U.S. Army Airborne School

United States Army Airborne School
Airborne students jumping from C-130 in T-11 parachutes during jump week
Active	June 1940 – present
Country	United States of America
Branch	United States Army
Role	Special Skills Training
Part of	United States Army Infantry School's Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade
Garrison/HQ	Fort Benning, Georgia
Nickname(s)	Jump School
Insignia
Headgear worn by special skills instructors, known as "Black Hats"
Background trimming and unit flash of 1st Bn, 507th Inf Reg who conduct all parachute training at Ft Benning
US Military Parachutist Badge, awarded at graduation

The United States Army Airborne School – widely known as Jump School – conducts the basic paratrooper (military parachutist) training for the United States armed forces. It is operated by the 1st Battalion (Airborne), 507th Infantry, United States Army Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia. The Airborne School conducts the Basic Airborne Course, which is open to troops of both genders from all branches of the United States Department of Defense, Reserve Officer Training Corps, and allied military personnel. All students must volunteer to attend the course.

In 1940, the War Department approved the formation of a test platoon of Airborne Infantry under the direction and control of the Army's Infantry Board. A test platoon of volunteers was organized from Fort Benning's 29th Infantry Regiment, and the 2nd Infantry Division was directed to conduct tests to develop reference data and operational procedures for air-transported troops.

First Lieutenant William T. Ryder volunteered and was made the test platoon's platoon leader, Lieutenant James A. Bassett was designated assistant platoon leader, and forty-eight enlisted men were selected from a pool of 200 volunteers. The platoon moved into tents near Lawson Army Airfield, and an abandoned hangar was obtained for training and parachute packing.

Lieutenant Colonel William C. Lee, a staff officer for the Chief of Infantry, recommended that the test platoon be moved to the Safe Parachute Company at Hightstown, NJ and train using parachute drop towers from the 1939 New York World's Fair. Eighteen days after forming, the platoon was moved to New Jersey and trained for one week on the 250-foot free towers, which proved to be particularly effective – drops from the tower added realism otherwise impossible to duplicate outside of an airplane drop, and proved to the troopers that their parachutes would function safely.