Army Pathfinders are specialists in navigating their way through foreign terrain and establishing safe landing zones for Airborne and Air Assault Soldiers or Army aircraft. Many times they are asked to parachute into remote areas, navigate their way to unobstructed locations, then relay those coordinates back to a command center.

The mission of the U.S. Army Pathfinder School is to provide a three week course in which the student navigates dismounted, establishes and operates a day/night helicopter landing zone, establishes and operates a day/night CARP, GMRS, and Army VIRS parachute DZ, conducts slingload operations, provides air traffic control and navigational assistance to RW and FW airborne operations. Students participate in a three day FTX as a member of a Pathfinder Team.

Specifically Soldiers learn the following skills at Pathfinder School:

• Navigate cross country on foot
• Establish and operate a day/night helicopter landing zone
• Establish and operate a day/night parachute drop zone
• Conduct slingload operations
• Aircraft rappelling
• Provide air traffic control and navigational assistance to aircraft within an operational site control zone