http://www.northjersey.com/hackensack/052512_Navy_brings_Fleet_Week_demonstrations_to_Hackensack_Paramus.html?page=allNavy brings Fleet Week demonstrations to Hackensack, ParamusBY MONSY ALVARADO
STAFF WRITER
The Record
In carefully planned, deftly executed strikes, special-operations officers from the U.S. Navy rappelled from hovering helicopters on Friday morning onto school playing fields in Hackensack and Paramus.
To the delight of hundreds of students, the Navy helicopters flew above the football field at Hackensack High School and, hours later, the sports grounds of the East Brook Middle School in Paramus before five Navy SEALs clad in desert-colored fatigues glided down a rope and onto the grass.
VIDEO:
http://bcove.me/dk6f24la (by Thomas E. Franklin, The Record)
The demonstrations were part of a series of similar events organized by the Navy during Fleet Week to educate the public about what they do, organizers said.
"The goal is just to get out and to interact with the people that we serve every day," said Cmdr. Dan Heidt who is based out of the naval station in Norfolk, Va. "It's a chance to meet them and let them meet us.”
"Sometimes we walk around and people think that we are in the Air Force, but, no, we are in the Navy," he added. "And the Navy actually has aircrafts and pilots that fly. We want to get the word out that the Navy has a very capable aviation side to it.”
In Hackensack, about 2,000 spectators — including eighth grade students from Maywood and local officials and residents — filled the stands as the silver MH-60S emerged from the clouds and hovered over the middle of the field. At 20 feet, the rope was deployed, and within seconds five members of the Navy's Explosive Ordnance Disposal team, also known as its bomb squad, were on the ground. The helicopter then made its landing.
The exercise, organizers said, demonstrates how the squads can immediately enter a ship or land in confined areas.
The Navy SEALs and their choppers were welcomed with applause.
"Every time I see this I get the goose bumps," said Mark Stein, a Hackensack school board member whose 31-year old son, Sean, is currently serving with the Navy on a submarine. "What an education for the students.”
Low-lying clouds threatened to cancel the morning event in Hackensack, where students waited for more than an hour as they listened and danced to music performed by a Navy band. The chopper, which departed from Teterboro Airport, needed the clouds to be above 500 feet to fly, said the crew chief, Jacob Rainey.
After its arrival, several students said they had never seen a helicopter so close and called the experience "cool” and "awesome.” Several students posed for photographs inside the helicopter, while others snapped pictures of the men in uniform and thanked them for their service.
Edith Buestan, 16, and Patricia Remache, 15, both freshmen, posed with three sailors, who did not take part in the demonstration, before heading back to school.
"How they came down from the rope, that was really cool,” Buestan said as she walked off the field.
More than two hours later, three helicopters landed in Paramus to music from the same Navy band. Students from East Brook and West Brook middle schools stood near a fence as the choppers, including a large MH-53, made their descents, forcing leaves on nearby trees to sway.
"It was awesome they were able to do this in Paramus," said Rosa Rizzolo, whose 13-year old daughter is in middle school. "They brought a little bit of Fleet Week to Paramus.”
Paramus students also showed their visitors brown bags they had filled with candy and notes for shipment to sailors overseas. Jane Cosco, a retired teacher, began assembling the bags with her students a day after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. On Friday, students packed their 250,000th goodie bag, school officials said.
"It's amazing how a small idea blossoms when people are involved," said Joseph Lupo, the interim Paramus superintendent.
Heidt said it was the first time the Navy had done a special operations demonstration in New Jersey during Fleet Week. He said local Navy units were scouting for sites earlier in the year.
Email: alvarado@northjersey.com
One of the online comments: "They were EOD technicians. Not SEALs"ALL PHOTOS BY THOMAS E. FRANKLIN, THE RECORD
(Tom's last photo and my third one almost look like they were taken simultaneously)
