Screaming Eagles

The Tennessee Titans are very active in community activities in the Nashville area, and they are huge supporters of the troops stationed at Ft. Campbell (which is about 60 miles north of Nashville). Before games, spectators may experience a fly-over by jets, recognition of soldiers who recently returned from the Middle East, presentation of the flags by soldiers from the base, or demonstrations by the soldiers. At the Titans/Falcons game, three Screaming Eagles parachuted from a plane (right), landing perfectly on the field.

It's a little difficult to explain exactly how they did this, but the jumpers were able to control how quickly they descended and which way they moved by pulling on the cords of their parachutes and changing body position.

Based at Ft. Campbell, the Screaming Eagles are part of the 101st Airborne Division (air assualt) of the United States Army. Established during WW II, the division has served in Europe, Japan, VietNam, Afghanistan, and Iraq. If I remember correctly, all three of the guys who jumped at the game served in Iraq, and the one in the main photo has recovered from injuries he received there.

Two interesting notes: During the Civil Rights protests in the late 50s, President Eisenhower deployed part of the division to Little Rock to enforce court-ordered desegregation.

You can see the eagle-themed emblem on the parachute above. While the division was serving in Viet Nam, the Viet Cong, who had never seen an eagle, called them "Chicken Men."