In a first, airmen jump out of an Army Chinook from 2,500 feet in the air

Airmen from the 435th Contingency Response Group at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, trained with the Army this week as part of Exercise Saber Strike.

The exercise is a U.S. Army Europe-led exercise meant to test multiple nations and their capability to act against threats, officials said in a release.

During the exercise, at Lielvarde Air Base, Latvia, airmen from the 435th jumped out of a CH-47 Chinook from a new elevation of 2,500 feet — a jump normally done much closer to the ground.

"Normally, airdrops are completed with full combat equipment and between 1,000 to 1,500 feet," Maj. John Sullivan, commander of the 435th Security Forces Squadron, which is part of the 435th Contingency Response Group, said. "The lower altitude is preferred so the 435th CRG can get on the ground faster to establish security and set up equipment, which is a priority to 435th CRG's mission to enable flight operations."

Because the jump took place at a higher elevation, the airmen had more time to control their parachutes and experiment with toggle control. They also had more freedom in picking their landing area, Sullivan said.

The CH-47 crew was made up of soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division's 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, which is usually stationed at Fort Drum, New York, officials said.

"This is something that is beneficial for both the Air Force and the Army, them getting to work with us and us getting to work with them," Capt. Christopher James Thomsen, acting contingency response element commander with the 435th said. "The procedures are different but that joint integration is really what enables us as a global force."