EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Members of the 96th Security Forces Squadron, have yet another accomplishment to be proud of.
In March, three defenders were hand-selected to attend the U.S. Army’s Air Assault Course, a three week training for insertion, evacuation and pathfinding for the use of multipurpose transportation and assault helicopters.
The team consisted of Staff Sgt. Patrick Whaley, Airmen 1st Class Enrique Cruz and Chase Floyd. Together along with 27 other Air Force members, they completed grueling 12-hour days, running everywhere they went. Of the 287 service members that started the course only 199 completed all of the objectives.
Whaley was very proud of the small team’s accomplishment.
“We spent several weeks preparing for the course and we kept each other motivated and helped each other remember all of the details needed to complete each assessment,” said the Kansas native.
The defenders that completed the course are now training others within the squadron to attend, putting each recruit through daily ruck marches and critical thinking exercises.
“We are trying to identify defenders that not only can handle the physical aspects of the course, but also the mental challenges they will face even on the first day,” said Whaley.
Cruz said he was excited about the opportunity to broaden his career by graduating from the course.
“It was a tough three weeks, but we pushed through and ultimately we built upon our leadership and advanced skills in an expeditionary environment,” said Cruz.
Each student was expected to pass six different hands-on practical exams and three written exams based off classroom instruction.
Floyd has already applied some of the principles learned from the course such as bridging the communication gap between the different services.
“Training in a joint environment gave me the knowledge I needed to be able to speak to members of other services about their experiences and ultimately work together on certain issues,” said Floyd.
When asked if they would complete the course again, given the chance, each defender gave a confident “yes” and passed on some valuable motivation for those thinking about moving forward in any aspect of their career. “Don’t quit”, “get ready”, and “It’s worth it” were their final thoughts.