Miss USA skydives with Golden Knights

ARNEWS ^ | Mar 20, 2006 | Reesa B. Kossoff

[SandRat]

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, March 20, 2006) – Miss USA Chelsea Cooley soared through the sky at an altitude of 13,000 feet during a tandem skydive with the U.S. Army Parachute Team, the Golden Knights, March 14.

The tandem jump was coordinated in conjunction with her USO visit to Fort Bragg, N.C.

Millions of people in more than 90 countries watched as Cooley was crowned Miss USA April 11, 2005. A native of Charlotte, N.C., Cooley has spent the past year as Miss USA, championing the causes of breast and ovarian cancer education and research.

Cooley has also become a USO celebrity and has visited a variety of military bases, including: Camp Lejeune, N.C.; Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba; and McGuire Air Force Base, N.J. Her constant interaction and support of the military fueled her interest in performing a tandem jump with the Golden Knights, she said.

Training puts Cooley on Cloud 9

As part of her USO visit, Cooley arrived at Fort Bragg early in the morning on March 14 and was flown to the nearby Laurinburg-Maxton airport. There, she was met by her family who accompanied her to a one-hour training session conducted by tandem master Sgt. 1st Class Billy Van Soelen.

Cooley quickly learned about parachuting equipment, skydiving techniques and what to expect during the jump. As soon as the morning clouds cleared, Miss USA suited up and boarded the DeHavilland UV-18 twin Otter plane. Together with her tandem partner, Sgt. 1st Class Greg Windmiller, Cooley performed her jump from an altitude of 13,500 feet.

Upon return to the ground, Cooley could barely contain her excitement.

“It was everything I thought it could be and more!” she exclaimed. “The Golden Knights are the best of the best, hands down.”

Following her jump, Cooley returned to Fort Bragg to eat dinner and sign autographs for the Soldiers in the 3rd Brigade dining room.

Jumps span White House to MTV

Established in 1959, the Golden Knights have had the honor of serving as Army ambassadors for more than 46 years. As the only Department of Defense and U.S. Army sponsored parachute team, the Golden Knights have earned an international reputation by continuously bringing home gold, silver and bronze medals from competitions.

In addition to impressing American and international audiences at competitions and air shows, the Golden Knights have had the opportunity to connect to the public by performing tandems with a variety of celebrities, including: former President George Bush, professional golfer Tiger Woods, NSYNC’s Lance Bass, MTV’s Vanessa Minillo and the Today Show’s Ann Curry.

“The Golden Knights Tandem team enables the Army to reach out to influencers and give them a taste of the professionalism, leadership and teamwork of the Soldier and the U.S. Army,” said Lt. Col. Dave Standridge, commander of the Golden Knights.

Footage of Cooley’s Army experience will air during the Miss USA pageant on April 21 at 9 p.m. on NBC.

[E.G.C.]

BTTT

[Skooz]

I haven't skydived in 25 years.

Man, I would like to do it again.