Corps, all qualified parachutist designers and engineers, assembled together at El Centro for the initial testing and evaluation of the SPIE rig. After a few test dummies were tried, Marine Major Bruce F. Meyers, and along with four Navy NPU parachutist engineers, successfully attempted the first flight on the SPIE assembly.
[edit] See also
* Helicopter Rope Suspension Technique
[edit] References
1. ? [1]
2. ? FMFM 7-40 Helicopter Rope Suspension Training (HRST) Operations
3. ? Bruce F. Meyers, Fortune Favors the Brave: The Story of First Force Recon, (Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 2000).
[edit] External links
* Media related to Special Patrol Insertion/Extraction at Wikimedia Commons