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Students Look Up To Them

Staff Michael Spooneybarger

Children at Lowry Elementary School get autographs from LCDR David Culpepper one of three paracutists from The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) Parachute Team that dropped into the school to participate in the Great American Teach In. The USSOCOM Parachute Team is composed of volunteers from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and U.S. government civilians assigned to USSOCOM.

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By COURTNEY CAIRNS PASTOR, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 21, 2007

Additional photos

COUNTRYWAY - The kindergartners on the ground were beside themselves trying to spot the paratroopers plummeting downward from 9,000 feet above their school.

"This is so awesome!"

"Here he comes!"

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!"

Little boys ran in circles as they waited for the jumpers' arrival. Overhead, three plumes of smoke streaked down from an airplane, eventually bursting into three parachutes, the men dangling from them gradually coming into view.

The first glided past the covered play court behind Lowry Elementary and landed in a field. Jovanni Davila, 5, turned around to look at the sky again.

"There's another one," he yelled.

Paratroopers Ron Johnson, Vinny Savino and David Culpepper of the U.S. Special Operations Command parachute team arrived at Lowry on the morning of Nov. 14 in dramatic fashion. The men were among hundreds of volunteers across Hillsborough County who participated in the Great American Teach-In.

The annual Teach-In draws hobbyists and professionals into schools to talk about careers. Chamberlain High got visits from a hairdresser, cake decorator, engineer and lawyers. Hammond Elementary, which opened in August, hosted its first Teach-In with more than 70 speakers, including a SCUBA diver, a software engineer, athletes and two helicopters, one from the sheriff's department and one from a TV station.

Other schools met FBI agents, musicians and a storm chaser.

The paratroopers came at the invitation of Joyce Benninger, who teaches the gifted program at Lowry. She is friends with Jerrie Moore, who works in public relations for Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base. Benninger said she reaches out every year to friends, neighbors and others she meets to find volunteers for the Teach-In.

About 1,000 students, faculty, volunteers and visitors watched the paratroopers' descent. Kindergartners waved flags they made, and children sang patriotic songs to greet them. The men saluted the children before answering questions.

Other Teach-In volunteers at Lowry joked about having a hard time following that demonstration.

In preparation for the Teach-In, Benninger's students prepared questions to ask the speakers. Tatem Fischer, 8, wanted to know whether they had to go through special training. Katie Fish, 8, submitted a question asking whether they got scared.

"Of course not," Culpepper said, smiling. "You train hard to do what you do."

Another student wanted to know how they knew when to open the chute. Johnson said they wear an altimeter that lets them track their altitude, and they also have audio alerts that beep in their helmet at the approximate time.

They described jumps they have taken over the Adriatic Sea and Central and South America. Johnson, who has made about 1,200 jumps since starting in 1974, got the biggest cheers when he mentioned parachuting into Raymond James Stadium and The Swamp at the University of Florida.

Students in the gifted program stuck around after the question-and-answer session to ask for autographs and pose for pictures with the paratroopers.

"I got everyone," fourth-grader David Dospassos said after securing his last signature.

The 10-year-old enjoyed the presentation and watching the parachutes cruise into his school.

"I can't believe they found the time to come here," he said.

Reporter Courtney Cairns Pastor can be reached at (813) 865-1503 or cpastor@tampatrib.com.

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