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        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders      Senior Airman Shawn King, 823d Base Defense Squadron fireteam member, low crawls through an obstacle during an Army Air Assault Assessment (AAA), Jan. 20, 2019, at Camp Blanding, Fla. The AAA is designed to determine Airmen’s physical and mental readiness before being selected to attend Army Air Assault school. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman First Class Eugene Oliver)Airmen test resolve during Air Assault Assessment
                        
                        
                        Senior Airman Troy King, 823d Base Defense Squadron fireteam member, low crawls through an obstacle during an Army Air Assault Assessment, Jan. 20, 2019, at Camp Blanding, Fla. The AAA is designed to determine Airmen’s physical and mental readiness before being selected to attend Army Air Assault school. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman First Class Eugene Oliver)
                
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        Airman First Class Madison Ruiz, 823 Base Defense Squadron security forces member, low crawls through an obstacle during an Army Air Assault Assessment (AAA), Jan. 30, 2019, at Camp Blanding, Fla. The AAA is designed to determine Airmen’s physical and mental readiness before being selected to attend Army Air Assault school. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman First Class Eugene Oliver)Airmen test resolve during Air Assault Assessment
                        
                        
                        Airman First Class Madison Ruiz, 823 Base Defense Squadron security forces member, low crawls through an obstacle during an Army Air Assault Assessment, Jan. 30, 2019, at Camp Blanding, Fla. The AAA is designed to determine Airmen’s physical and mental readiness before being selected to attend Army Air Assault school. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman First Class Eugene Oliver)
                
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        An Airman rappels down the Safeside Rappel Tower during an Army Air Assault Assessment (AAA), Jan. 28, 2019, at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. The AAA is designed to determine Airmen’s physical and mental readiness before being able to attend Army Air Assault school. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman First Class Eugene Oliver)Airmen test resolve during Air Assault Assessment
                        
                        
                        An Airman rappels down the Safeside Rappel Tower during an Army Air Assault Assessment, Jan. 28, 2019, at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. The AAA is designed to determine Airmen’s physical and mental readiness before attending Army Air Assault school. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman First Class Eugene Oliver)
                
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        Senior Airman Jarod Barr, 23d Security Forces Squadron installation patrolman, inspects the sling load components of an 822 cargo bag during an Army Air Assault Assessment (AAA), Jan. 29, 2019, at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. Airmen were required to identify structural deficiencies on the sling load portion of the cargo bag as part of an overall assessment to determine their readiness to attend Army Air Assault School. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman First Class Eugene Oliver)Airmen test resolve during Air Assault Assessment
                        
                        
                        Senior Airman Jarod Barr, 23rd Security Forces Squadron installation patrolman, inspects the sling load components of an 822 cargo bag during an Army Air Assault Assessment, Jan. 29, 2019, at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. Airmen were required to identify structural deficiencies on the sling load portion of the cargo bag as part of an overall assessment to determine their readiness to attend Army Air Assault School. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman First Class Eugene Oliver)
                
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        An Airman prepares to rappel down the Safeside Rappel Tower during an Army Air Assault Assessment (AAA), Jan. 28, 2019, at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. The AAA is designed to determine Airmen’s physical and mental readiness before being able to attend Army Air Assault school. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman First Class Eugene Oliver)Airmen test resolve during Air Assault Assessment
                        
                        
                        An Airman prepares to rappel down the Safeside Rappel Tower during an Army Air Assault Assessment, Jan. 28, 2019, at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. The AAA is designed to determine Airmen’s physical and mental readiness before attending Army Air Assault school. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman First Class Eugene Oliver)
                
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        Airman First Class Madison Ruiz, 823 Base Defense Squadron security forces member, prepares to rappel down the Safeside Rappel Tower during an Army Air Assault Assessment (AAA), Jan. 28, 2019, at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. The AAA is designed to determine Airmen’s physical and mental readiness before being able to attend Army Air Assault school. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman First Class Eugene Oliver)Airmen test resolve during Air Assault Assessment
                        
                        
                        An Airman prepares to rappel down the Safeside Rappel Tower during an Army Air Assault Assessment, Jan. 28, 2019, at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. The AAA is designed to determine Airmen’s physical and mental readiness before attending Army Air Assault school. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman First Class Eugene Oliver)
                
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        An Airman rappels down the Safeside Rappel Tower during an Army Air Assault Assessment (AAA), Jan. 28, 2019, at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. Airmen demonstrated their comprehensive rappel tower knowledge to help determine their overall readiness for Army Air Assault school (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman First Class Eugene Oliver)Airmen test resolve during Air Assault Assessment
                        
                        
                        An Airman rappels down the Safeside Rappel Tower during an Army Air Assault Assessment, Jan. 28, 2019, at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. Airmen demonstrated their comprehensive rappel tower knowledge to help determine their overall readiness for Army Air Assault school (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman First Class Eugene Oliver)
                
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Airmen test resolve during Air Assault AssessmentPublished Feb. 12, 2019
                    
                    By Airman First Class Eugene Oliver
                    
                    
                    23d Wing Public Affairs
            **MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (AFNS) --**Cadre from the 820th Base Defense Group evaluated approximately 37 Airmen during an Army Air Assault Assessment.
The assessment measured each Airmen’s readiness to determine who would be selected to attend the 10-day Army Air Assault School, at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The BDG is one of the few units within the Air Force that sends their Airmen to AAS to enhance their personal readiness and also reinforce their unit’s lethal capabilities.
“Everything we learn at AAS is a part of our mission scope within the BDG,” said Staff Sgt. Nicholas Groomes, 822nd Base Defense Squadron training instructor and cadre team member. “It’s rare to find an Army school curriculum (that) falls under our umbrella, so the more experience we can get for our Airmen the better off the BDG can be downrange.”
The assessment provided Airmen with an opportunity to challenge themselves personally and to assess their physical and mental readiness to perform in high-stress situations.
“The reason I wanted to go to AAS was to test myself and to prove that I could get through something so difficult,” said Senior Airman Jeffrey Lewis, 822d BDS fireteam leader. “You always hear of how superior the Army Air Assault School is and how physical it is. I saw this as a milestone to achieve and an opportunity to improve.”
To be eligible to attend the school, Airmen have to complete a wide array of tests: rappel tower operations, ruck layout and sling load inspections, the Army physical fitness test, an obstacle course and a 12-mile ruck march.
“There are very few opportunities for Airmen to go to AAS and the BDG is one of the only units that gives their Airmen the chance to attend, so I wanted to take advantage of that,” Groomes said. “It’s a great opportunity for Airmen to (assess) themselves and learn what things they need to improve, not only physically, but mentally to push through.”
While still having to pass all proficiency tests, Airmen were required to perform constant remedial physical training throughout the duration of the assessment to test their physical and mental resiliency.   
“The biggest thing I needed, to get through (the assessment), was a strong drive and motivation,” Lewis said. “Being self-aware and keeping my mental composure through very intense situations was key.”
During AAA the cadre implemented strenuous measures to help simulate the physical and mental demands Airmen should expect at Fort Campbell.
“We intentionally try to make the assessment more rigorous than the school to better prepare our Airmen for success when they arrive there,” said Staff Sgt. Ulysses Ortiz, 820th Combat Operations Squadron unit trainer and lead cadre team member. “We have very few slots at the schoolhouse, so we only want our most deserving Airmen to go.”
Of the 37 Airmen that started the assessment, approximately 10 were deemed qualified for AAS.
Tech. Sgt. Christopher Zavala, 822d BDS squad leader, explained what it took to finish the assessment and how attending Army Air Assault School will benefit not only himself but other Airmen’s careers in the future.
“The biggest thing it took for me to push through the AAA was just channeling that inner drive that motivated me to train so hard for it in the first place,” Zavala said. “I wanted to lead by example and Air Assault will add more tools to my toolbox, which gives me the ability to explain and elaborate those things to my Airmen coming in from (technical) school to help them succeed."ACC 



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