On the Job with an Army Air Assault Instructor

“The blades are going, the pilots are doing their thing, you’re pretty high up off the ground, ropes are going all over the place. It’s a lot of moving pieces when it comes to the actual air assault mission and rappelling out of an aircraft,” Staff Sgt. Dynell Kinnebrew says. “I myself have been in that situation and know how that feels, so I use that when motivating my soldiers that are inside the aircraft. I think it’s always pretty cool to actually rappel out of a helicopter, and I like to get them excited.”

Kinnebrew has been an instructor in the U.S. Army Sabalauski Air Assault School (TSAAS) at Fort Campbell in Clarksville, Tennessee, for seven years, and agreed to show Men’s Health what it takes to prepare for this elite team. As the Army’s only air assault unit, the 101st Airborne Division is renowned for its ability to execute any combat or contingency mission anywhere in the world. It is the Army’s only air assault unit. “The Sabalauski Air Assault School is the real air assault school. If you’re not at the 101st, then you’re not really air assault-qualified,” says Kinnebrew.

“Air assault is literally the movement of pieces of equipment from point A to point B over ranges that are difficult to travel by legs or by vehicles,” Kinnebrew continues.

As an instructor, he is tasked with training and developing soldiers who will ensure the country’s readiness for years to come. He teaches his students the basic techniques of sling load operations—how to rig the load, how to inspect the load, and how to rappel out of the aircraft. Because of the risk involved, gaining the respect of the 330 soldier students that cycle through the school every couple of weeks is important, which he earns by being a tough, but reliable leader.

It’s important for Kinnebrew to be 100 percent present, both mentally and physically, which is why he puts time in at the gym, five days a week. As an Air Assault School instructor and noncommissioned officer (NCO) in the Army, he is the gatekeeper for the division’s standards. The Army expects its NCOs to be in peak physical condition, prepared for any challenge, and to lead by example. To maintain his performance levels, Kinnebrew focuses on functional training and muscle mass development. His training split looks like this:

• Mondays—Legs, heavier sets
• Tuesdays—Push day (focusing on shoulders, chest)
• Wednesday—Pull day (focusing on triceps, back, biceps)
• Thursday—Legs, lighter sets (more reps)
• Friday—Whole body, more reps, less weight

His favorite exercise is the bench press, which he has a personal record of pushing 335 pounds. “You don’t want to be in front of your air assault students and not be able to maintain your physical ability and show that you can’t do it, and then expect them to do it,” he says.

During his time in the Army, Kinnebrew has been able to control his own destiny. “The phrase, ‘Be All You Can Be’—that resonates with me,” he says. “I was not held down to just my job, I actually branched out and did so much. Any person in the Army can literally go to any job they want to if they put their mind to it.” Kinnebrew has done just that: He supported hurricane-relief efforts stateside and, as a 88M Motor Transport Officer, drove his colonel when he was stationed in Korea. He loved being deployed and hopes to be again in the future. He also hopes to leverage this role and experience to become a drill sergeant one day.

“People do listen to me, and I do appreciate it when they do because I really like that glow in their face when they actually understand, ‘Oh, I can do that,’ and I’m saying, ‘Yes, you can air assault.’ Ultimately, I am helping them realize everything that they can achieve and be.”

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