Three Brutal Lessons I Learned as a Jump Master in 7th Special Forces Group

Three Brutal Lessons I Learned as a Jump Master in 7th Special Forces Group

Jumpmaster School was, hands down, the hardest, most unforgiving course I ever went through—and I say that as someone who came from the intel world and completed several high-level special operations training programs. Nothing compared to this.

What humbled me most wasn’t just the intensity of the standards—it was watching seasoned Special Forces soldiers, with multiple combat deployments and racks of badges, break down under the pressure. I saw men cry. I saw NCOs with decades in the Regiment fail. And I realized one truth: Jumpmaster doesn’t care who you are—it only cares whether you can perform.

Here are the three lessons that have stuck with me:

1. Rank, Reputation, and Experience Don’t Matter—Execution DoesIn that course, no one cared about your deployments, your MOS, or how many jumps you had. The only thing that mattered was whether you could execute with 100% accuracy. There are no shortcuts, no exceptions, and no mercy. The standard is the standard.

2. Pressure Reveals the Truth saw confident men get humbled. I watched seasoned warriors buckle under the weight of expectation. It taught me that no matter how tough you think you are, the real test comes when you’re exhausted, under pressure, and responsible for the lives of others. That pressure forces you to either rise or fold—and both outcomes are revealing.

3. Precision Is Not Optional—It’s Survival. As a Jump Master, you are the last line between a successful airborne operation and disaster. Every detail matters: equipment checks, commands, wind calls, exits. If you miss something, someone could die. That kind of responsibility reshaped the way I approach leadership. No task is too small to triple-check when people are counting on you.

Anyone who has been through the course knows—it’s not simple, and it’s not a rite of passage you just get through. You earn it, every damn second. And if you wear that star, you carry the weight of what it took to get there.