In US Air Force first, commandos complete grueling Argentine mountain warfare course

Two U.S. Air Force air commandos completed a rigorous mountain warfare school in Argentina, becoming the first to do so in the service’s history.

The airmen from the 492nd Special Operations Wing and 919th Special Operations Wing graduated recently from the Escuela Militar de Montaña in Bariloche, Argentina, according to a release. The school is set in Patagonia’s rough terrain and is intended to push students to their physical and mental limits.

“Nothing compared to the level of mountaineering we would endure during this course,” the 919th SOW airman said in the statement. “They took what I had previously considered intense hiking and went vertical. While I had some experience, this school introduced an entirely new element: multi-pitch rock climbing.”

The air commandos’ curriculum centered around high-altitude operations, cold-weather survival and mountainous landscape movements, per the release.

Over the course of several weeks, the airmen mastered advanced rock climbing, rope safety techniques and the use of single-rope bridges to cross mountain rivers.

The airmen successfully trained alongside members of the Argentine military, bolstering the relationship between the U.S. and Argentina and leading to one airmen earning the votes of their classmates for the “Best Teammate Award.”

Both air commandos also completed the school’s instructor course. The Argentine military invited the airmen to return as guest instructors for future courses.

“By mastering this course and becoming instructors alongside our Argentinean partners, these airmen are writing the next chapter of that legacy — tackling challenges that haven’t been touched by U.S. forces in decades,” Col. Zak Blom, 492nd SOW commander, said in the release.

While the course completion was the first of its kind in Air Force history, it also marked the first time since 2006 that any U.S. military personnel participated in the school.