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MDNG Members Jump in Honor of Fallen Soldier

[vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1500578084113{margin: 0px !important;border-width: 0px !important;padding: 0px !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1500578640095{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-right: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;border-right-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;border-left-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”]By 2nd Lt. Jessica Donnelly, Maryland National Guard Public Affairs Office
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1500578341968{margin: 0px !important;border-width: 0px !important;padding: 0px !important;}”][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1500578002173{margin: 0px !important;border-width: 0px !important;padding: 0px !important;}”][vc_column_text]Soldiers from the Maryland National Guard conducted a non-tactical jump from a C-27J aircraft Feb. 4, in Little Orleans, Md., to honor a fallen Maryland National Guard member.

Approximately 30 members of Charlie Troop, 1-158th Cavalry Regiment and the Rigger Detachment participated in the jump. The event served two purposes – familiarization of the new aircraft, which many of the Soldiers had never jumped out of before, as well as being the first jump conducted on the newly named drop zone.

Afghanistan,” explained Staff Sgt. Nicholas Pitz, Charlie Troop training non-commissioned officer. “Master Sgt. Bitner was a member of our unit prior to his career in Special Forces … and this will be the first jump on the officially renamed DZ.”

“The drop zone in western Maryland that we use was recently renamed from Shipley DZ to Bitner DZ in honor of a Special Forces master sergeant killed in

The DZ was previously named Shipley DZ in recognition of the Family who owns the field, but with the recent site survey that was conducted the DZ was renamed to honor the fallen Soldier. Sgt. 1st Class Brian Kunis, Rigger Det. parachute pack supervisor, explained that Master Sgt. Benjamin Bitner was a former member of the 1-158th Cavalry Long Range Surveillance unit before transferring to the 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) on active duty. He was killed in action April 23, 2011 while deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

“He had served in our unit and when we had the chance to rename the DZ, we decided to name it after [Master Sgt.] Bitner,” said Kunis.

The members of the 1-158th Cavalry are planning to mark the DZ with a plaque dedicating the field to Master Sgt. Benjamin Bitner during the next jump slated for May, added Kunis.

Bitner’s Family was also in attendance at the DZ for the jump.

Kunis explained that the unit conducts jumps at least quarterly throughout the year to maintain their parachute proficiency. The jump slated to take place in May will also give the unit members the opportunity to earn Canadian jump wings.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1500578554425{margin: 0px !important;border-width: 0px !important;padding: 0px !important;}”][vc_raw_html css=”.vc_custom_1500578506593{margin: 0px !important;border-width: 0px !important;padding: 0px !important;}”]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row]


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