FORT HOOD, Texas -- Fort Sill Soldiers received an opportunity not typically afforded to them: they went to Air Assault School.
The first group traveled to Fort Hood, Texas, Feb. 8.
Soldiers here generally don't get the chance to earn their wings depending on what major command they're assigned to, but leaders are changing that.
"Sometimes you hear timing is everything. This is timing is everything," said Command Sgt. Maj. Brian Lindsey, Fires Center of Excellence (FCoE) and Fort Sill CSM.
He said he worked with Command Sgt. Maj. Alonzo Smith, III Corps CSM, and with Fort Sill being relatively close to Hood, "it just opened up something different for our Soldiers to do here."
Lindsey met with the group of 18 Soldiers and briefed them on what to expect.
"I looked across the room and a lot of them don't have Airborne wings or a (Combat Action Badge) or any other badge," said Lindsey.
He expects their excitement to catch on when they return to their respective units in 75th Field Artillery, 30th Air Defense Artillery, 31st ADA, 214th Fires, 428th Field Artillery and 434th Field Artillery brigades, along with Dental Activity Command and the FCoE.
Before they left the Soldiers had to pass a standard physical training test; run four miles in 35 minutes; complete a 12-mile ruck march in three hours and complete the Combat Obstacle Course.
"By and large the units have screened out the people that aren't physically capable of doing this before they come to us," said Jared Winegarden, Fort Hood Air Assault School Course chief.
The 10-day course at Hood trains and tests Soldiers in air assault combat operations, sling load and rigging operations, and how to rappell from a helicopter.
"In the event that these guys are out in the mountains of Afghanistan, the high deserts of Iraq, eastern Europe and the local units can't transport something by ground, these guys can inspect a slingload before they're actually flown," said Winegarden.
Day Zero began with a three-mile run and a series of mental tasks to test their attention to detail.
As the Soldiers unpacked their ruck according to specific guidelines, they were either rewarded witha brief reprieve, or punished with more exercise.
"It's a very demanding day, but on Day Zero we have a relatively good success rate. It's the academic portion of the course that is the most challenging for our students because not only do they have constant physical pressure going on against them, they also have to study," said Winegarden.
Staff Sgt. Bernard Walker, 30th ADA, said he along with other Soldiers prepared physically for the school by focusing on upper body strength exercises.
"That overhead clap will get you, but with all the training we did it has made it pretty easy. We've been isolating lats and stuff like that and it helped out."
All 18 Sill Soldiers succesfully tackled the obstacle course to move on to the next phase.
The Soldiers looked worn, but determined for the next challenge.
"You want to test yourself. You join the Army for a reason, you want to maximize every opportunity," said Sgt. 1st Class Ulrich Abram, 30th ADA.
Lindsey said he wants to keep good Soldiers in the Army and sees sending them to Air Assault School as a retention tool.
Post leaders plan to send a new group of Fort Sill Soldiers every other month. The next group is leaving in April.
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