Soldiers at Fort Campbell will sponsor eight University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point ROTC students who will begin two weeks of training at the Air Assault School at Fort Campbell, Ky., this month.

"These students worked extremely hard in order to be accepted to this prestigious program," said Major Ralph Sliwicki, professor of military science at UWSP. "I�m proud of my unit at Fort Campbell for sponsoring these eight dedicated students."

According to Sliwicki, the average pass rate for the approximately 200 slots at the school is about 45 percent. Last year only one of four UWSP participants passed the two-week course. The three phases include combat assault, sling load and rappelling.

During the combat assault phase, instruction will be given in aircraft safety, aircraft orientation, aero medical evacuations, pathfinder operations and combat assault operations including simulated combat assault on UH-60 aircraft. In addition, there is a written test as well as a hands-on test of 10 hand and arm signals.

During the sling load phase, soldiers will be asked to rig and inspect a 105mm Howitzer for loading underneath a Chinook-47 helicopter. Again a written and hands-on test will be given and must be passed prior to moving on to the final phase.

For the rappelling phase there will be instructions on the various ways to rappel, including two rappels from a Blackhawk helicopter. They will be tested on various rappel methods, as well as a four-mile ability group run and a 12-mile road march with 25 pounds of equipment to be completed in three hours or less.

Six students are members of the Wisconsin National Guard and two belong to the Army Reserve.

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