Military Free-Fall Advanced Tactical Infiltration Course (ATIC)

Special Forces soldiers, wearing oxygen apparatus and with night vision goggles mounted on their helmets, prepare to conduct a high-altitude freefall parachute jump.

These Green Berets are students on the Military Free-Fall Advanced Tactical Infiltration Course (ATIC), an advanced skills training program run by the JFK Special Warfare Center and School at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona.

Recent military free-fall combat drops by special operations forces in Afghanistan and Iraq highlighted the need for a dedicated Advanced Tactical Infiltration Course.

The Military Free-Fall Advanced Tactical Infiltration Course is a 3-week course that focuses on High Altitude High Opening (HAHO) techniques.

The course covers computer-guided and compass-driven navigation, night-vision rigging and emergency procedures, rigging of nonstandard combat equipment and weapons, grouping and canopy flight into unmarked or blacked-out drop zones, and the rigging, loading and deployment of GPS-guided bundles.

Students will plan and execute several nighttime, oxygen HAHO operations, from 25,000 feet, using night-vision goggles in complete blackout conditions and navigating onto unfamiliar or unmarked drop zones.

The Advanced Tactical Infiltration Course course is split into two modules:

Module A
Military Free-Fall Ground Training is taught at Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz.

Students learn the proper rigging of special weapons, combat equipment, night-vision goggles and electronic-navigation equipment for military free-fall standoff operations.

Students will learn planning and operational considerations, tactics, techniques and procedures for HAHO operations.

Vertical wind tunnel training is conducted in Eloy, Ariz.

Students will learn the necessary skills and proficiency to safely maintain stability in free-fall while wearing night-vision goggles, electronic-navigation equipment, special weapons and individual combat equipment.

Navigational Aids, is taught at Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz.

Students will learn techniques and procedures for properly rigging, programming and utilizing navigational equipment for standoff military free-fall operations.

Bundle Delivery, provides the student with the necessary skills and proficiency to properly prepare, and deploy autonomous precision airdrop bundles for military free-fall standoff operations.

Module B
Military Free-Fall Air Operations is taught at Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz.

Students revalidate their competency with the MC-4 parachute system.

Students will demonstrate the ability to properly plan and conduct day and night MFF HAHO operations, while wearing night-vision goggles, navigation equipment, special weapons and individual combat equipment.

Students will also employ autonomous precision airdrop bundles during both day and night military free-fall standoff operations.

Students perform approximately nineteen Military Free-fall standoff parachute jumps before graduation.