Photo By Sgt. Asher Atkinson | U.S. Army and Romanian Soldiers pose for their class photo moments after graduating...... read more read more
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MIHAIL KOGALNICEANU AIR BASE, Romania– The Sabalauski Air Assault School (AASLT) out of Fort Cambell, Kentucky sent instructors to conduct its second iteration of the course this year for forward deployed units on Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, Romania. The first iteration had 69 U.S. Army Soldiers graduate in May 2025. For this iteration, over 200 U.S. Army Soldiers and six Romanian Soldiers participated in class 801-25. At the graduation ceremony, 82 candidates earned their air assault wings on Sept. 4, 2025.
The course began with day zero, where Soldiers tested their physical endurance and strength with a two-mile run, followed by a form of corrective physical punishment to prepare them for an obstacle course challenge. The candidates were required to shout to every executed movement with the words “Air Assault” echoed throughout the morning. The obstacle course tested the candidate’s ability to complete ladder and rope climbs, wall clearing, and maneuvering through and over several other wooden structures. If more than one of the obstacles was not cleared, that Soldier would be dismissed from the course.
The Sabalauski Air Assault School intends to bring lethality, unit cohesion, and increase readiness by teaching Soldiers about different types of military aircrafts, organize air assault missions and sling load operations with forward deployed units on rotation. If units deploy with allied nations, they will be better equipped for an air assault operation.
“I think it's a really unique opportunity just to teach other nations about air assault operations,” said Staff Sgt. James Shell, Senior Instructor for the Sabalauski Air Assault School. “Not a lot of people get to go out there, say that they can instruct other nations and that they can earn a badge that those nations can wear. I think it's a cool experience and not just for us. Just talking to them, learning about their jobs, their armies, and how they operate versus how we operate.”
Throughout the 10-day course, participants conducted physical and hands-on training to ensure that the Soldiers were physically fit and well-conditioned to conduct air assault operations. They also studied for multiple written examinations to examine information learned during the combat assault and sling load operation phase of the course.
The instructors and candidates traveled from MKAB, Romania to Novol Selo Training Area, Bulgaria to repel from a 60-foot tower and then traveled back to MKAB within the same day. Working at MKAB, Romania posed some challenges, notably the language barrier that occasionally led to misunderstandings between instructors and Romanian Soldiers. The air assault cadre played a crucial role in maintaining safety. Their clear, concise, and informative instructions help prevent confusion and ensure that all Soldiers operated with a shared understanding.
“It just gets us out of our comfort zone a little bit,” said Staff Sgt. Shell. “Teaching in another country, we have other soldiers who don’t speak English as well so it forces us to have to go more in depth and learn more about what we’re teaching because we have to explain what we’re teaching to soldiers who might not know English as well. It forces us to be more of an expert in our positions that we’re at right now.”
“The most rewarding part is watching the students graduate starting from day zero where they know absolutely nothing about air assault operations and then seeing them at the end of the course building confidence, physical readiness, attention to detail and just watching them go through the course to get to where they’re going,” said Sgt. Quintin Micek, Team 1 Instructor for the Sabalauski Air Assault School.
The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) is the only air assault division in the United States Army. The 101st has consistently distinguished itself by demonstrating the highest standards of military professionalism since its activation in 1942. The division has been recognized for its mobility and adaptability, utilizing helicopters for rapid deployments and operations in various conflicts.
| Date Taken: | 09.05.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 09.12.2025 05:01 |
| Story ID: | 547828 |
| Location: | MIHAIL KOGALNICEANU, RO |
| Web Views: | 39 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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