Golden Knights 50th Anniversary

Jumping into 50. The U.S. Army Parachute Team, The Golden Knights, is celebrating its golden anniversary. Jini Ryan takes a look at 50 years of jumping out of that perfectly good airplane.

[Ominous music playing] It really shows what Army strong is all about. All the NCOs and all the officers that work on the team work together-- --and we go out there and represent the men and women in the armed forces as well as the Army. [Tom Petty's "Learning to Fly" playing] We really try to put on the best parachute demonstration out there to represent the men and women who are stationed abroad-- --as well as in CONUS to show the American public that the military has a lot to offer. [Tom Petty's "Learning to Fly" playing] Initially, the team was started back in 1959 as a STRAC parachute team to compete against the Soviet Bloc countries-- --because they had been dominating the skydiving world and we hadn't been doing very well.

[Tom Petty's "Free Falling" playing] Three years after they were formed, the team became known as The Golden Knights-- --a name that has come to symbolize a unit that brings home the gold by conquering the skies. [Fast rock song playing] Our mission has changed a little bit, but it's stayed mostly the same-- --and some of the things that we've accomplished is the whole transition and equipment. [Band playing march] There used to be round parachutes where you didn't have very much control-- --transitioning to square ram-air canopies where you can land it almost wherever you want whenever you want. [Van Halen's "Jump" playing] The next 50 years is going to be so much different.

Parachuting concepts are going to be changing-- --and we're going to have different planes. Another 50 years--it's going to be great and hopefully I'll be around to see what the team has been-- --and talk about where I was for 8 years. So I'm really looking forward to the next 50 years and what the team has to offer the United States and foreign countries. [Van Halen's "Jump" playing] Oh, how cute! He's not cute.

He's an 82nd Airborne Paratrooper. Oh, got it.  So would you ever jump out of an airplane? Actually, I wouldn't mind jumping out of an airplane. Me?  I'm not jumping out unless I'm pushed out.

Well, that can be arranged.  >>No..