page_title: United States Army Air Assault School
section_title: Phase One – Combat Assault
hierarchical_section_title: United States Army Air Assault School / Training / Phase One – Combat Assault
caption_attribution_description: English: Soldiers go through the first week of Air Assault training during an Air Assault Course, Sept. 15 through Sept. 25 at Fort Riley, Kan.
context_page_description: The United States Army Air Assault School, officially the Sabalauski Air Assault School, is a FORSCOM TDA unit located at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Its primary task is training leaders and soldiers assigned to the 101st Airborne Division, other United States Army units and United States Armed Forces service members in several courses annually. The school is named for Command Sergeant Major Walter James Sabalauski. Air Assault School is known as the ten toughest days in the United States Army and the dropout rate is around 50 percent. Approximately 15 percent of the class does not make it through the challenging Zero day which includes the demanding obstacle course. An average of approximately 30-40 students fail the course of those who make it past "Zero" day. Of those who fail after Zero day, many typically don't make it through the sling load testing in phase two.
context_section_description: Phase One, the Combat Assault Phase, is three days long.  During this phase, soldiers receive instructions on the following tasks:
  Aircraft Safety
  Aircraft Orientation – includes the familiarization of the characteristics and capabilities of Army aircraft
  Aero Medical Evacuation – includes the capabilities and request procedures for MEDEVAC aircraft
  Pathfinder Operations – HLZ selection, marking and operation for day and night missions involving multiple aircraft, to include sling loads
  Hand-and-arm signals –  soldiers are taught 17 hand-and-arm signals used during sling load operations
  Close Combat Attacks – use of attack in a close air support (CAS) role
  Combat Assault Operations – includes various factors encompassed in an air assault operation such as: components of an air assault mission, the reverse planning sequence, duties and responsibilities of platoon-level personnel during an air assault, static load training, and a simulated combat assault on UH-60 aircraft
  Soldiers are given two tests:   
  Written – The written test consists of 50 multiple-choice questions.  Soldiers must achieve 70 percent to receive a "GO" on the written test.
  Hands-on – Students are tested on 10 of 16 hand-and-arm signals and must correctly perform seven of the 10 to receive a "GO".   Soldiers must pass both tests to move on to the Sling Load Phase.  They are allowed one retest per exam.
caption: Students rehearse ground maneuvers during Combat Assault Phase
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