Leap Frogs Take a Leap Into 2007

Photo: Members of the U.S. Navy Parachute Demonstration Team Leap Frogs descend into San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium during a training session. The Leap Frogs are a 15-man team comprised of Navy SEALs (Sea, Air, Land) and Special Warfare Combatant Craft (SWCC) personnel. The Leap Frogs support Navy Recruiting efforts and promote the Naval Special Warfare community to the American public. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Stephanie Tigner

By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice David L. Smart, Fleet Public Affairs Center, Pacific

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Sailors known as the Leap Frogs, members of the U.S. Navy’s Parachute Team, conducted training for their upcoming 2007 schedule at Qualcomm Stadium on March 8.

The Leap Frogs perform precision freefall and parachute jumps in support of Navy-wide retention, recruiting and community relations programs.

“We travel around the [United States] to help keep the public aware of the Navy,” said Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Nix White, leading petty officer of the Leap Frogs. “Our main focus is to show public awareness and aid in the recruitment of Navy Special Warfare.”

The Leap Frogs generally hold performances 35 to 50 times annually. They practice for three months out of the year to ensure that safety measures are met.

“Safety is our number one concern,” said Special Warfare Operator 1st Class John Murray, a team member of the Leap Frogs. “Skydiving is an inherently dangerous sport already, and when you add in a stadium full of people, safety is paramount.”

The Leap Frogs are renowned for their exciting and complex skydiving formations. They bring a different type of halftime show to an event.

“It’s very exciting to see them do their stunts,” said Janell Lucken, a deputy sheriff for San Diego County. “Seeing the show has really instilled pride in me and has given me a very patriotic feeling.”

To find out more, visit www.leapfrogs.navy.mil. You can see the complete schedule for the Leap Frogs right here on the MT Milcom Blogspot at http://mt-milcom.blogspot.com/2007/02/us-navy-leap-frogs-2007-performance.html. And you can get all the frequencies for the Leap Frogs in the March 2007 issue of Monitoring Times magazine on sale right now at a newstand near you.