Two U.S. Air Force air commandos from the 492nd and 919th Special Operations Wings became the first in service history to graduate from Argentina’s Escuela Militar de Montaña in Bariloche. The multi-week course in Patagonia focused on high-altitude operations, cold-weather survival and advanced climbing skills, including multi-pitch climbs and single-rope bridge crossings. The airmen trained alongside Argentine forces, earned a class-voted "Best Teammate" award, completed the instructor course, and were invited back as guest instructors.
US Air Commandos Become First in Service to Complete Argentina’s Grueling Mountain Warfare Course
A U.S. airman from the 492nd Special Operations Wing rappels down a cliff face in Bariloche, Argentina. (Elizabeth Easterling/U.S. Air Force)
Two U.S. Air Force air commandos from the 492nd and 919th Special Operations Wings have become the first members of the service to graduate from Argentina’s demanding Escuela Militar de Montaña in Bariloche, completing weeks of high-altitude and cold-weather training in Patagonia, officials said.
The Escuela Militar de Montaña, located in the rugged Patagonian foothills around San Carlos de Bariloche, is designed to test physical endurance, technical mountaineering skills and mental resilience in austere, mountainous terrain.
The curriculum emphasized operations at altitude, cold-weather survival and movement across steep, rocky landscapes. Over several weeks the air commandos refined advanced rock-climbing techniques — including multi-pitch climbs — practiced rope-safety procedures and learned to build and traverse single-rope bridges to cross mountain rivers.
“Nothing compared to the level of mountaineering we would endure during this course,” one 919th SOW airman said. “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 two airmen trained side-by-side with members of the Argentine military, strengthening bilateral ties and interoperability. One U.S. airman was honored by classmates as the recipient of the school’s "Best Teammate Award." Both graduates also completed the course’s instructor program, and Argentina’s military has invited them to return as guest instructors for future cycles.
Significance: This graduation marks the first time U.S. Air Force personnel have completed the Escuela Militar de Montaña and the first U.S. participation at the school since 2006. Col. Zak Blom, commander of the 492nd Special Operations Wing, said the achievement helps revive a long-standing partnership and expands the Air Force’s high-altitude capabilities.
"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 said in the release.
The training enhances the air commandos' readiness for operations in extreme environments and reinforces cooperation with regional partners, giving both forces shared techniques and improved mutual understanding.
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