Injuries Undisclosed but Allegedly “Significant”

An Air Force Academy cadet sustained significant injuries while participating in a basic parachute training exercise. The cadet remains hospitalized—so the Academy sets forth in an official statement pertaining to the incident.

The cadet was reportedly participating in the service’s Airmanship 490 class, known also as basic jump training, on the academy's Davis Airfield (AFF) when the student was hurt on 31 July at approximately 12:00 MDT.

USAF Academy superintendent Lieutenant General Richard M. Clark remarked: “The hearts of the entire academy go out to our cadet and the cadet’s family at this very difficult time. We ask everyone to keep this incredible individual in the forefront of your thoughts.”

The 19th Air Force commander has convened a safety investigation board and the Airmanship 490 training program has been paused pending issuance of the board’s conclusions, the statement disclosed.

The cadet-led Airmanship 490 class attracts roughly 75-percent of all USAF Academy cadets and is the world’s only certified jump program in which students’ first jumps are solo. Each year, the school’s students execute as many as 24,000 jumps.

To date, no students have died participating in the Airmanship 490 parachuting program.

A 2016 study undertaken for purpose of determining the association between injury history at enrollment and incidence of lower-extremity (LE) injury during cadet basic training among first-year military cadets revealed a test-population of 9,811 cadets suffered 1,438 medically-treated acute and 1,719 musculoskeletal-related lower-extremity injuries during basic training. The most frequent injuries were sprains/strains (73.6-percent of acute) and inflammation and pain (89.6-percent of musculoskeletal-related). The overall risk of incident lower-extremity injury was 23.2-percent.

Cadets with previous histories of lower-extremity injury were at increased risk for recurrence of such mishaps. The antecedent association was identical in males and females. In site-specific analyses, strong associations between injury history and incident injury were observed for hip, knee ligament, stress fracture, and ankle sprain. Injury risk was greater for females (39.1-percent) compared to males (18.0-percent). The elevated injury risk in females was independent of injury history.

Researchers concluded injury history upon entry to the military is associated with incidence of lower-extremity injuries sustained during cadet basic training. Prevention programs targeted at modifiable factors in cadets with a prior history of such injuries was recommended.

FMI: www.af.mil