Golden Knights member Q&A

U.S. Army Golden Knights Parachute Team member Sgt. 1st Class Ryan O'Rourke spoke with the Southeast Missourian over the phone following Saturday's performance during the Cape Girardeau Regional Air Festival at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport. O'Rourke parachuted with the American flag during the opening ceremonies.

O'Rourke of Tampa, Florida, was deployed eight times to Iraq and Afghanistan, he said, but he's now a Golden Knight and loves it.

Southeast Missourian: What was it like to be part of the opening ceremonies?

O'Rourke: We would like to thank the City of Cape Girardeau for having us out here. It was awesome and it was an honor to open up the show. It's not every day you get to do that. There are many other ways they could have chosen to open that show, and they chose us.

Southeast Missourian: How long have you been with the Golden Knights?

O'Rourke: I have been with the Golden Knights since October, since I just passed the Golden Knight assessment and selections, so this is my first year on the team.

Southeast Missourian: The Blue Angels trade off every two to three years. Is that the same with you guys?

O'Rourke: We spend a minimum of up to three years on the team. We can actually spend a little bit longer, though.

Southeast Missourian: What are your short-term plans?

O'Rourke: I would love to stay on the team. It's an amazing opportunity to bridge the gap between the American public and the United States Army and the military, and what we do, and kind of show you guys we're normal people, too, you know? We live lives like everybody else ... we're not mean, we're not robots.

Southeast Missourian: It seemed to be pretty windy [Saturday]. Was the wind an issue for you?

O'Rourke: High winds definitely can be an issue. But we spend a couple months in Olmstead, Florida. We jump nearly every day. We train in high winds, we train in low winds, we train to land these parachutes in very small areas with lots of people around. ... We're the face of the Army and we can't mess up. ... We're very confident in our abilities. We take the proper precautionary steps before we step out of the aircraft. ... And then we jump out and land on a target the size of a dinner plate.

— Joshua Hartwig