Photo By Staff Sgt. David Strayer | Sgt. 1st Class Henry Reyna, noncommissioned officer in charge of the Contingency...... read more read more
CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, Iraq – Soldiers from U.S. Division-North took the Alternate Flight Aptitude Selection Test at the Contingency Operating Base Speicher Education Center, Nov. 19.
“The AFAST is essentially used to evaluate enlisted and commissioned soldiers that want to become candidates for the Army Aviation Program,” said Sgt. 1st Class Henry Reyna, Division Special Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry Division.
As the noncommissioned officer in charge of the COB Speicher Education Center, Reyna, a San Antonio-native, is responsible for helping soldiers further their education, sign up for college courses and learn about civilian and military education opportunities.
Reyna said the AFAST is broken down into seven subtests, covering background information, instrument comprehension, complex movements, helicopter knowledge, cyclic orientation, mechanical functions and self-discipline; all of which are tested separately.
In addition to the AFAST, soldiers must meet prerequisite scores on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery and pass a rigorous physical examination before being accepted into the aviation program.
“I am currently trying to put my flight packet together,” said Staff Sgt. Kristopher Payne, flight medic with Troop A, Task Force ODIN. “As a flight medic I am exposed to the life and atmosphere of Army aviation, helicopters and pilots. It just seemed like a natural transition for me to attempt to become a pilot.”
Payne, a native of Sierra Vista, Ariz., who supports Task Force ODIN’s mission of observing, detecting, identifying and neutralizing the enemy, said he would prefer to fly the U.S. Army’s AH-64 Apache attack helicopter as a first choice, and the Army’s UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter as a second choice.
The AFAST exam represents only a portion of the packet that Army aviation candidates must compile in order to be accepted into the program.
“It is hard to meet all the packet deadlines and show up for all the exams when you are in a line unit that is constantly on patrol,” said Cpl. Mark Shinn, a mortarman assigned to Company A, 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Advise and Assist Brigade, 25th Infantry Division.
“Months of studying and preparation go into compiling the packet, but it is something that I really am devoted to making happen,” said Shinn.
Shinn said he was given the idea to become an Army aviation candidate by speaking with pilots who seem to genuinely enjoy doing their job every day while deployed.
| Date Taken: | 11.19.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 12.07.2010 11:33 |
| Story ID: | 61505 |
| Location: | CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE SPEICHER, IQ |
| Web Views: | 514 |
| Downloads: | 5 |
This work, US Army aviation program candidates take AFAST exam, by SSG David Strayer, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT