HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah -- The 75th Security Forces Squadron recently hosted a rigorous, two-day assessment here to identify Airmen from across the installation ready to take on the U.S. Army’s grueling Air Assault School.
The school is typically accessible for Security Forces, Combat Communications, Tactical Air Control Party (TACP), Pararescue (PJ), or other Special Warfare career fields, but the assessment is open to all base Airmen interested in a challenge.
On the first day, nine candidates were challenged with a demanding sequence of physical tests. The evaluation began with push-ups, sit-ups, and a rope climb to measure upper body strength and endurance, followed by a timed two-mile run to test their cardiovascular fitness.
The assessment culminated on the second day with a grueling 12-mile ruck march, designed to assess both physical stamina and mental fortitude under load.
To put the difficulty into perspective, the school itself has a fail rate of nearly 55 percent, with a washout rate of 15 percent on the first day alone, according to a 2022 Army article on the course.
Out of the nine participants, two Airmen successfully met the high standards required to attend what is known as the "hardest 10 days in the Army" at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
The 75th SFS hosts the assessment approximately twice per quarter, and it is open to all base Airmen. Those interested in testing their limits and earning a spot at Air Assault School can contact Tech. Sgt. Timothy Bukovich with the 75th Security Forces Squadron for more information.