Air Assault School

Air Assault School
Capt. Brett Walker · Public domain · source
Name	Air Assault School
Established	1970s
Type	Military training
Location	Multiple installations worldwide
Administered by	United States Army, 8th Infantry Division (United States), 101st Airborne Division (United States)
Motto	"Air Assault"

Air Assault School Air Assault School is a specialized United States United States Army course teaching combat assault by rotary-wing aircraft, sling-load rigging, and rappelling operations. Graduates earn proficiency applicable to 101st Airborne Division (United States), 82nd Airborne Division (United States), 7th Infantry Division (United States), and other formations conducting Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, Vietnam War-era and contemporary air-mobile missions. The program’s syllabus and standards have influenced training at installations such as Fort Campbell, Fort Hood, Fort Liberty and allied exchanges with British Army and Canadian Army units.

History

Air assault concepts evolved from early airmobile doctrine experiments, including rotary-wing innovations during the Korean War and doctrinal developments after the Vietnam War. The modern school traces lineage to specialized rotary-wing instruction created at Fort Benning and operationalized by units like the 1st Cavalry Division (United States) and the 11th Airborne Division. Institutional adoption occurred alongside doctrinal documents such as manuals developed by United States Army Training and Doctrine Command and lessons learned from campaigns including Operation Just Cause and Gulf War. International partnerships and exchanges have linked the school’s techniques with NATO allies including NATO partners and Bundeswehr aviation units, informing procedures used in Kosovo War and stabilization missions in the Balkans.

Curriculum and Training Phases

The course is divided into phases addressing physical conditioning, airborne familiarity, and technical aviation skills. Initial instruction introduces rotary-wing safety, aircraft types like the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk and Boeing CH-47 Chinook, and navigation principles taught alongside training materials from United States Army Aviation Center of Excellence. The sling-load phase emphasizes rigging procedures derived from load charts and techniques validated in operations such as Operation Anaconda; it uses certified equipment standards aligned with Federal Aviation Administration and military specifications. The rappelling and aircraft insertion phase covers fast-rope insertion extraction system (FRIES) and helicopter rope suspension techniques (HRST), practiced with guidance from manuals developed by United States Army Aviation Branch and after-action reports from Operation Enduring Freedom deployments.

Eligibility and Selection

Candidates typically come from units assigned to air-mobile or airborne-capable formations such as the 101st Airborne Division (United States), 82nd Airborne Division (United States), 10th Mountain Division (United States), and aviation brigades of the 1st Infantry Division (United States). Eligibility criteria include physical fitness standards aligned with Army Physical Fitness Test predecessors and contemporary protocols used by United States Army Recruiting Command and unit readiness managers. Selection processes coordinate with personnel systems like Defense Manpower Data Center records and occupational specialties drawn from Military Occupational Specialty listings, while units request slots through channels including FORSCOM and III Corps command structures. International students have attended under exchange programs with forces such as Australian Defence Force, New Zealand Defence Force, and French Army contingents.

Evaluation and Qualification

Assessment includes timed physical events, technical practical exams, and classroom knowledge tests referencing aviation safety standards established by Federal Aviation Administration-compatible military guidance and Army Regulation 385-10 style safety directives. Students must demonstrate proficiency in sling-load inspections using inspection criteria comparable to those employed by United States Army Materiel Command and execute aircraft ingress/egress evolutions consistent with procedures used by 1st Aviation Brigade and 16th Combat Aviation Brigade. Successful completion awards air assault proficiency recognition adopted by units participating in operations such as Operation Iraqi Freedom and peacekeeping missions under United Nations mandates.

Equipment and Facilities

Training employs rotary-wing airframes including the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk, Boeing CH-47 Chinook, and sometimes legacy models related to the Bell UH-1 Iroquois family. Rigging equipment includes certified slings, cargo nets, and aerial delivery systems similar to those used by 10th Mountain Division (United States) aviation support, maintained through supply channels like Army Materiel Command and depot-level repair overseen by organizations such as Defense Logistics Agency. Facilities feature rappel towers, obstacle courses modeled on standards from United States Army Combat Readiness Center, and ranges located on posts such as Fort Campbell, Fort Cavazos, and Fort Liberty, with airspace coordination involving units from Air Traffic Control elements and aviation battalions like the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade.

Notable Graduates and Incidents

Alumni include individuals who served in prominent units and campaigns—graduates have operated in theaters from Vietnam War deployments to missions in Iraq War, Afghanistan conflict (2001–2021), and peace operations in the Balkans. High-profile incidents influencing policy include aircraft mishaps and sling-load accidents investigated by boards similar to those convened after Black Hawk Down-era reviews and Southern Watch aviation safety inquiries, prompting revisions published by entities such as United States Army Safety Center and doctrinal updates at United States Army Aviation Center of Excellence. Distinguished graduates have risen to senior ranks in organizations like United States Army Special Operations Command, Joint Special Operations Command, and have served in joint assignments with United States Special Operations Command and allied headquarters.

Category:United States Army training