008 United States v. Herrmann

You might imagine that the sound of freefall is relatively quiet. Being 2 miles above the birds, traffic noises, and other day-to-day auditory interruptions, all you hear is the sound of the wind rushing past you as you reapproach the earth.

It's in that moment when you open your parachute and you experience lift that the world finally goes quiet. Sergeant Herrmann was tasked with inspecting parachutes and ensuring that, if someone's main parachute failed, the reserve chutes worn by paratroopers would work… their last line of defense against gravity. It's a potentially life or death task… and one Sergeant Herrmann chose to skip.

I relied on the court opinions: ACCA; CAAF; Government's CAAF Brief; Gutierrez; White; Civilian Appellate Counsel Briefs (1)(2); SCOTUS history (1)(2).

And referenced articles about the T-11 Reserve Parachute, Army Jump School, Operation Toy Drop