Photo credit: U.S. Army by Gary L. Kieffer
This is available at a number of installations, but the largest is located at the air assault home of Ft. Campbell, Kentucky. Another popular location for this school is at East Range Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. This eleven day course is very demanding both physically and mentally, involving obstacle courses and several long ruck marches.
The Air Assault program is divided into three phases
- Phase one is the Combat assault phase. Here, students will learn aircraft safety and orientation. They will learn how to conduct an Aero medical evacuation. Pathfinder and combat assault operation is also taught.
- Phase two is the sling load phase. Students learn how to sling load a HMMWV two ways, a 105mm Howitzer, a LMTV, fuel blivets and a cargo net.
- Phase three is the rappelling phase. Students start with the basics such as how to make a swiss seat, how to hook-up, lock-in, combat rappel and belay procedures. Then comes the fun part. Students conduct 2 rappels from a 34 foot tower. 9-12 rappels on an open tower, i.e. no wall, and then conduct 2 rappels from a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter, once without a combat load, and once with a combat load. Students must also complete a 12-mile road march in under 3 hours, with a combat load to earn the Air Assault wings.
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