Air Assault School, Completed.

I wrote this about 2 hours after getting home from Air Assault School. I'm sore and tired and haven't had a decent meal all day.

Friday, August 10, 2007

Air Assault School, Completed. I just got back from Air Assault School. It was an emotional roller coaster, with highs and lows, but over all, it was worth it because I got my wings. If this post is grammatically horrible, please excuse me. I've been up since 3:30 am and the words are beginning to blur, I'm just writing while all is fresh. Negative 1 Day - Me and 3 others from my battalion arrive at West Point. We're Walk Ons, meaning we don't have orders to be at Air Assault School, but if there are availabilities they will let us in. I have a friend who graduated last year and he said a whole platoon of the 82nd Airborne got in on standy-by, so we should be good. However, when we arrive, only 12 slots are open and there are 25 walk ons, so only 12 get in. The good thing was that the powers-that-be said a lot of people fail out of Zero Day so that we should stick around, compete on Zero Day and if we pass and some primaries don't then we can grab their slot. We then travelled to the site of the Obstacle Course and got to do a dry run through to familiarize ourselves with the course. After that, we headed off to Camp Smith where we spent the night in the barracks. Linens and pillows weren't provided for anybody, the students were supposed to bring them on their own (which no one knew). So, we spent the night without linens or pillows. In fact, we spent the whole time without linens or pillows, but I'm getting ahead of myself. It wasn't bad, we still had mattresses. It beats sleeping on a PT mat in the field. Zero Day - Wake up was at 4 am (which it pretty much was every day we were there), we got dressed and headed off to the Obstacle Course. No breakfast. It's hot. It was hot and humid the entire time we were there (the instructors from the Warrior Training Center said it was worse than Ft. Benning, GA). I passed the Obstacle Course, and so did my 3 compatriots. We then passed our 2 mile run directly after the Obstacle Course. Not that many people failed the O Course, so we don't think we have a slot. We got from an emotional high to a low. I begin packing my bags. Then the OIC of the school came into our hold over barracks to speak with us. He said we all performed excellently and he was personally putting us all into the school. We all cheer. Now it's time to buckle down and get serious. Phase 1 - It's three days long. It's also the ball busting phase. They smoked us for no reason (including having "dirty barracks" even though they were clean). They just wanted to make us miserable, which they did. During this phase we learned all about helicopters (how fast they can fly, how much they can carry, what types of helicopters are there, etc). We then learned how to call in Close Air Support, a 9-Line Medevac and all that good stuff. Following that we learn the certian Pathfinder operations and the Hand and Arm Signals to guide in a helicopter on a Landing Zone. We learn all that stuff in a tin shack, which heats up like an oven in the hot sun, with no ventilation. We are constantly hot and miserable the entire time. On the morning of the second day, we conduct a 6 mile road march to famialrize ourself with the course. It sucks, but I finish 10 minutes before time, which is at 1 hour 30 minutes. After class on the second day, we do an orientation flight in a helicopter. I get to ride in a CH-47 Chinook. I have never been in a helicopter before. It's very fun. At the end of Phase 1, we were then given a written test about all we learned, as well as a practical exam on the Hand and Arm signals. I pass them both the first time, so do my buddies. Phase 2 - The boring phase, also 3 days long. This phase sucked. They took it easier on us physically, and stopped PT at this point, but it was just boring. Helicopters can carry equipment, called "Sling Loads" and each sling load needs to be hooked up a certain and proper way. Air Assault graduates are qualified sling load inspectors. We spend the majority of Phase 2 going over each Sling Load over and over so we can memorize what right looks like, so when were tested on a "dirty load" (a sling load hooked up improperly), we're able to recognize it and call the deficiency. After our written test on the book knowledge, we have a hands on test. We have 2 minutes to find 3 out of 4 deficiencies on 4 Sling Loads, respectively. I max all the sling loads, except for the M149 A2 water trailer (arguably the easiest one), which I fail. Stupid mistakes. Every test in the Army has a retest. I have 6 hours to sit in the hot mess hall and study the M149. All my buddies failed the A-22 cargo bag, so we study together. At the end of the day, I pass my hands on, as does one of my buddies. Two of them go home that night. Phase 3 - The fun phase, also 3 days long (notice a pattern). The rappelling phase. This phase there is no written test, just practical exams, such as tying a Hip-Rappel seat in 90 seconds, hooking up to a rappel tower in 15 seconds, and completing three graded (Hollywood, Hollywood Lock-In and Semi Combat Equipment) rappels off the open side of the tower. We practiced the Hollywood (rappelling without any equipment) twice, the Lock-In once (no equipment, but you switch brake hands mid-way), the Semi-Combat (normal rappel with LBE and Rifle) and the Combat (semi-combat equipment plus a full ruck sack, even though we weren't going to be graded on it). After the day of practice, we test the next day. I pass all my practicals and my rappels, and then, to culminate trainining we get to do one Hollywood Rappel out of a UH-60A Blackhawk from 90 feet up. It was one of the best things I have done in my life. Too bad I only got to do it once, I wanted to go again. Graduation Day - Graduation began at with a 3:30 am wake up. It is raining. It continues to rain all day. We then had the final test to graduate, the dreaded 12 mile ruck march (ruck weight of roughly 30 pounds). It was a 3 mile loop (4 laps for you math majors), with an 8th of a mile consisting of a steep up-hill, which according to some NCOs in the class with me was "against regulation." We had 3 hours to complete 12 miles. Me and my remaining buddy from my battalion pace each other and keep each other motivated. My legs began to cramp around mile 9 or so, but I walked it out and drove on. Me and my buddy crossed the finish line at 2 hours 45 minutes, with a nice comfortable buffer of 15 minutes. After the final inspection of our equipment, we were told to have our breakfast and hit the showers. Our "breakfast" was an MRE, so I mentally told them to shove it, skipped breakfast, hit the showers to warm up (I was wet and miserable) and cleaned out my locker. At graduation, I told my father to pin my wings on my chest, he does, but a little crooked. An Air Assault Sergeant comes over and says "Here, let me fix those for you." The 6'3, 220 pound Sergeant then puts my wings on without the backings, winds up and throws his whole weight into giving me a punch onto my wings. I take a step back. I've earned my blood wings. That's the general overview. I have more specific stories, but they'll have to wait.