“Fighting Eagles” Battalion Army ROTC Cadet Graduates from Air Assault School

The Eastern Washington University (EWU) Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program is proud to announce that one of its Cadets, Valentino Olmstead graduated from the Sabalauski Air Assault School at Fort Campbell, Kentucky this week.  Air Assault School is a 10-day course designed to prepare Soldiers for insertion, evacuation, and pathfinder missions that call for the use of helicopters.

EWU Army ROTC Cadet Valentino Olmstead

The school has three phases: during the first phase Cadet Olmstead learned helicopter safety techniques, aero-medical evacuation skills, pathfinder operations, and combat assault operations.  During the second phase he learned to conduct helicopter sling load operations.  He trained to rig equipment loads of 1,000 to 8,000 pounds to the underbelly of a helicopter.  During the third phase Cadet Olmstead trained on master rappelling techniques.  During the phase he successfully completed two rappels from a 34-foot tower and two rappels from a UH-60 Blackhawk, hovering at 70-90 feet.  After completing the 10-days of training, the final test that Cadet Olmstead had to pass was to complete a 12-mile ruck march in full combat gear in less than 3 hours to graduate and receive the coveted Air Assault Badge.

Air Assault Badge

Any student enrolled in Eastern can sign up for an ROTC class to explore military service with no obligation to join the Army.  For those that find that military service is something they want to pursue they can choose to contract in ROTC.  Attending advanced military training like Cadet Olmstead experienced at Air Assault School is one of the benefits of contracting into the EWU Army ROTC program.  For anyone interested in learning more about Army ROTC contracting options and scholarship benefits please click the below links:

• Army ROTC Scholarship Benefits
• Army ROTC Contracting Options

Finally Congratulations to Cadet Olmstead on the prestigious accomplishment of completing Air Assault School.  Well done!

Go ROTC!  Go Fighting Eags!

Cadet Olmstead at the Sabalauski Air Assault School at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky.