Posted on Dec 16, 2015
Should AR-600-8-22 be change to create Senior and Master Air Assault Badges and/or bronze stars for combat air assaults?
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A few thoughts:
- What problem are we trying to solve by making this change? If there is no problem then why the change?
- If there were a need for senior and master air assault then what would the required qualifications be?
- There are specific duty and performance requirements for senior and advanced paratrooper (AJ, PJ, night jump, mass tac, etc). What are or would be the specific performance requirements for air assault?
- Bronze star for combat air assault. We would need to define what a combat air assault is. This could very easily spin out of control without a solid definition where Soldiers whose aircraft came under fire would want their "mustard stain". Air movement does not equal air assault.
- At what point are we just making stuff up to make people feel good versus defining requirements and creating an award or badge system to encourage people to meet those requirements? Seems like this is a solution looking for a problem.
- What problem are we trying to solve by making this change? If there is no problem then why the change?
- If there were a need for senior and master air assault then what would the required qualifications be?
- There are specific duty and performance requirements for senior and advanced paratrooper (AJ, PJ, night jump, mass tac, etc). What are or would be the specific performance requirements for air assault?
- Bronze star for combat air assault. We would need to define what a combat air assault is. This could very easily spin out of control without a solid definition where Soldiers whose aircraft came under fire would want their "mustard stain". Air movement does not equal air assault.
- At what point are we just making stuff up to make people feel good versus defining requirements and creating an award or badge system to encourage people to meet those requirements? Seems like this is a solution looking for a problem.
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MAJ Steven Szymurski
COL Smallfield, this discussion item is not geared toward solving a problem, but instead to support the goal of the Army Awards Program is “to foster mission accomplishment by recognizing excellence of in both military and civilian members of the force and motivating them to hit levels of performance and service.” (Ref 1-1 Purpose, AR 600-8-22)
Your question about want criteria and specific duties and qualifications be for a Senior or Master Air Assault Badge is well taken and exactly what I hope the discussion item would bring.
Some things I think are worthy for consideration and comment are:
Length of time assign to an Air Assault designated or a “light” infantry unit should be a no brainer. Should we consider supporting helicopter delivered artillery and other supporting units?
What about other criteria like:
Participating in a specific number Air Assaults with combat equipment as part of a tactical exercise? Specific number of Air Assault insertions by helicopter rappelling? Specific number night tactical air assault?
Participation in a specific number of mass tactical air assaults? Defining Either the size of the unit or the number of aircraft in a single lift or landing would need to be determined.
Are there advance skill qualifications or certifications for rehearsing and safety inspection of troops during for helicopter rappelling operations that might be akin to the added responsibilities of a jumpmaster?
As for the combat air assault device, I would think that official unit credit for a combat air assault operation is essential. Should the combat air assault device be limited to those participating in the initial assault phase of the operation and engage the enemy to distinguish from those that participate follow-on resupply?
I would think all those “non Air Assault” qualified soldiers that do participate in a combat air assault should earn an Air Assault Badge with a combat assault device. A similar provision is provided for non-airborne qualified personnel who participate in a combat jump.
Your question about want criteria and specific duties and qualifications be for a Senior or Master Air Assault Badge is well taken and exactly what I hope the discussion item would bring.
Some things I think are worthy for consideration and comment are:
Length of time assign to an Air Assault designated or a “light” infantry unit should be a no brainer. Should we consider supporting helicopter delivered artillery and other supporting units?
What about other criteria like:
Participating in a specific number Air Assaults with combat equipment as part of a tactical exercise? Specific number of Air Assault insertions by helicopter rappelling? Specific number night tactical air assault?
Participation in a specific number of mass tactical air assaults? Defining Either the size of the unit or the number of aircraft in a single lift or landing would need to be determined.
Are there advance skill qualifications or certifications for rehearsing and safety inspection of troops during for helicopter rappelling operations that might be akin to the added responsibilities of a jumpmaster?
As for the combat air assault device, I would think that official unit credit for a combat air assault operation is essential. Should the combat air assault device be limited to those participating in the initial assault phase of the operation and engage the enemy to distinguish from those that participate follow-on resupply?
I would think all those “non Air Assault” qualified soldiers that do participate in a combat air assault should earn an Air Assault Badge with a combat assault device. A similar provision is provided for non-airborne qualified personnel who participate in a combat jump.
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LTC Paul Labrador
Sir, last time I checked, you don't even need to be Air Assault qualified to participate in an Air Assault.....
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How would you even quantify this? Non-air assault qualified personnel conduct air assault operations on a regular basis. You do not have to be air assault qualified to ride in a helicopter to an objective. You do not have to be air assault qualified to fast rope. You do not have to be air assault qualified to conduct SPIES. As far as I am aware, you don't even have to be air assault to rappel out of a helicopter, you just need a rappel master to oversee the training. The only thing air assault really qualifies you to do that you can't do through FRIES master, SPIES master, or rappel master training is rig a sling load...oh wait, we have Pathfinder for that. Minus rigging a sling load, all the other "air assault" skills are actually unit level training that does not require a school for certification. The more I think about it, the Air Assault badge is nothing more than a shotgun blast of basic skills involving rotary wing aircraft condensed into 10 days....that requires annual re-certification.
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MAJ Steven Szymurski
SPC Smith these are good questions and hopefully this discussion would generate some meaningful suggestions.
For example, length of time assign to an Air Assault designated or a “light” infantry unit is a no brainer. Should we consider supporting helicopter delivered artillery and other supporting units?
What about other criteria like:
Participating in a specific number Air Assaults with combat equipment as part of a tactical exercise? Specific number of Air Assault insertions by helicopter rappelling? Specific number night tactical air assault?
Participation in a specific number of mass tactical air assaults? Defining Either the size of the unit or the number of aircraft in a single lift or landing would need to be determined.
Are there advance skill qualifications or certifications for rehearsing and safety inspection of troops during for helicopter rappelling operations that might be akin to the added responsibilities of a jumpmaster?
As for the combat air assault device, I would think that official unit credit for a combat air assault operation is essential. Should the combat air assault device be limited to those participating in the initial assault phase of the operation and engage the enemy to distinguish from those that participate follow-on resupply?
I would think all those “non Air Assault” qualified soldiers that do participate in a combat air assault should earn an Air Assault Badge with a combat assault device. A similar provision is provided for non-airborne qualified personnel who participate in a combat jump.
It’s been several decades since I complete the Jumpmaster Course at Ft Bragg and the Air Assault Course at Ft Campbell, so I’m not up current on court curricula and am looking for suggestions.
For example, length of time assign to an Air Assault designated or a “light” infantry unit is a no brainer. Should we consider supporting helicopter delivered artillery and other supporting units?
What about other criteria like:
Participating in a specific number Air Assaults with combat equipment as part of a tactical exercise? Specific number of Air Assault insertions by helicopter rappelling? Specific number night tactical air assault?
Participation in a specific number of mass tactical air assaults? Defining Either the size of the unit or the number of aircraft in a single lift or landing would need to be determined.
Are there advance skill qualifications or certifications for rehearsing and safety inspection of troops during for helicopter rappelling operations that might be akin to the added responsibilities of a jumpmaster?
As for the combat air assault device, I would think that official unit credit for a combat air assault operation is essential. Should the combat air assault device be limited to those participating in the initial assault phase of the operation and engage the enemy to distinguish from those that participate follow-on resupply?
I would think all those “non Air Assault” qualified soldiers that do participate in a combat air assault should earn an Air Assault Badge with a combat assault device. A similar provision is provided for non-airborne qualified personnel who participate in a combat jump.
It’s been several decades since I complete the Jumpmaster Course at Ft Bragg and the Air Assault Course at Ft Campbell, so I’m not up current on court curricula and am looking for suggestions.
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SPC (Join to see)
Well, the time in an Air Assault coded position is a good start as part of the Senior and Master qualification. It has precedence with the EOD badges. Assault credit involving a rotary wing operations (for example, this was granted for Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan) is something that already has established guidelines (and currently awards the spearhead device for the corresponding campaign ribbon) so award criteria for a combat star is pretty much already in the regulations essentially.
I guess the real sticking point would be what duties can be quantified as "Air Assault Master" duties. Inspection of an aircraft is a crew chief's responsibility generally. A normal rotary wing flight does not require an inspection by anyone other than a crew chief. However, the rope and FRIES bar for FRIES are inspected by a FRIES master and a FRIES master controls the exit. Same general concept for SPIES and Rappel master duties. Would a "Air Assault Master" require all three? That would be somewhat burdensome as only FRIES actually sees combat use except for extremely rare circumstances. The certification for each and the currency requirements for each are well established though.
In reality though, there have been far fewer air assault operations that have received a combat assault credit than airborne operations (the US military has conducted over 30 combat jumps since October of 2001, split almost equally between static line and HALO) and I am aware of only two or three assault landing credits for rotary wing operations.
The number of air assaults is a bit of a dodgy requirement as it really doesn't take any skill to get on and off a helicopter. You only need to know how far and what direction you need to go or stop so you don't get your head chopped off. It is a relatively unskilled task.
I guess the real sticking point would be what duties can be quantified as "Air Assault Master" duties. Inspection of an aircraft is a crew chief's responsibility generally. A normal rotary wing flight does not require an inspection by anyone other than a crew chief. However, the rope and FRIES bar for FRIES are inspected by a FRIES master and a FRIES master controls the exit. Same general concept for SPIES and Rappel master duties. Would a "Air Assault Master" require all three? That would be somewhat burdensome as only FRIES actually sees combat use except for extremely rare circumstances. The certification for each and the currency requirements for each are well established though.
In reality though, there have been far fewer air assault operations that have received a combat assault credit than airborne operations (the US military has conducted over 30 combat jumps since October of 2001, split almost equally between static line and HALO) and I am aware of only two or three assault landing credits for rotary wing operations.
The number of air assaults is a bit of a dodgy requirement as it really doesn't take any skill to get on and off a helicopter. You only need to know how far and what direction you need to go or stop so you don't get your head chopped off. It is a relatively unskilled task.
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SGT Kevin McCourt
I did more AA ops before I went to the school. Afterwards, not a one. Your point is valid.
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As a rappel master we are the ones who have to be there during all rappel operations. This includes our expertise in all things related to the mission accomplishment of all air assault related tasks. If being a rappel master were not a vital part of the training and doctrine than why send Soldiers to the Rappel Master courses to become certified? I would agree that there is not problem, however I feel that by giving the deserved badge or even ASI identifier would create a since of pride in being the best. I miss the "Be All You Can Be" attitude that the Army use to live by. Now it seems that we are taking accomplishments away from the best to keep from make the ones who don't try, feel better about their lack of motivation. It's the same concept with the AIT Platoon Sergeant position, no extra pay (fine), no brown round (fine), no badge (Problem). These types of mentalities are creating a generation of Soldiers who only do the bear minimum because there is no recognition for being the best. "“Give me enough medals and I’ll win you any war” (Napoléon Bonaparte)
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