WEST POINT, N.Y. – Seven Defenders assigned to the 105th Base Defense Squadron celebrated the completion of Air Assault School, often called the “10 toughest days in the Army,” during a graduation ceremony Aug. 6.
Air Assault School begins with “Day Zero,” when candidates must complete an obstacle course and a 2-mile run. Students are then trained and evaluated on sling loads, rappelling and other skills for combat assault.
To be considered air assault qualified, members must properly rig and inspect different types of loads the Army uses across many helicopters, including the UH-60 Black Hawk, CH-47 Chinook and AH-64 Apache. Soldiers and Airmen also performed multiple tower rappels, a simulated aircraft rappel and heavy-load ruck marches and intense workouts.
“The days are long. We would wake up at 0400 to do physical training and then move on to academics followed by hands-on training,” said Senior Airman Christopher Navarro, a 105th Defender. “There were tests throughout the course as well. You would be exhausted from the training all day, but you would still have to spend the evening studying and then prepare to attack everything again the next day.”
Even graduation day was no opportunity to relax. Before the ceremony, the students and faculty completed a 12-mile ruck march before earning Air Assault wings.
“It was a really good experience. I was really proud at the end because it is an Army school, so it meant a lot that I was one of seven Airmen to graduate,” Navarro said.
Only 185 of the 260 students in this year’s class made it through to graduation. The graduates included all seven Airmen with the 105th BDS who participated: Staff Sgts. William Suggs, Cristian Marulanda and Casey Clemente; Senior Airmen Nixon Castro, and Ibrahim Bah; Master Sgt. Joel Rodriguez, and Navarro.
“Having our Defenders complete Air Assault School not only inspires others to success, instills confidence and adds skill sets for agile combat employment movements, but it also enhances our interoperability with the Army in joint operations,” said Maj. Brian Ibbs, the commander of the 105th BDS.