Paratroopers Injured in Jump

SYDNEY (Reuters) - For some of the best paratroopers in the United States and Australia, men used to jumping into war zones, it was supposed to be a routine night mission. But 52 of them hit the ground with a thud, breaking bones and spraining ankles during a recent joint military exercise called Tandem Thrust in the Australian state of Queensland.

A total of 39 soldiers were hurt on impact -- nine with broken bones -- and another 13 have since reported injuries such as ankle sprains, an official said.

The 381 paratroopers on the night jump came from the U.S. Army's crack Geronimo 501, the 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, and Australia's rapid-deployment 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment.

But with little visibility last Saturday, the crack paratroopers did what they are trained not to do -- reach for the ground with their toes.

"Night jumping is typically more dangerous because it is difficult to see the ground," U.S. Lieutenant Colonel Bobby Campbell told Reuters on Friday.

Campbell said the conditions were perfect for the jump with little breeze, except there was no moon to light up the ground.

"The soldiers reached for the ground with their toes, something they are trained not to do," said Campbell.

Campbell said injuries were to be expected in night jumps, but they were a critical training exercise for the U.S. and Australia, citing the arc of Asian-Pacific instability to Australia's north.

"It is a capacity both the United States and Australia needs to maintain for its strategic interests in the region," he said.