Life is an adventure">
Life is an adventure, especially for Army Cadets. Army ROTC offers
many opportunities to participate
"Perhaps no military
development has been so revolutionary as the employment of paratroopers.
Certainly, none has been so spectacular!
Shortly after World
War I, General Billy Mitchell proposed that parachuting troops from
aircraft into combat could be effective. During the demonstration of his
concept at Kelly Field at San Antonio, Texas, six soldiers parachuted
from a Martin Bomber, safely landed, and in less than three minutes
after exiting the aircraft had their weapons assembled and were ready
for action.
Although the U.S.
observers dismissed the concept, not all of the observers arrived at the
same conclusion. The Soviets and Germans were impressed with the
demonstration. In the USSR, static line parachuting was introduced as a
national sport and the population was encouraged to join the Russian
Airborne Corps. The German observers eagerly grasped the idea and
planners worked quickly to develop an effective military parachute
organization
Spurred by the successful
employment of airborne troops by the Germans in their invasion of the
Low Countries, U.S. military branches began an all-out effort to develop
this new form of warfare. Controversy surrounded the effort and the
various branches made several colorful proposals. The Air Corps made the
most unique proposal. Its staff proposed that the Air Infantry be called
"Air Grenadiers" and be members of the "Marines of the
Air Corps."
As more airborne units
were activated, it became apparent that a centralized training facility
should be established. Consequently, the facility was organized at Fort
Benning on 15 May, 1942. Since that date, the U.S. Army Parachute School
has been known by a variety of names: The Airborne School (1 January,
1946); Airborne Army Aviation Section, The Infantry School (1 November,
1946); Airborne Department, The Infantry School (February, 1955);
Airborne-Air Mobility Department (February, 1956); Airborne Department
(August 1964); Airborne-Air Mobility Department (October, 1974);
Airborne Department (October, 1976); 4th Airborne Training Battalion,
The School Brigade (January, 1982); 1st Battalion (Abn), 507TH Parachute
Infantry, The School Brigade (October, 1985); and the 1st Battalion (Abn),
507TH Infantry, 11th Infantry Regiment (July, 1991)." *Taken
from the Airborne School Website.
"On
1 February 1974, Major General Sidney B. Berry established what is now
the Air Assault School. At the time, the school was five days long, and
at its completion, soldiers were awarded the Air Mobile Badge. According
to Major General Berry, the Air Mobile Badge followed in the tradition
of the Glider and Airborne Badges that are worn proudly by the Screaming
Eagle soldiers today.
Over the
years, the program of instruction has changed and the Air Mobile concept
has given way to the Air Assault, but the mission of the school has
remained the same. It prepares soldiers for their assignment in this
great and unique division.
In 1998
the new 34 ft tower was completed and phase three began to train on that
facility. On 17 December, 1999 the new Sabalauski Air Assault
School facility was dedicated and for the first time in several years
all phases of instruction will be conducted at one facility."
*Borrowed from the Air Assault Website.
"Throughout the
years as the Arctic School, Arctic Indoctrination School, and Cold
Weather and Mountain School, training was conducted on an individual
basis. Students from reserve component and active Army units throughout
the continental United States and Alaska were graduated as instructors
in cold weather and mountain operations. However, early in 1963, the
Department of the Army concluded that the training in cold weather and
mountain operations would be of more beneficial to units than individual
training. Therefore, in April 1963, the US Army Cold Weather and
Mountain School was re-designated as the US Army Northern Warfare Training
Center and given the mission of training individuals as well as units in
the conduct of warfare in cold and mountainous regions. Today, The
Northern Warfare Training Center is responsible for maintaining the US
Army's state of the art in cold weather and mountain warfare. The Center
provides training in these subjects to both active and reserve
components and assists in the development of tactics and techniques for
such operations." *Borrowed from the NWS Website.
in fun, challenging, and exciting training, all around the world.
These additional training programs are available to qualified cadets
during their time in ROTC.
The
US Army Airborne School,
located at
Fort Benning,
Georgia, is
available to cadets that are enrolled in the program.
The course is three weeks long, consisting of a ground
week, tower week and jump week. With each week comes different types of
training designed to teach you how to parachute out of airplanes and
helicopters.
"Jump
School" can be the first step in the journey of a lifetime. Whether
running through Fort Benning at daybreak or parachuting from a C-141,
Airborne School will be an experience you will never forget. Once you've
successfully completed your fifth jump, you earn the coveted silver wings
of an airborne soldier.
The first parachute
combat unit to be organized was the 501st Parachute Battalion. It was
commanded by Major William M. Miley, later a Major General and Commander
of the 17th Airborne Division, and the original test platoon members
formed the battalion cadre. The Civilian Conservation Corps cleared new
jump areas and three new training buildings were erected. Several B-18
and C-39 aircraft were provided for training. The traditional
paratrooper cry "GERONIMO" was originated in the 501st by
Private Aubrey Eberhart to prove to a friend that he had full control of
his faculties when he jumped. That cry was adopted by the 501st and has
been often used by paratroopers since then.
Air Assault training
is
available to any interested contract cadet. Your
adventure begins with Zero Day: an obstacle course designed to exhaust
even the most physically fit, followed by a brisk two miles in the summer
sun. Then the real fun begins. Over the next two weeks, you learn to
establish helicopter landing zones, execute a night air assault mission,
rig and slingload helicopters for cargo missions, and rappel from a UH-60
Blackhawk hovering 100 feet above the ground. Cap it off with a three
hour, twelve mile road march and you'll understand why the soldiers of the
101st Airborne Division walk with a distinctive swagger of confidence.
They've earned it, and so can you.
In 1994,
the Air Assault School was renamed in honor of retired Command Sergeant
Major Walter J. Sabalauski. He is remembered as a fearless leader in
combat and as having a heart as big as any country in which he served -
A true "Screaming Eagle".
Northern Warfare
School, located in the rugged mountains
of Fort Wainwright
and Fort Greely, Alaska, is the stuff that dreams are made of. In the Army's
most challenging winter mountaineering course, you climb some of America's
toughest highlands, cross sheets of prehistoric glacial ice, and hone your
swimming skills during cold weather waterborne operations.
Cadet
Troop
Leadership Training
increases each cadet's
leadership experience. Each Cadet is assigned to a platoon leader position
and given an opportunity to lead soldiers in a regular Army unit. It
familiarizes cadets with the command, training, administration and
logistical functions of active duty units. It also exposes cadets to
the on-duty and off-duty environment of the junior officer.