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Army Mountain Warfare School (United States)
Encyclopedia
The Army Mountain Warfare School (AMWS) is an Army school located at the Ethan Allen Firing Range, Jericho, Vermont to train soldiers in the specialized skills required for operating in mountainous terrain.
, Army Reserve
and Army National Guard in military operations in mountainous areas. Graduates of these course receive the additional skill identifier of "E," Military Mountaineer.
The school trains individual soldiers, not units. These soldiers then return to their units to provide at least some training and experience in mountain warfare throughout the U.S. Army. It also maintains a high-angle mountain search and rescue
team.
Purpose
The school teaches a number of courses to train soldiers of the United States ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, Army Reserve
United States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
and Army National Guard in military operations in mountainous areas. Graduates of these course receive the additional skill identifier of "E," Military Mountaineer.
The school trains individual soldiers, not units. These soldiers then return to their units to provide at least some training and experience in mountain warfare throughout the U.S. Army. It also maintains a high-angle mountain search and rescue
Search and rescue
Search and rescue is the search for and provision of aid to people who are in distress or imminent danger.The general field of search and rescue includes many specialty sub-fields, mostly based upon terrain considerations...
team.
Overview
- The school was established in April 1983 to train mostly New England National Guard units and the 10th Mountain Division10th Mountain DivisionThe 10th Mountain Division is a light infantry division of the United States Army based at Fort Drum, New York. It is a subordinate unit of the XVIII Airborne Corps and the only division-sized element of the U.S. Army to specialize in fighting under harsh terrain and weather conditions...
soldiers. The curriculum design broadens the soldier's knowledge and unit’s capabilities. The curriculum is designed to enable the soldier to operate in mountains and cold and to enable him to assist in planning operations. The school uses a small group participatory learning process.
- The school conducts of four progressive courses of instruction (Basic Summer, Basic Winter, Assault Climber Summer, and Assault Climber Winter). Each level is to prepare soldiers to operate in mountains and cold. The Army Mountain Warfare School is the only school that awards the Skill Qualification Identifier (SQI) “E,” Military Mountaineer.
- The school is the executive agent for military mountaineering for the United States Army Infantry SchoolUnited States Army Infantry SchoolThe United States Army Infantry School is located in Fort Benning, Georgia. It is made up of the following components:*192d Infantry Brigade...
. The school is responsible for the content of Field Manual 3-97.61, Military Mountaineering. The school is the only non-European permanent member of the International Association of Military Mountain Schools (IAMMS).
- The curriculum is broken down into four two-week courses with three general type of mountain-specific skills taught in each: individual, small unit and medical. The Basic Military Mountaineer Course must be completed before the Assault Climber Courses. The training focus is on providing the force structure with soldiers capable of assisting their units in mountain environments.
See also
- Mountain Warfare Training CenterMountain Warfare Training CenterThe Mountain Warfare Training Center is a United States Marine Corps installation located in Pickel Meadows on California State Route 108 in the Toiyabe National Forest, 21 miles northwest of Bridgeport, California...
(United States Marine CorpsUnited States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
) - Northern Warfare Training CenterNorthern Warfare Training CenterThe Northern Warfare Training Center is a United States Army Alaska installation located in Black Rapids, Alaska. It is the Army's only Cold Region Training Proponent....
(United States ArmyUnited States ArmyThe United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
) - Russian Hatsavita Mountain Warfare TrainingRussian Hatsavita Mountain Warfare TrainingThe Hatsavita Mountain Training Center is a Ministry of Internal Affairs training facility located in Labinsk, Krasnodar Krai, southern Russia...
(RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
) - Ramshead DeviceRamshead DeviceThe Ramshead Device is a military special skill badge of the U.S. Army National Guard. The Ramshead Device is awarded to any soldier after completion of the U.S. Army Mountain Warfare School, based at the Ethan Allen Firing Range in Jericho, Vermont...