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Air Assault: National Guard effort prompts first Air Assault Course in eight years

Apr 9, 2010

By Zach Morgan, Fort Polk Guardian staff writer

FORT POLK, La. -- The Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Polk, in conjunction with the Army National Guard, demonstrated commitment to the total Army doctrine March 15-26 as the Air Assault course reopened for a yearly class taught by a Mobile Training Team from The Army National Guard Warrior Training Center at Fort Benning, Ga. Air Assault training had not been conducted on the course since it closed in 2002.

Brig. Gen. James Yarbrough was on hand to congratulate the students during their graduation ceremony at Honor Field March 26. More than 750 fellow Soldiers and Family were in attendance. "I haven't seen the stands this full since we had the (4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division) welcome home ceremony from a 15-month combat deployment," said Yarbrough, who then reminisced about earning the Air Assault badge early in his career. "We started with a large class and every day the class got smaller because it was all about attention to detail. After a day or two I saw why - Air Assault Soldiers have a special skill and ability, but if they miss something or do one thing wrong, it could cause damage to equipment or death to themselves or other Soldiers. It was a tough 10 days."

The course is composed of three phases: Airmobile operations, where students learn about rotary wing aircraft and medical evacuation procedures; slingload phase, where they prepare, rig and inspect slingloads, which are currently being used in Iraq and Afghanistan for aerial resupply operations; and rappelling phase, during which they rappel out of a Blackhawk helicopter. The final event is a 12-mile march, which takes place the morning prior to graduation.

Yarbrough commended the students who made it through the grueling course. "We're proud of you," he said. "Those of you who are deploying in the near future will be depending on helicopters, and with Air Assault skills, you will be counted on to get it right. It's valuable, not just to you but to your unit. Lead by example and wear the badge proudly."

First Sgt. Doug Conaway, B Company, Army National Guard Warrior Training Center, Fort Benning, Ga., led the MTT and said the course is a tough one. "The most challenging part is slingload phase," he said. "Soldiers are timed on an inspection of the load. It's important that they follow the sequence they're given, pay close attention to the load and identify four of five deficiencies."

The class began with 277 students and 138 made it to graduation including one Dutch Army officer, one Air National Guardsman and 14 Army National Guardsmen. The course holds students to the same standards observed at full-time Air Assault courses at locations such as Fort Campbell, Ky. "We have a high standard and the graduates met it," Conaway said. "They can wear the badge proudly."

Conaway said the infrastructure was to standard for the course and his team received the support they needed. "Fort Polk was very receptive to us and accommodated all of our needs," he said. "We had full support throughout the course."

Staff Sgt. Justin Lampert, B Co, Army National Guard Warrior Training Center, was the MTT chief instructor. "It was nice to have everything so close together," he said. The Fort Polk Air Assault course is located in a one-block area on South Fort Polk. "Sometimes, at other installations, we have to contract buses to transport students to events," Lampert said. "It was set up well - the personnel at Fort Polk knew what we needed and it was all in place."

The buildings and obstacle course that make up the Air Assault training area needed some repairs and renovation to accommodate the course but the investment of time and effort paid off. "We created a building that was scheduled for demolition with the help of our National Guard Engineers, who do a lot of work around here and never get recognition, and also with the help of the 46th Engineers," said Yarbrough.

"Everything had to be recertified to meet current Training and Doctrine Command and Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards," said Lt. Col. Kevin Daniels, Fort Polk National Guard office. "There are no plans to bring back the full-time school, but we are exploring the possibility of making this one of the regular MTT locations. Everyone put a lot of hard work into the course."

The National Guard office spearheaded the effort to open the course, and Louisiana National Guard aviation assets were used for the practical exercises. "Can't do an Air Assault MTT without helicopters and we don't have Blackhawks here. So the Louisiana National Guard provided their lift platoon over here to do the crucial last phase of this in the last days," Yarbrough stated. "The (National Guard pilots) didn't care what the weather was like, they still flew," Daniels said. The pilots also received an aviation certification for rappelling operations. "We're talking to surrounding states' National Guard aviation units about the possibility of supporting future classes," Daniels said. "We planned this as a one-time class, but it could easily become a yearly event."

The smooth interoperability of Fort Polk units, the National Guard and the WTC MTT demonstrated what can be accomplished by the Army when it works as one team. "We are part of the Fort Polk family," Daniels said. "If Fort Polk needs something the National Guard office can provide, we will gladly help."

Yarbrough concurred in his concluding remark: "We are one Army!"