OD Hook & Loop 3 1/2" X 1" Rappel Master Tab - Air Assault - Ranger - 101st Airborne -SF The five day Rappel Master Course teaches the skills and techniques that are necessary to become a qualified rappel master. Focuses on responsibilities, safety SOPs and regulations, anchor systems, equipment familiarization, inspection and maintenance, ground training / hook up, knots, seat inspection, tower refresher / rappelling, and aircraft rigging and control.

United States Army Air Assault  School The Sabalauski Air Assault School (TSAAS) is a FORSCOM TDA unit located  at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Its primary task is training leaders and  soldiers assigned to the 101st Airborne Division (AASLT), other United  States Army units and United States Armed Forces service members in  several courses annually. Background Air Assault School qualifies soldiers to conduct airmobile and air  assault helicopter operations, to include aircraft orientation,  slingload operations, proper rappelling techniques and fast-rope  techniques. The school itself is 10 days of rigorous, fast paced  training. The high standards of the school require the student to take  part in a 12-mile march with rucksack in under three hours on the  morning of graduation to be awarded their wings. The original school is located at Fort Campbell, Kentucky (home of the  101st Airborne Division). There are also or have been schools at Fort  Rucker, Alabama; Schofield Barracks, Hawaii; Fort Hood, Texas; Camp  Blanding, Florida; Fort Bliss, Texas; Fort Benning, Georgia; Fort Drum,  New York; Fort Ord, California, Fort Richardson, Alaska and elsewhere.  Instructors at the course are referred to as Air Assault Sergeants. It  is open to both males and females. The school is composed of learning  helicopter insertion techniques, pathfinder operations, sling load  operations as well as rappelling from buildings, cliffs and helicopters.  Each day begins with rigorous physical training that includes unit runs  from two to five miles. Attention to detail and tedious packing lists,  the contents of which you carry in a 35 pound ruck sack daily, are also  the order of the day; one missing item from these lists or failing any  task from any phase of the course, could cause the student to be dropped  from the school immediately. Courses offered at the Air Assault School include: Air Assault,  Pathfinder, Pre-Ranger, Rappel Master and Fast Rope Insertion/Extraction  (FRIES)/Special Purpose Insertion Extraction (SPIES) Master courses.  TSAAS is also home to the Division's Parachute Demonstration Team. The 101st Airborne Division, a parachute and glider-borne unit that  conducted two jumps during World War II, was converted to an Airmobile  unit in 1968 in Vietnam, becoming the 101st Airborne Division  (Airmobile). The parenthetical designation changed to Air Assault in  late 1974. According to popular myth, the Airborne tab over the unit's  Screaming Eagle shoulder patch remains because two of the division's  units, a parachute rigger detachment and a pathfinder company, are both  still on jump status. There is, however, no basis for this under AR  670-1, Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia. According to  The Institute of Heraldry, the Airborne tab is “an intrinsic part of  shoulder sleeve insignia,” not a detachable insignia added if a unit is  on jump status, and according to its records the unit is still  designated the 101st Airborne Division. There are numerous other  non-parachute units with subordinate parachute units, such as long range  surveillance troops (company equivalents) within battlefield  surveillance brigades, but their presence does not entitle entire  brigades to wear the Airborne tab. Regarding the division’s remaining  parachute units, it now has one pathfinder company in each of its two  aviation brigades, but the rigger unit was separated from the division  many years ago. Parachute rigger support is now provided by the  locally-assigned 4th Platoon of the Fort Bragg-based 647th Quartermaster  Company. Graduation from the Air Assault School is not required to be a Soldier  in the 101st, but it is looked upon as an achievement of excellence by  the chain of command. In 1998, a new 34-foot (10 m) tower was completed and Phase Three began  to train at this site. 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 are conducted at one facility. Over  sixty classes are run annually, training over 8,000 soldiers per year. Training Air Assault School is a 10 ½ day course that teaches air assault  techniques and procedures, and qualifies soldiers to wear the Air  Assault Badge. Inspection This inspection is extremely meticulous. It is conducted after the six  mile foot-march on day one. Soldiers must have all items on the packing  list each student is given. All clean and serviceable (in usable  condition). If a soldier is missing any item during the inspection, that  soldier will have points deducted. The inspection has a very specific  lay-out that the soldier must adhere to. Every item must be placed  exactly how the Air Assault Sergeants displayed on day zero, and all  items must be laid out "as worn." Obstacle course and two-mile run The obstacle course is designed to assess a student’s upper body  strength, agility, endurance, confidence, and ability to perform at  heights without displaying fear or distress. This test is critical in  determining if a student will be able to complete Air Assault School  without becoming a safety risk to themselves, instructors, or other  students during the tough and demanding training events conducted  throughout the course. There are nine total obstacles. There are two  obstacles that are considered mandatory, and failing one of the two will  result in being dropped from the course. The other seven are minor  obstacles, and the Air Assault prospect is allowed to fail one of the  seven and still continue. This means that failing two of the minor  obstacles will result in being dropped from the course. Prior to the obstacle course, students will conduct a two-mile (3.2km)  run. Students must complete the run in under 18:00 to receive a "GO" in  the event (meaning satisfactory completion of the event). The uniform  for the run is Army Combat Uniform (ACU – minus the ACU Top depending on  the season in which the training cycle begins) with running shoes. Phase One – Combat Assault 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 question.  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. Phase Two – Slingload Operations Phase Two, Slingload Operations, is three days long. During the Sling  Load Phase, soldiers receive instruction on various aspects of sling  load operations. This includes: Planning and preparation for sling load operations Capabilities, characteristics, and use of sling load equipment Duties and responsibilities of sling load personnel Familiarization with sling load theory and rigging of non-standard loads Students receive hands-on training on preparation, rigging, and  inspection of several certified or suitable external loads. These may  include the following loads: M1097 HMMWV M1097 HMMWV, shotgun/side-by-side configuration M119 105mm Howitzer M149A2 Water Trailer A-22 Cargo Bag Fuel Blivets (one, two, three, or four blivit configuration) 5000 lb or 10,000 lb Cargo Net The soldiers will also conduct an actual hook-up of a load underneath a  CH-47 or UH-60 aircraft. In this phase, soldiers are given two tests: Written – The written test consists of 50 multiple-choice question.  Soldiers must achieve 70 percent to receive a "GO" on the written test. Hands-on – Students are tested on four of the six loads taught. Students  must identify three out of four preparation and/or rigging deficiencies  within two minutes per load to receive a "GO". Soldiers must pass both tests to move on to the next phase. They are  allowed one retest per exam. Phase Three – Rappelling Phase Phase Three, the Rappelling Phase is three days long. During this phase,  soldiers receive instruction on basic ground and aircraft rappelling  procedures, to include the following tasks: Tying of the hip-rappel seat (Swiss seat) Hook-up techniques Lock-in procedures Rappel with and without combat equipment Belay procedures Fast Rope familiarization Soldiers will conduct two rappels on the wall side of the school's  34-foot (10 m) tower, 9 to 12 rappels from the open side, and two  additional rappels from a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter hovering at 70–90  feet. All rappels are conducted with and without combat equipment.  During fast rope familiarization, students conduct a controlled descent  and a static hold for five seconds. Students that successfully conduct  both descents from a 12-foot (3.7 m) platform then descend from the  34-foot (10 m) tower using the stack-out/rapid exit technique. Fast rope  descents are conducted without combat equipment. Soldiers are tested on: Tie the Hip rappel (Swiss) seat (the 90 second time limit has been  reinstated) Hook-up to a rappel rope without deficiency (the 15 second time limit  has been reinstated) Conduct three rappels: lock-in rappel, rappel without combat equipment  (also known as a "Hollywood" rappel) with three controlled brakes, and  combat equipment rappel with three controlled brakes Soldiers must pass all tests to move on to the next phase and are  allowed one retest per exam. The reason the standards of this course are  so strict, is because if the soldier does not grasp and then master the  skills that are being taught, the chances of an accident increase  greatly. The margin for error in this type of training is small. 12-Mile Foot March The final event is the 12-mile (19 km) foot march. Soldiers must  complete the 12-mile (19 km) foot march with the prescribed uniform and  equipment in three hours or less in order to graduate. The foot march is  a graded task and a graduation requirement for Air Assault School. Graduation Graduates are awarded the Air Assault Badge and the 2B ASI (Additional  Skill Identifier). Unless, you did not come out of the helicopter are  qualified to inspect rigged sling loads. Graduates in the rank of Corporal (E-4) and above are qualified to  perform as rappel lane NCOs for ground rappel training and are eligible  to attend the Rappel Master Course. Graduates in the rank of Sergeant First Class (E-7) or above are  qualified to serve as a rappel site Safety Officer for ground and  aircraft rappelling. The 101st Airborne Division: The 101st Airborne Division was activated August 16, 1942 at Camp  Claiborne, Louisiana. MG William C. Lee Its first Commanding General, Major General William C. Lee, noted that  the Division had no history, but that it had a “rendezvous with destiny”  and that the new Division would be habitually called into action when  the need was ‘immediate and extreme”. Throughout its 66-year history, the Division has amassed a proud record,  in both war and peace, unmatched by any other unit. Bastogne Following its activation and initial training in the United States, the  Division embarked for the European Theater of Operations in September,  1943 where it continuing its training in England. During the early morning hours of June 6th, 1944, the Screaming  Eagles parachuted into the Contentin Peninsula becoming the first Allied  Soldiers to set foot onto occupied France. The 101st Airborne Division, charged with clearing the way for the 4th  Infantry Division’s landing on Utah Beach, eventually linked the Utah  and Omaha beachheads and liberated the city of Carentan. After a month  of fighting, the Division returned to England to prepare for future  operations. On September 17th, 1944 the Division jumped into The Netherlands  spearheading Operation MARKET GARDEN. Holding a narrow 16-mile corridor  through enemy-held territory, the Division fought against heavy odds for  72 days. In late-November, 1944, the Division returned to France for a  well-deserved rest. The rest would be a short one. To counteract the  massive German offensive through the Ardennes Forest in mid-December  1944, the 101st Airborne Division was unexpectedly recalled to the  front. Responsible for defending the critical road junction at Bastogne,  Belgium, the 101st Airborne Division was surrounded by strong enemy  forces that demanded its immediate surrender. Responding to the German  ultimatum, Brigadier Anthony C. McAuliffe made history with his famous  one-word reply…”Nuts!”. Although the siege of Bastogne was broken on  December 26th, 1944, intense fighting continued until mid-January, 1945  as Allied units reduces Nazi gains in the Ardennes salient. Attacking the heart of Germany through the Ruhr valley, the 101st  Airborne Division pursued retreating German forces into Bavaria. In  spring 1945, the Screaming Eagles liberated the Landsberg concentration  camp and Hitler’s mountaintop retreat in Bertchtesgaden. The end of  World War II in Europe relegated the 101st Airborne to occupation duties  in Germany, Austria, and France. The Division was inactivated on November 30th, 1945. The immediate post-war period marked an intermittent existence for the  Screaming Eagles. The period is marked by several reactivations and  inactivations at Camp Breckinridge, Kentucky and Fort Jackson, South  Carolina. Official reactivation ceremonies, held on September 21, 1956,  marked the 101st Airborne Division’s return to active duty as the Army’s  first nuclear capable, Pentomic Division and its debut at Fort Campbell,  Kentucky. In September 1957, elements of the 101st Airborne Division were ordered  to Little Rock, Arkansas by President Eisenhower. As part of Operation  ARKANSAS, the 1st Airborne Battle Group, 327th Little Rock NineInfantry  escorted the first nine African-American students–the “Little Rock  Nine”—as they attended classes at Little Rock Central High School.  Successful, the Bastogne Bulldogs returned to Fort Campbell in  late-1957. On July 29th, 1965, the 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division was ordered  to the Republic of Vietnam earning the nick-name of “The Nomads of  Vietnam”. The remainder of the Division remained at Fort Campbell until  ordered to Vietnam in late-1967. During the enemy’s ill-fated Tet  Offensive in 1968, the Screaming Eagles were involved in combat  operations from Saigon to Quang Tri Province. 101st in Vietnam.In August 1968, the Screaming Eagles shed their  parachutes in favor of helicopter-borne operations earning a new  designation---the 101st Airborne Division (Airmobile). After the Tet  Offensive, the Division settled into Thua Thien Province and continued  offensive operations there until redeployed to the United States in  early-1972. The post Vietnam period was a time of change for the Army and the 101st  Airborne Division (Airmobile). In February-1974, then-Major General  Sidney Berry signed Division General Order 179 authorizing wear of the  new Airmobile (late Air Assault) qualification badge. Reflecting a shift  in structure and orientation, the Division was re-designated as the  101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) on October 4th, 1974. In March 1982, elements of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)  began six-month deployments to the Sinai Peninsula as members of the  Multinational Force of Observers. Tragedy struck in December 1985, when  248 Screaming Eagles redeploying from the Sinai were killed in a charter  airplane crash near Gander, Newfoundland. In August 1990, the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) deployed to  the Middle East in support of Operations DESERT SHIELD AND DESERT STORM.  During the Liberation of Kuwait, the Division fired the first shots of  the air war, and conducted the longest and largest air assault  operations to date, securing Iraqi territory in the Euphrates River  Valley. With announcement of the Safwan cease-fire in February, 1991,  the 101st began redeployment preparations. By May 1991, the Screaming  eagles were home.Desert Storm The 1990s was a busy time for the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)  seeing numerous deployments in support of stability and support  operations world-wide. Fort Campbell-based units were deployed to  Somalia, Haiti, the Sinai Peninsula, Central and South America, Bosnia,  and Kosovo. In the wake of the 9-11 terrorist attacks, elements of the Division  quickly deployed to protect susceptible facilities in the United States  from potential attack. Almost immediately, the 3rd Brigade Combat Team  deployed to Afghanistan in November, 2001. In March 2002, the Rakassans  were, in part, responsible for offensive operations in the Shoh-I-Khot  Valley that dealt a crippling early blow to the Taliban and al-Qaeda.  After a challenging six-month deployment, 3rd Brigade redeployed to the  United States. In February and March 2003, the Division deployed to Kuwait in  anticipation of combat operations against Saddam Hussein’s regime. In a  grueling air and ground movement of 570 kilometers through hostile  territory and intense combat in urban areas, the Division exhibited its  flexibility, lethality and firepower at every turn. D/3-327th in  IraqFighting its way from Najaf, through Karbala and Hillah, the  Division eventually consolidated in Southern Baghdad in mid-April, 2003.  Ordered to Northern Iraq shortly thereafter, the Division conducted the  longest air assault in history and quickly assumed responsibility for  Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, and the four surrounding provinces.  In the months that followed, the Division concentrated on the goals of  re-establishing security, the restoration of basic services, and  reconstruction of civilian infrastructure. During this period, the  Screaming Eagles underwrote the completion of 5,000 reconstruction  projects, killed Uday and Qusay Hussein, and captured over 500  anti-Coalition insurgents. The Division redeployed to Fort Campbell in early-2004. During the year  that followed, the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) fully recovered  and completely reorganized under the new Army Transformation  Organizational structure in anticipation of its second deployment to  Iraq. In November 2005, the Division Headquarters, the 1st and 3rd Brigade  Combat Teams, and the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade deployed to Iraq for  a second time. As Task Force Band of Brothers, the Division assumed  responsibility for the northern half of Iraq; the largest area of  operation in the country. Partnered with four Iraqi Army divisions, the  Screaming Eagles focused their efforts on developing credible Iraqi  Security Force units that were capable of independent counter-insurgency  operations. This monumental effort resulted in vastly improved security  and the transfer of several areas to Iraqi control prior to the  Division’s redeployment in October, 2006. Under the new modular  structure, 2nd and 4th Brigade Combat Teams and the 159th Combat  Aviation Brigade were attached to other Multinational Division or  Multinational Force commands elsewhere in Iraq. Fort Campbell entered the final phases of the Army’s historic modular  transformation in late 2006. In thisScreaming Eagle in Iraq. phase, the  XVIII Airborne Corps shed its peacetime command responsibilities for the  101st Airborne Division (AASLT) – a relationship that began prior to the  1944 invasion of Holland, and the Division became a direct reporting  unit to Forces Command. Additional command and control changes saw Fort  Lee, Virginia’s 49th Quartermaster Group join the Fort Campbell family. Late-2007 saw the majority of the Division deployed again. The  Division’s 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Brigade Combat Teams and elements of the  Sustainment Brigade deployed independently to Iraq where each served  under the command of different Multinational Divisions then conducting  combat operations throughout Iraq. Soldiers of the 49th Quartermaster  deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan to support combat and combat  support operations. The 101st Combat Aviation Brigade deployed to  Afghanistan and was eventually relieved by the 159th Combat Aviation  Brigade. In March 2008, the Headquarters (and Special Troops Battalion) 101st  Airborne Division (Air Assault) joined the 4th Brigade Combat Team and  the 101st Sustainment Brigade in Afghanistan in support of Operation  ENDURING FREEDOM. As Combined Joint Task Force 101 (CJTF-101), the  Division Headquarters was supported by many attached Coalition units and  was responsible for an area of operation the size of Pennsylvania  designated as Regional Command-East. Composed of 14 provinces, including  much of the volatile border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan, as  well as the Hindu Kush and Afghan Control Highlands, Regional  Command-East were posed unique and difficult set of challenges unlike  anything previously experienced. The Soldiers of CJTF-101 thrived in their role as both Soldier/diplomats  and warriors. CJTF-101 helped restore the Afghan people’s confidence and  trust in their government, while improving their quality of life through  more than 2500 innovative development projects. As warriors, CJTF-101  aggressively trained Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) and,  side-by-side, relentlessly pursued insurgent groups wherever they could  be found. The Division’s effort in Afghanistan resulted in successful and decisive  operations at every level producing a significantly improved Afghan  National Security Force committed to the defense of their country.  Similarly, Screaming Eagles in Iraq measurably improved the quality of  life of the Iraqi people and their trust in the Iraqi Army. Every  Screaming Eagle should be proud of their efforts to assist Afghanistan  and Iraq to resume their rightful place among the peaceful community of  nations.