U.S. Army Europe hosts Rappel Master Course

Photo By Tony Sweeney | Soldiers assigned to U.S. Army Europe units took part in the one week Air Assault Masters training course at the Grafenwöhr Training Area in Grafenwöhr, Germany. The five day course trains leaders to be able to inspect equipment, prepare towers and aircraft and send people off the tower or out of an aircraft safely and efficiently. The Rappel Master course is about training leaders who have a baseline knowledge of repelling operations and expanding that knowledge and capability. “We take that baseline knowledge and we really give them a deep dive in how to look at this from a safety perspective to mitigate risk to the best of their ability,” said Capt. James Sturges, Bravo Company Commander, Army National Guard Warrior Training Center. “It is a safety course primarily.” Ensuring safety is paramount to graduating the course which started with 40 students and graduated 24. “Once you become Rappel Master you are taking someone’s life into your hands. If you send them off that bird to rappel and their stuff isn’t correct, their carabiner not locked or its inverted, you could possibly die,” said Sgt. Savanah Krekelberg a squad leader with the 2nd Cavalry Regiment based in Vilseck, Germany. “Once you get the safety aspect and your sequence down you should be good but it is challenging.”  

GRAFENWOEHR, BAYERN, GERMANY

09.27.2018

Story by Anthony Sweeney 

U.S. Army Europe and Africa     

Soldiers assigned to U.S. Army Europe units took part in the one week Air Assault Masters training course at the Grafenwöhr Training Area in Grafenwöhr, Germany.

The five day course trains leaders to be able to inspect equipment, prepare towers and aircraft and send people off the tower or out of an aircraft safely and efficiently. The Rappel Master course is about training leaders who have a baseline knowledge of repelling operations and expanding that knowledge and capability.

“We take that baseline knowledge and we really give them a deep dive in how to look at this from a safety perspective to mitigate risk to the best of their ability,” said Capt. James Sturges, Bravo Company Commander, Army National Guard Warrior Training Center. “It is a safety course primarily.”

Ensuring safety is paramount to graduating the course which started with 40 students and graduated 24.

“Once you become Rappel Master you are taking someone’s life into your hands. If you send them off that bird to rappel and their stuff isn’t correct, their carabiner not locked or its inverted, you could possibly die,” said Sgt. Savanah Krekelberg a squad leader with the 2nd Cavalry Regiment based in Vilseck, Germany. “Once you get the safety aspect and your sequence down you should be good but it is challenging.”

• Date Taken: 09.27.2018
• Date Posted: 10.04.2018 10:23
• Story ID: 295391
• Location: GRAFENWOEHR, BAYERN, DE