Fort Bragg's Golden Knights salute educators with jump in Hoke County

RAEFORD, N.C. (WTVD) -- From more than 12,000 feet in the sky, Fort Bragg's high flying parachute team made a grand entrance onto the Rockfish Hoke Elementary School field. The audience varied. On Tuesday morning, the crowd was composed of educators and students.

"Seeing the Golden Knights was so cool!" said second grade student Alanna Moore.

The jump was just a small token of appreciation for educators working tirelessly teaching students remotely and in person. One teacher called the demonstration heartwarming.

"It showed that our community has not wavered one bit. Rockfish is strong and it's because of the community we have here," said kindergarten teacher Breanne Veal.

Another teacher, Mrs. Vaughn was thrilled about the tribute.

"It brings excitement and normalcy back to this nontraditional school year. As teachers and administrators, we're always looking for fun and exciting things to get students excited about coming back to school," said Mrs. Vaughn.

The pandemic has tremendously slowed operations for the Golden Knights. This year they've only jumped 8 times. They typically perform at almost 50 shows annually. Nonetheless, this was the world's best parachute team's way of saluting educators.

"The jump is very demanding. That's the payback to hear the crowd roaring, kids smiling and everybody cheering," said Golden Knight SFC Chad Riddlebaugh.