United States Army Airborne School

United States Army Airborne School is a training facility located at Fort Benning, Georgia, that trains personnel in the United States Army, United States Air Force, United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, and other NATO forces in parachuting and airborne operations. The school is operated by the United States Army Infantry School and is open to United States Army personnel, as well as select personnel from other US military branches and foreign military units, such as the British Army and the Canadian Army. The school's training is designed to prepare students for airborne operations with units such as the 82nd Airborne Division, 101st Airborne Division, and 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team. The school's instructors are experienced paratroopers who have served in units such as the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta and the 75th Ranger Regiment.

● History

The school was established in 1942, during World War II, as the Parachute School at Fort Benning, Georgia, with the goal of training paratroopers for the Allied invasion of Sicily and the D-Day invasion of Normandy. The school's first commander was William C. Lee, a United States Army officer who is considered the "father of the US Army Airborne". The school's early instructors included James M. Gavin, who later became the commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, and Matthew B. Ridgway, who later became the commander of the 18th Airborne Corps. The school's training program was developed with the help of the British Army's Parachute Regiment and the Soviet Airborne Forces. During the Korean War and the Vietnam War, the school continued to train paratroopers for airborne operations with units such as the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team and the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile).

● Training

The school's training program includes a three-week course that covers the basics of parachuting, including parachute assembly, parachute deployment, and landing techniques. Students also learn about airborne operations, including airborne assault and airborne defense, and are trained in the use of parachute equipment, such as the T-10 parachute and the T-11 parachute. The school's training is designed to simulate the conditions of airborne operations, including night jumps and combat jumps, and students are trained to work with units such as the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) and the Special Forces Operational Detachment-Alpha. The school's instructors are experienced paratroopers who have served in units such as the 82nd Airborne Division and the 101st Airborne Division, and have participated in operations such as Operation Desert Storm and Operation Enduring Freedom.

● Organization

The school is organized into several departments, including the Department of Training and Doctrine, the Department of Operations, and the Department of Safety. The school is commanded by a United States Army colonel, who is assisted by a team of instructors and staff officers, including lieutenant colonels and majors who have served in units such as the 75th Ranger Regiment and the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta. The school is also supported by a team of non-commissioned officers and enlisted personnel who serve as instructors and training assistants, and have participated in operations such as Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Inherent Resolve. The school's organization is designed to support the training of paratroopers for airborne operations with units such as the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team and the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division.

● Curriculum

The school's curriculum includes a range of courses, from basic parachuting training to advanced airborne operations training. The school's courses include the Basic Airborne Course, the Advanced Airborne Course, and the Jumpmaster Course, which are designed to train students in the skills and knowledge needed to participate in airborne operations with units such as the 82nd Airborne Division and the 101st Airborne Division. The school's curriculum also includes training in parachute equipment, airborne communications, and airborne first aid, and is designed to prepare students for operations such as Operation Desert Storm and Operation Enduring Freedom. The school's instructors use a range of training methods, including classroom instruction, field training, and simulations, to teach students the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in airborne operations with units such as the 75th Ranger Regiment and the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta.

● Notable Graduates

The school has trained many notable paratroopers, including George S. Patton, who commanded the Third Army during World War II, and Dwight D. Eisenhower, who served as the Supreme Allied Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force during World War II. Other notable graduates include Creighton Abrams, who commanded the 3rd Armored Division during the Vietnam War, and Norman Schwarzkopf Jr., who commanded the US Central Command during Operation Desert Storm. The school has also trained many Medal of Honor recipients, including Audie Murphy, who served with the 15th Infantry Regiment during World War II, and Salvatore Giunta, who served with the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team during Operation Enduring Freedom. The school's graduates have gone on to serve in units such as the 82nd Airborne Division, the 101st Airborne Division, and the 75th Ranger Regiment, and have participated in operations such as Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Inherent Resolve.

● In Popular Culture

The school has been featured in several films and television shows, including Saving Private Ryan, which depicts the D-Day invasion of Normandy, and Band of Brothers, which tells the story of Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division during World War II. The school has also been featured in several video games, including Call of Duty: World at War and Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, which simulate the experience of airborne operations during World War II. The school's training and operations have also been featured in several books, including The Longest Day by Cornelius Ryan and A Bridge Too Far by Cornelius Ryan, which tell the story of airborne operations during World War II. The school's history and traditions are also celebrated in several museums, including the National Infantry Museum and the Airborne & Special Operations Museum, which are located at Fort Benning, Georgia, and Fayetteville, North Carolina, respectively.