Ground Week
During Ground Week, students begin an intensive program of instruction to build individual airborne skills, which prepare them to make a parachute jump, and land safely. They train on the mock door, practice parachute landing falls (PLF), exit the 34-foot (10 m) tower, and train on the lateral drift apparatus (LDA). To go forward to Tower Training Week, students must individually qualify on the 34-foot (10 m) tower, the LDA, successfully complete all PLFs, and pass all PT requirements.
Tower Week
A team effort is added to the training with the "mass exit" concept. The apparati used this week are the 34-foot (10 m) towers, the swing landing trainer (SLT), the mock door for mass exit training, the suspended harness.
Jump Week
During Jump Week students make five parachute jumps into Fryar Drop Zone (DZ) located in Alabama, which is part of the Fort Benning Military Reservation. Trainees must run to the air field, conduct pre-jump training, and then get into their harnesses and await their turn to jump. Generally, two of the jumps are "combat equipment jumps", in which the jumper carries a ruck sack and a dummy weapon. The other three jumps are "hollywood", in that the jumper only wears the parachute and reserve. At least one jump is required to be at night, although weather and other factors, such as holidays, may result in all five jumps being hollywood day jumps.
Students
The vast majority of students at Airborne School come from the U.S. Army. These include soldiers on assignment to the 82nd Airborne Division, XVIII Airborne Corps, 4th BCT 25th Infantry Division, 173rd Airborne BCT, 75th Ranger Regiment, or the Special Forces Qualification Course. Recent BUD/S graduates also attend the school in order to be jump qualified. Summer classes are frequently made up of substantial numbers of cadets from ROTC and West Point. Excess seats go to other personnel at Fort Benning on assignment to Officer Candidate School or the Basic Officer Leaders Course. The United States Parachutist Badge (commonly referred to as "Jump Wings") is awarded to U.S. Armed Forces personnel upon completion of Airborne School regardless of branch or MOS.
Upon arrival, students are given roster numbers which must be put on their equipment. Since military rank is not taken away during training, enlisted, cadets, NCOs, and officers are distinguished by a plain number, C, N, or A placed in front of their roster number, respectively.