When it was originally approved in March 1941, the Parachutist Badge was issued in a single degree, with authorization for Senior and Master versions following eight years later on March 10, 1949 (formal announcement of these two degrees was not forthcoming until January of the following year).
For the overwhelming majority of Soldiers, earning the coveted Parachutist Badge means completing the three-week Basic Airborne Course conducted at the U.S. Army Airborne School in Fort Moore (known as Fort Benning before October 2023) in Georgia. The course, which is attended by members of all four branches of the DoD Armed Forces, last three weeks and is divided into a trio of distinct segments. Soldiers are introduced to the principles of safe landing during the opening week, familiarly called Ground Week. Somewhat surprisingly, this is the portion of the course that sees the greatest percentage of dropouts, perhaps due in part to the requirement that all participants regardless of actual age must pass the Army Physical Fitness Test according to the standards established for Soldiers between the ages of 17 and 21.
Tower week sees the increasing use of the 34-foot tower, equipped with a “zip line” that allows the simulation of approaching the ground at speeds similar to be expected during an actual parachute jump. A mock-up of an aircraft’s open jump door allows trainees to become familiar with exiting the plane in a smooth, orderly fashion, and it’s during this part of the training that Soldiers learn how to control direction and when and how to deploy the emergency reserve parachute. The course naturally concludes with Jump Week, during which candidates must make five successful jumps (one of them at night) to graduate and earn the Parachutists Badge.
Requirements for the Senior and Master Badges are considerably more stringent both in the number of requisite jumps, the conditions under which they are made, and even in subject personnel evaluation standards: all candidates for these higher badges must he rated in excellent in both character efficiency. The complete requirements for these badges are found in Sections 13 and 14 of Chapter 8, “Badges and Tabs,” of Army Regulation 600-8-22 Military Awards.