What is Air Assault School like? Any tips?

PV2 Morter, I am going not to try to repeat others had stated for which they gave excellent advise. What I am going to say that keep your mind open. The instructors will play mind games. You run everywhere and learn how to eat or should I say drink your food because you will not have much time between PT and breakfast. If you never climb a rope, start practicing. What will help you is push-ups. Need to build upper muscles. If you are going to Fort Campbell Ky, there is a lot of rope climbing stations around post. Also, find the most recent graduate from Air Assault School in your new unit and have him-her show you how to pack your rucksack correctly for inspection. Last thing that you can do right now to prepare yourself is ruck marches. Like state in earlier posts, run the down hills and when level round, run "poles" or by time. Run poles, I mean run from one telephone pole to the next and then walk one. Best bet on pole runs is a ratio run 2 poles walk one. I wish you luck and have fun. Since everyone else is putting their age when they went through, I was 32yrs young.

I'm currently stationed at ft campbell and if your in pretty much any kind of shape you can pass aa school as long as you can pass the 12 mile ruck in 3 hours and an 18 min 2 mile the o course is a joke and the tests are to easy as long as you do the hand outs they don't even smoke you anymore before the o course. The only time I've ever seen any one get hurt is during rappel phase when they would smack their heads on the tower also really funny to watch just don't be that guy

Any training is great to add to your resume, so to speak. I went through in 89 at Fort Campbell, KY. I recall running every where and for me as a 5'2" female the most challenging was the road march only because I did not prepare myself mentally. Absolutely a fun course and something to be proud of.

Just stay motivated throughout the school and enjoy the training. Information and detail are key to the written portion of the school. The physical is nothing to stress over, so long as you push yourself.

Sp4 Byron Skinner. I didn't even know that air assault had a school. I was under the impression that it was just another Infantry skill like amphibious assault, which I like of did in Sep. 1966 at Vong Thau when our unit entered Vietnam over the beach.

My first experience with air mobile insertion was about a month into my tour in Vietnam. Late afternoon a bout a half dozen HU-1D's lander at our Lagger, my PSG came by while I was wolfing down C Rat and said " pull your head out of your a-- Skinner get on a helicopter, double time" The door and seats were removed we sat on the deck with our weapons pointed down, I held on to that pole that came down the middle and we were up for about 20 minutes and we were set down, the Huey did exactly land it hovered about three feet or so off the ground and we were told to get out. End of air assault school circa 1966.

The mission turned out to be an anvil for an infantry unit who was going to try a night a sweep. I think the battalion was 2/26 1ID that was to do the sweep.

A hot LZ can get a bit harry but, as the say if you hear it, it didn't have your name on it. When a Huey take a round you definitely will hear and feel it.

Well, It has been a long time since I went to Air Assault school. I graduated October25, 1989.
I am not sure if it is the same now as when I went through. The first thing that you want be sure of is that you need to be in shape. Zero day gets a lot of people. They run you through Grass drills. then run you through and obstacle course in which 2 of the obstacles are mandatory. Once you complete the course then you go on a 2 mile run in boots. There are three phases The first week you learn about aircraft and the tensile strength of each air craft and he hand and arm signals Phase two is sing loading, you also have to yell air assault each time you left foot hits the ground. Before you can leave for lunch or for the day you have to do the five and dime. Which is five pull ups and ten pushups. Also you have 3 road marches to complete, they are a 3 mile a 6mile and a 12 mile at the end of the course then you get your wings after the 12 mile road march. When I did it I did my 12 miles in 2hrs. 20 min. You have 3 hrs. to complete it in. If you fail a section then you go back to your unit, and they send you back through starting all over again. I went to Air Assault School at Ft. Campbell,Ky.
Phase 3 is Rappelling, To Graduate you have to rappel 100 ft. from a Black Hawk. The very last thing that you do is the 12 mile road march. I have been told that Air Assault School is harder than Airborne. Because Air Assault School is more mental than physical. And Airborne is more Physical. I hope that this helps you in your decision.
Sincerely,
Ken Martin
SGT. Ret.

Air Assault was pretty easy. Make sure your layouts are on point as this is what gets more people thab you would think. Everything perfect and layed out according to the picture. Tests aren't too hard and the ruck at the end is pretty easy if you are a decent rucker.

Weigh your options? Get there, kick ass, and get it done your only 20 for gods sake. Not sure of your MOS but at 20 you should be able to do this in your sleep.

Pvt., if you have to ask then you're not ready.

What everyone else said is great advice. I went back in '83 and I am sure that things have changed. Its a tough school but not impossible, make sure you are in great shape and pay attention! I had a great time. Good luck!