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FORT CAMPBELL, Ky.– Soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), participated in an Air Assault Demonstration (AASLT DEMO) during Week of the Eagles on Fort Campbell, Ky., May 21, 2023.
The AASLT DEMO is designed to show off the strength and proficiency of the 101st in air assault operations through a variety of different mock maneuvers and engagements.
The Sabalauski Air Assault School (TSAAS) is considered the “Gateway to the 101st,” with thousands of servicemembers attending and graduating from Air Assault School every year. Many skills that the Soldiers used for the demonstration were learned within the grounds of the school’s ten-day course.
“The purpose of this Air Assault Demonstration here today was to showcase the capabilities of the 101st Airborne Division,” said 1st. Lt. Joe McErlean, planning officer with 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, “to show the capabilities of our Soldiers, be it aviation, field artillery, our infantry or engineers, and to put on a show for the public as well.”
The AASLT DEMO started off with AH-64 “Apaches” simulating an attack on the opposing forces position; not long afterwards, artillery guns were dropped into position and began firing. This was to simulate to the crowd an actual sequence of events that occurs during a real life air assault operation to show the public the 101st and the professionalism and proficiency it holds in such operations.
This will be the 80th Anniversary of the founding of the 101st since its activation in 1942 during the peak of World War II as an airborne unit and has since been conducting vertical envelopment, a tactic used to transport troops, equipment, and vehicles by air. The 101st has been conducting airmobile operations since 1968 during the peak of the Vietnam War, and over time evolved into the world’s only air assault division in October of 1974. Since then, they have conducted air assault operations, vertical envelopment by means of helicopters instead of airplanes.
The 101st is determined to stay proficient in this skill set to prepare for the future fight against any of the United States adversaries, as the unique skill set it possesses will provide advantages in non-favorable terrain on the battlefield.
“This event took a lot of preparation, months in the planning working from the division level all the way down to the team and squad level,” said McErlean. “In the weeks leading up to [the event] we had a number of rehearsals with our troops on the ground, as well as our backside support, so there were a lot of hands involved helping out here.”
The AASLT DEMO is one of the many different events the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) hosts on Fort Campbell during Week of the Eagles, building esprit de corps, comradery and professionalism throughout the division.
| Date Taken: | 05.22.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 05.22.2023 19:58 |
| Story ID: | 445221 |
| Location: | FORT CAMPBELL, KY, US |
| Web Views: | 122 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 2023 Week of the Eagle Air Assault Demonstration, by SPC Matthew Wantroba, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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