Parachuting Injuries during Operation Royal Dragon, Big Drop III, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, May 15/16, 1996

Abstract

On the night of May 15/16, 1996, the largest parachute assault of United States (US) and United Kingdom (UK) airborne forces in 52 years occurred at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. This paper describes the injuries sustained in that operation. A total of 4,754 (US, N = 3,066; UK, N = 1,688) aircraft exits were made, causing a total of 137 (US, N = 73; UK, N = 64) injuries in 117 personnel (US = 68; UK = 49). There were 15 hospital admissions (US = 8; UK = 7; p = 0.37) and no fatalities. The combined exit injury incidence was 24.6 injured soldiers per 1,000 exits. The US exit injury rate was 22 injured per 1,000 aircraft exits and the UK rate was 29 injured soldiers per 1,000 aircraft exits. This difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.25). Lower extremity sprains, strains, and fractures accounted for the majority of injuries in US and UK forces. UK soldiers sustained significantly more of these potentially incapacitating injuries than US troops, 16.1 per 1,000 exits versus 9.1 per 1,000 exits, respectively (chi 2 = 4.07; p = 0.043; relative risk [RR] = 1.70; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01, 2.86). The UK forces sustained significantly more closed head injuries than US forces, 7.1 per 1,000 exits versus 2.3 per 1,000 exits, respectively (chi 2 = 6.4; p = 0.011; RR = 3.13; 95% CI = 1.23, 7.93). The UK forces also had significantly more soldiers with multiple injuries than US forces (RR = 9.15; 95% CI = 2.5, 39.7). Factors that may have influenced differences in injury incidence include differences in weight of personal equipment and possible differences between the drop zones.