If you have earned both, which do you considered to be the most challenging badge to earn?

2018-08-11T14:15:41-04:00

I’m always intrigued by people’s thoughts regarding this. I did air assault first at Campbell and I believe air assault was more challenging. How about you?

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 11 at 2018 2:21 PM

2018-08-11T14:21:47-04:00

I have earned both as well and I can honestly say that Air Assault was more challenging, but Airborne holds a higher honor of prestige. I attended Air Assault school in Fort Hood and we only graduated 56% of our class (Badge Protectors @ Hood), but in Airborne school, once you passed the PT test, if you were willing to jump, you were going to graduate.

Response by CW3 Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 11 at 2018 2:24 PM

2018-08-11T14:24:29-04:00

I didn’t go to Air Asault School, but I have done Airborne/Jumpmaster and Pathfinder. Airborne School is not hard academically, but it definitely takes a different breed to just trust that silk and 550 cord to not kill you, and then volunteer to be on jump status afterward. I was tempted to do AASLT when I was at Benning, but after already going to Pathfinder School, I really didn’t see the need (no offense to Air Assault School.)

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 11 at 2018 2:25 PM

2018-08-11T14:25:28-04:00

The thing is, you don't just earn Airborne wings, you're airborne and you've got a different life in an Airborne unit. The two aren't really comparable.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 11 at 2018 2:32 PM

2018-08-11T14:32:22-04:00

AA was more technically rigorous and had its moments of extreme Physical Challenges for sure.

ABN was a constant building challenge and the fear factor was exponential.

Which was harder; I know they both challenged me in different ways and amplified my strengths and weaknesses equally. I would say they both were amazing and equally difficult for many different nuanced reasons.

Worth the time and effort and always something to remember!

Response by WO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 11 at 2018 2:34 PM

2018-08-11T14:34:14-04:00

Air assault was more physical and technical but airborne is more important to me as I’m a paratrooper with the 82nd

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 11 at 2018 2:35 PM

2018-08-11T14:35:52-04:00

Air Assault is a harder school, but airborne has more honor, prestige and esprit de Corps, especially if you’re in an ABN unit.

Response by Sgt Wayne Wood made Aug 11 at 2018 2:39 PM

2018-08-11T14:39:21-04:00

If Air Assault wants to be better, change the ‘AIRBORNE’ tab to ‘AIR ASSAULT’ & stop living off the Airborne Heritage

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 11 at 2018 2:55 PM

2018-08-11T14:55:32-04:00

Since I am master rated it will always be the airborne above air assault. Before that if I was on Campbell it would be air assault and anywhere else Airborne goes above air assault.

Response by SGT Philip Roncari made Aug 11 at 2018 3:10 PM

2018-08-11T15:10:13-04:00

I have not earned either ,I was and guess still am a “dirty leg”,that said what badge do you figure I am qualified for having jumped out of Hueys at the screaming urging of crew chiefs and door gunners at various heights into rice paddies and elephant grass?

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 11 at 2018 4:06 PM

2018-08-11T16:06:55-04:00

They consider AASLT school as the ten hardest days in the Army for a reason. I don't think ABN school had a similar thing.
However, only day zero was challenging out of the 10 :)

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 11 at 2018 4:25 PM

2018-08-11T16:25:14-04:00

Both easy, go to Ranger.

Response by CW4 Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 11 at 2018 5:47 PM

2018-08-11T17:47:10-04:00

Air assault was more demanding mentally, airborne more so physically. One is a lifestyle the other is merely a qualification and a badge. Nobody sings cadences about being air assault, I'm just saying.

Response by MSG Dan Castaneda made Aug 11 at 2018 6:47 PM

2018-08-11T18:47:44-04:00

Air Assault school is academically tougher than Jump school, but it takes more guts to jump from a plane than to repel off a helicopter. He’ll, HALO school is easier than Air Assault school yet it’s more prestigious as it takes a special person willing to put their fear aside to accomplish the mission.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 11 at 2018 8:18 PM

2018-08-11T20:18:42-04:00

Trick question, the real answer is Pathfinder.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 12 at 2018 12:03 AM

2018-08-12T00:03:17-04:00

When I was in, 1972/75, and with the 82nd. there was really no word, "Air Assault", we were doing it at the time, but I just thought it was just the infantry, better then walking.

Response by MAJ Javier Rivera made Aug 12 at 2018 11:44 AM

2018-08-12T11:44:33-04:00

Both are challenging on their own way! AASLT has its academic portion and Jump School.... well Jump School is Jump School! Remember that you will be jumping out of an airplane while on flight!!!!

Response by SPC Henry Francis made Aug 12 at 2018 11:57 AM

2018-08-12T11:57:55-04:00

I don’t know when air assault was initiated but I remember that it was looked upon as a lesser distinction by those of us in the 82nd Airborne. We did what we considered “air assault” during our training and for demonstrations to visiting brass. I gained a lot of respect for Huey pilots (no blackhawks then). During our flight to OP 5 for the demo for the brass our stick of Hueys was flying treetops at about 120 knots and something caused the lead to sharply slow. I was in the third or fourth bird and that pilot stood that thing up on its tail and rolled out right... no crashes that day. The flight quickly reformed and went on in. We dismounted without them touching down and they were gone just as quickly as we formed a firing line. In another instance we were supporting SF training in a civilian area of NC as the military force of the imaginary country they were operating in. We were on patrol in Huey’s looking for them. They were spotted on a road ambushing a vehicle column. The Vietnam Veteran pilot turned that bird on its side and dropped 2,000 feet in about 5 seconds to a soy bean field by the road touching down lightly... that was some awesome flying. We did not find those SF soldiers... they were very good.

I don’t really know what is involved in Air Assault training. I’m pretty sure those troops deserved more respect than we gave them by calling them “Air Mobile”.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 12 at 2018 3:22 PM

2018-08-12T15:22:39-04:00

Air Assault was more difficult for me than Basic Airborne. Although not truly applicable to the question you raise, Ranger School was the worst (two) experiences in my life.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 12 at 2018 8:07 PM

2018-08-12T20:07:08-04:00

Air Assault School is only 11 days long vs the 30 day Airborne School course. Plus AAS comes equipped with both oral and written mandatory evaluations after each phase of training.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 12 at 2018 10:19 PM

2018-08-12T22:19:40-04:00

Airborne

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 13 at 2018 9:32 AM

2018-08-13T09:32:23-04:00

Air Assault.. .

Response by MAJ Milan George made Aug 13 at 2018 11:12 AM

2018-08-13T11:12:41-04:00

Funny enough, I was Airborne and Pathfinder Qualified, repelled more times than I can count, was the OIC for Air Assault School...but never earned my wings....But, from what I've experienced, AA is much more intellectually difficult. They are both physically demanding but I think just by the sheer number of hours moving each day, Airborne was more physically demanding.

Response by SGM Bill Frazer made Aug 13 at 2018 2:25 PM

2018-08-13T14:25:35-04:00

Gee, I have never seen of Senior or Master Air Assault Wings, nor any demanding Air Assault to get those higher ratings ( with a 30+% fail rate) and which the 82nd requires all E7 and above to pass in order to stay in leadership positions. Oh, by the way, every thing I learned at Air Assault, I had already covered and beyond in Pathfinder. Pleease!

Response by Sgt Dale Briggs made Aug 13 at 2018 7:00 PM

2018-08-13T19:00:58-04:00

Airborne school is tough? Since when? Did they change the program? You run a little, train a little, do some pushups, but it's certinly is not physically tough unless your just unreasonably afraid of heights. No clue on AA it's after my time.

Response by SFC William Stephens A. Jr., 3 MSM, JSCM made Aug 14 at 2018 10:46 AM

2018-08-14T10:46:44-04:00

AIR ASSAULT school is harder then jump school. look at the % of failures in each course.

Response by SSG Hugh G. Rection made Aug 21 at 2018 9:27 PM

2018-08-21T21:27:01-04:00

I was aviation, a UH60 crewchief. While assigned to 101st, we supported Air Asslt school. Air Asslt is only harder because they are trying to out do Airborne school.
Obstacle course on zero day, the mind games, 5 & dimes, and the 12 mile hike in 3 hrs on graduation day, for what? All unneccessary to rig sling loads or repell. They could train the technical rigging points, test, and send you on to the next phase! Ground guide helos (pilot's pay no attention to the poor sap signaling 100 yds off the nose and instead rely on the eyes of the crewchief in back who can see what is going on underneath the aircraft when hooking up!), repell from helos, repelling has it's place but more often than not you just get out of the helo in the LZ after the sling load has been released! Air ASSlt could be condensed into a week long school w/o the BS!

Airborne on the other hand you have to know how to exit an aircraft, what to do in case of failures, twisted lines, partial failures and then how to reunite safely with mother earth aka Parachute landing fall, PLF! Any mistakes you make can result in the loss or severe injury of yourself. 3 weeks of jump school is needed to learn how to jump from an aircraft, guide/steer chutes and show proficiency during jump week. It's much more hazardous than rigging a HMMV or Art'y tube for slinging!

Response by SGM Bill Johnson made Aug 27 at 2018 4:13 PM

2018-08-27T16:13:19-04:00

Neither were challenging; you just had to be there. Nothing hard really. Pathfinder School was also easy for me but there was a 50% attrition rate back in 1985 and I had some OJT under my belt. The fact that I had been a Boy Scout and really knew map reading and land navigation also helped a great deal.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 29 at 2018 9:20 PM

2018-08-29T21:20:37-04:00

Schools? Or badge....if it's badge CIB

Response by PO2 Donald Schortmann Sr made Aug 31 at 2018 7:10 PM

2018-08-31T19:10:43-04:00

Neither! ! Try staying good for 4 years so you can get a Good Conduct Medal

Response by SGT Quentin Moore made Sep 2 at 2018 11:57 AM

2018-09-02T11:57:06-04:00

Jump school

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 2 at 2018 10:12 PM

2018-09-02T22:12:55-04:00

Hm, I’m biased, but I like mine
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/93/USAF_-_Space_Professional_Badges.png/580px-USAF_-_Space_Professional_Badges.png

580px-USAF_-_Space_Professional_Badges.png

Response by SFC Casey O'Mally made Sep 10 at 2018 2:29 PM

2018-09-10T14:29:35-04:00

Haven't been to Airborne, but I can say that AASLT at the age of 40 with busted knees, back, and shoulder is no fun. But hey, 12 miles in 2:59:47 is still a go!

Response by SGT Kelly Roberts made Oct 12 at 2018 12:31 PM

2018-10-12T12:31:52-04:00

I never had my Bullwinkle Wings nor would I. Earned my Senior Wings and Pathfinder Badge. In the 1980's both were tough. We did airmobile ops and I did just fine without Air Assault.

Response by SFC Roger Senatore made Nov 6 at 2018 12:10 PM

2018-11-06T12:10:31-05:00

Air Assault is harder both physically and academically. Rigging and inspecting external loads, setting up DZs, Rope Rigging, Ruck Marching, and a Zero-day PT smoke session is Air Assult. If you added JM school, a 12 mile ruck, and Army-standard PT to Airborne school they'd be about equal.

Response by LTC Jeff Shearer made Feb 27 at 2019 9:46 AM

2019-02-27T09:46:30-05:00

I only have airborne wings but I am pretty sure the air assault course is more physically demanding, however, jumping out of a perfectly good airplane takes a something not everyone has. I did it for +/- 20 years and was a jump master and I never liked it, but it was part of the job. I have heard people say for years it takes no talent to fall out of an airplane, however, to do it right, with all the gear, not only takes talent but nerves of steel. Like I said I never liked it but I did it for many years.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 27 at 2019 10:05 AM

2019-02-27T10:05:03-05:00

Airborne. 12 miles in 3 hours....cool....taking tests that you are given answers to....cool....but being up at 2 3 or 4 every morning, non stop running, pull ups, strict rules, cant fall asleep in pack shed, cant be 1 minute late anyday, fire guard when you are already exhausted, yelled at constantly, using muscles you have never used, learning to PLF without breaking bones, like how much more can I say?

Response by MSG John Joseph made Feb 27 at 2019 1:08 PM

2019-02-27T13:08:15-05:00

Completed Airborne in 1989 and USMC Hurstmaster in 2002. It's their equivalent of Air Assault but for leaders in MOS's that actually need the school. ie force recon, infantry
Scout sniper ..etc. That was challenging and fun at the same time and remembering it being difficult to pass the events. Army Airborne and Air Assault are just additional skills and if you're able to pass the APFT, you can pass either.

Response by MSG James Devereaux made Mar 1 at 2019 1:17 PM

2019-03-01T13:17:35-05:00

Neither are difficult to obtain but jumping from a plane takes some balls.

Response by Maj Ron Johnson made Mar 2 at 2019 3:56 PM

2019-03-02T15:56:51-05:00

Air Assault by far