Photo By 1st Lt. Stacey Shaw | Soldiers assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat...... read more read more
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MIHAIL KOGALNICEANU, Romania -- Soldiers assigned to the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), conducted Operation Talon Providence (OTP) from Nov. 7-18, 2022 at Mihail Kogalniceanu, Romania.
OTP was a rigorous eight-day Air Assault preparation course to better enhance capability and knowledge for the first Air Assault course in Romania.
“With spending two-thirds of our deployment in support of Operation European Assure Deter and Reinforce in a field training environment, I knew that our Soldiers had the mental and physical toughness required to earn their Air Assault badges,” stated Lt. Col. David Williams, the commander of the 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment. “It was important to me to further set conditions for their success by running a rigorous preparation program specific to the unique demands of The Sabalauski Air Assault School (TSAAS).”
1-502nd Infantry Battalion Soldiers are part of the world’s only Air Assault division, which plays a role in Soldiers wanting to earn the coveted Air Assault badge.
While the focus of 1-502nd Infantry Battalion Soldiers has been on training with NATO partners and allies, they were still afforded the opportunity to compete for the Air Assault badge. Between various training exercises, they still found time to maintain their physical and mental readiness for the opportunity to earn their badge.
Many Soldiers assigned to the 101st Airborne Division earn their Air Assault badge at TSAAS back at Fort Campbell; this year TSAAS was able to bring the school to Romania for the first time in its history.
“Given our unique situation forward deployed to MK, Romania, I needed to fully understand what challenges these incredible Soldiers needed to overcome to successfully pass,” remarked 1st Sgt. Joshua Hanzalik, the first sergeant of Bravo Company, 1-502nd Infantry Regiment. “Understanding what it takes to pass TSAAS directly influenced the way we constructed the preparation course.”
Soldiers that participated in the Air Assault preparation course gained operational competencies, increase physical fitness and better understand expectations to successfully graduate.
“The Air Assault preparation course has gotten me ready for what to expect in regards to the physical aspect of the school,” remarked Spc. Kyle Dietrich, an infantryman assigned to Bravo Company, 1-502nd Infantry Regiment. “The classroom time we’ve had in this prep course has been the most helpful in getting a head start on what will be taught in the actual course and how to study for what we will be tested.”
| Date Taken: | 11.18.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 01.05.2023 09:27 |
| Story ID: | 436286 |
| Location: | RO |
| Web Views: | 387 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
This work, 1-502 IN conducts Operation Talon Providence, by 1LT Stacey Shaw, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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