214 ‘air assaults’ earn their wings

Sgt. William Bolderson

11th ADA Bde. Public Affairs

More than 200 Fort Bliss Soldiers graduated from the Air Assault Course during a ceremony on Noel Parade Field  March 5.

Approximately 280 Soldiers entered the course with high hopes of earning the coveted Air Assault Badge, but only 214 Soldiers made it through, having passed all three phases: air mobile operations, sling-load operations and rappelling operations. 

Command Sgt. Maj. Richard Clem, the 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command’s command sergeant major, was the guest speaker for the event. 

“To the family members, you have every reason to be proud of your Soldier,” said Clem. “They truly have been challenged both physically and mentally. The Army has nearly 1.2 million Soldiers, consisting of active duty, Reserve and National Guard. Out of all those Soldiers, only 1.3 percent will ever become an air assault Soldier.”

 

Air assault cadre from B Company, Warrior Training Battalion, based in Fort Benning, Ga., oversaw the three stages of the Soldiers’ training.

Students learned about the Army’s rotary-wing aircraft, pathfinder hand and arm signals, helicopter landing markings and air medical evacuations during the combat assault phase.

They also learned about various sling-load equipment, ground crew operations, proper rigging and inspection of various pieces of equipment, including the M-1097 High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, M-119 How-itzer, A-22 cargo bag, 400-gallon water blivets, and cargo nets during the sling-load phase.

The rappelling phase was the last stage of the course. Students learned how to tie a conventional hip rappel seat in less than 90 seconds, perform rappels from the 64-foot tower and a single rappel from a UH-1 helicopter from an altitude of 90 feet.

All Soldiers completed a 12-mile road march within three hours, carrying a full combat load prior to their graduation.

 

“It was very challenging both physically and mentally,” said Cpl. Jorge Estrada, a Head-quarters and Headquarters Battery, 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade motor pool noncommissioned officer. “I was so proud this morning when I crossed that finish line. I ran so hard. There was no way I was going to come this far and not make it through.”

The graduates now know the latest techniques in air assault operations and have joined a 36-year history shared by air assault-qualified Soldiers from the past and present. They are charged with carrying the proud air assault tradition back to their units and into the future, said Clem.

“Be proud of your accomplishments, and remember not everyone can be an air assault Soldier,” said Clem. “Maintain your skills, both physically and mentally. You truly were tested, and demonstrated through personal example that you will always place the mission first, you will never accept defeat, never quit, and certainly never leave a fallen comrade.”