For some Army National Guard members, their first jump is also their last

An Alaska Army National Guard member parachutes to the ground after jumping out of a Blackhawk helicopter at the Malamute drop zone at JBER on Friday. (Loren Holmes / Alaska Dispatch News)

For Brandon Stoner, Friday's jump was a first. A Second Lieutenant in the Alaska Army National Guard, it was his first parachute jump since completing airborne school.

To commemorate the jump, he wore a special red helmet, dubbed a "cherry helmet," which bears the signatures of fellow service members who wore it on their first jump.

2nd Lt. Brandon Stoner holds a “cherry helmet” at the Malamute drop zone at JBER on Friday. This was Stoner’s first jump since completing airborne school, and tradition allows him the option to wear a special red helmet, which he gets to sign after completing his first jump. (Loren Holmes / Alaska Dispatch News)

Friday's jump was also his last. His unit, Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 143rd Infantry Regiment (Airborne), is retiring their airborne status later this month.

"It was awesome," he said, noting that it was his first jump out of a helicopter.

His wife and two young sons were on hand to watch. His 4-year-old, Caiden, carried a toy helicopter which he played with in the parking area at the Malamute Drop Zone on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

2nd Lt. Brandon Stoner, with his wife Leah, son Caiden, 4, and friend Casey Jones, 7, watch other members of Stoner’s company take off in a Blackhawk helicopter at the Malamute drop zone on Friday. (Loren Holmes / Alaska Dispatch News)

According to Lt. Col. Jeffery Roberts, who will be taking over command of the unit, dropping the airborne status is taking the group back to their roots as an infantry unit.

"It's bittersweet," said Roberts. "I'm an airborne paratrooper myself. I love jumping. But it does take a lot of time, and with National Guardsmen just working on weekends, we don't have a lot of time to spare."

"The good thing is we will be more able to focus on our tasks of supporting communities and also training for war."