As we neared Fayetteville, Reed showed us where he made his most recent rough-terrain jumps. An area on the west end of Fort Bragg is heavily wooded and the object was to parachute into the trees, getting the chute caught before the jumper hits the ground. Nearby are an old helicopter and tank that had seen better days.
In town, we met some friends of Reed's. Melissa is holding Nick. Her daughter, Alyssa, is in Reed's arms, and Kacey is between Mere and Pam. They recently received orders to return to Germany where Reed met the husband/father of the family, Andrew. He was out of town for the weekend. Reed has gotten very close to the family and related that when asked to help clean up the house because company was coming, Kacey asked who the guest would be and was told "Reed." Kacey said, "Uncle Reed isn't company; he's family."
Pope Air Force Base sits adjacent to Fort Bragg. On that post are displayed several planes and jets. We took a short walking tour.
This is the building where Reed spends much of his time.
Back at Reed's place, he offered to suit me up in the gear he wears when making a rough-terrain jump. Against my better judgment, I agreed. The suit was heavy and even in their air-conditioned home, I was hot. Can't imagine what it is like in the Carolina heat and humidity.
Other than the footwear [and the paunch], this is what a jumper looks like. I could not help but flash back to some other folks who probably wish they had never put on military gear for a photo op.
This photo was taken in front of the house, off base, where Reed lives with friends Gustavo [Goose] and Andy.