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YUMA PROVING GROUND, Ariz. -- If Master Sgt. Michael S. Thurmond has his way, jumping out of a perfectly good airplane may one day be safer than walking to your mailbox.

For now, the Marine Corps is making strides in that direction, Thurmond says, thanks to new gadgets and systems -- including one that literally guides a jumper to the drop zone of his choice, even amid poor weather and visibility.

Thurmond offered a peak at the future of paratrooping while training 1st Reconnaissance Battalion Marines May 26 on this sprawling Army installation.

Preparations for broader use of a rectangular parachute built for maneuverability and comfort, trainers said.

Thurmond heads a team of three Marines researching and devising new ways for warriors to fly under their parachutes.

"Our job is to find new equipment and ways to help Marine parachutists do their job," said Thurmond, chief instructor for the Airborne Mobile Training Team, based in Quantico, Va.

One of those innovations -- the High-altitude, High-opening Navigation System -- will be fielded shortly, Thurmond said.

Thurmond and his team have given the system thumbs-up after four months of testing.

The system incorporates a global positioning system into a small unit mounted to the back of a parachutist's helmet. A viewfinder is placed in front of the jumper's eye. The unit determines altitude, direction of travel and whether the parachutist will hit his designated drop zone. The jumper can choose a different drop zone with the push of a button. Simply by following arrows, he steers to his destination.

"It doesn't get any more advanced," Thurmond said. "The thing is foolproof."

Contingencies like poor visibility or weather can confound some systems. Not this one, he said.

"The system was made to be fully weatherproof and has two different backlit settings in the eyepiece, making it (suitable in) night or daytime conditions," he said.

Thurmond said evaluators pushed the system to its limits.

"We jumped the unit at 25,000 feet and had a solid cloud layer beneath us. So we followed the GPS system and it took us right over the drop zone," he said.

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YUMA PROVING GROUND, Ariz. -- If Master Sgt. Michael S. Thurmond has his way, jumping out of a perfectly good airplane may one day be safer than walking to your mailbox.

For now, the Marine Corps is making strides in that direction, Thurmond says, thanks to new gadgets and systems -- including one that literally guides a jumper to the drop zone of his choice, even amid poor weather and visibility.

Thurmond offered a peak at the future of paratrooping while training 1st Reconnaissance Battalion Marines May 26 on this sprawling Army installation.

Preparations for broader use of a rectangular parachute built for maneuverability and comfort, trainers said.

Thurmond heads a team of three Marines researching and devising new ways for warriors to fly under their parachutes.

"Our job is to find new equipment and ways to help Marine parachutists do their job," said Thurmond, chief instructor for the Airborne Mobile Training Team, based in Quantico, Va.

One of those innovations -- the High-altitude, High-opening Navigation System -- will be fielded shortly, Thurmond said.

Thurmond and his team have given the system thumbs-up after four months of testing.

The system incorporates a global positioning system into a small unit mounted to the back of a parachutist's helmet. A viewfinder is placed in front of the jumper's eye. The unit determines altitude, direction of travel and whether the parachutist will hit his designated drop zone. The jumper can choose a different drop zone with the push of a button. Simply by following arrows, he steers to his destination.

"It doesn't get any more advanced," Thurmond said. "The thing is foolproof."

Contingencies like poor visibility or weather can confound some systems. Not this one, he said.

"The system was made to be fully weatherproof and has two different backlit settings in the eyepiece, making it (suitable in) night or daytime conditions," he said.

Thurmond said evaluators pushed the system to its limits.

"We jumped the unit at 25,000 feet and had a solid cloud layer beneath us. So we followed the GPS system and it took us right over the drop zone," he said.

Marines

MCB Camp Pendleton

Autopilot for jumpers looming;

Autopilot for jumpers looming;