AUGUST 8, 2025 – U.S. Army and international paratroopers jumped against each other during Leapfest, Aug. 2, 2025.
Hosted by the Rhode Island Army National Guard’s 56th Troop Command, the event is the largest and oldest global static line parachute training event and competition.
The competing paratroopers jumped from a CH-47 Chinook helicopter and used MC-6 parachutes — which have steerable canopies — to navigate toward designated target areas within the drop zone.
Their performances were judged on how quickly they could land, their execution of a parachute landing fall and their ability to land at the specific target area.
The competition is both individual and team-based, with the fastest combined times determining the winners. However, the greater purpose of Leapfest is to promote the camaraderie and esprit de corps of the airborne soldier through international competition.
DOD News