Surviving the Cut

[GTP]

I don't remember one person ever quitting in my class.

I remember quiters conceptually. None save one stand out as individuals & that one makes you shake your head in wonder.
Twas a battboy from my company, he just got up and walked out during the mission planning for the LAST OP in Florida with but 36 or so hours left. No one really noticed, we were droning or planning. He just left & no one noticed until an RI came and asked how we let that happen.
Poor SOB rode back to Benning with us on the buses. Talk about rubbing it in. Folks seated near him tried to pretend nothing happened but damn, I can't imagine feeling worse than he must've that trip.
He disappeared just as quick from battalion. I don't remember ever seeing him after the plane ride back to SeaTac.

That incident is one of the reasons I'm fond of posting that it is never over until it is well and truly done and over.

I don't really remember anyone quitting either. Our class obviously got smaller as we went along plus we gained some recyles but we (my Ranger buddy and myself) really didn't pay any attention to anyone quitting; we weren't going to quit so they didn't matter to us.

In the mountains, we started with a 10-person squad (we were in the squad hooches back then) and left there with 7. One recycled due to pneumonia but I just don't remember anything about the other two. We also heard of someone trying to quit about half-way into the Florida Phase. The story we heard was the Tac Office came out, talked with him and told him they would talk again at the end of the phase. He obviously didn't graduate.

[RangerX]

Never had the opportunity to attend, but I watched a bunch of folks join the Papillon Squad and I think the mentality is pretty close.

Nobody wants to quit Ranger School, or Battalion for that matter, in a memorable way. Rather they preferred to slip in to the shadows of obscurity and wallow in their shame out of the scrutiny of those that chose to drive on.

Again, talking about the Papillon Squad. But I'd wager it's the same.

[Silverback]

they preferred to slip in to the shadows of obscurity and wallow in their shame out of the scrutiny of those that chose to drive on.

You hit it right on the head. The quitters always wanted to "talk" where and when they could not be viewed by their peers. It also depended on the RI at the time. When I was walking Rangers hardly ever quit and I think it was because of me, not that I was great but that they hated me so much they didn't want to give me the satisfaction.

[RangerX]

they preferred to slip in to the shadows of obscurity and wallow in their shame out of the scrutiny of those that chose to drive on.

You hit it right on the head. The quitters always wanted to "talk" where and when they could not be viewed by their peers. It also depended on the RI at the time. When I was walking Rangers hardly ever quit and I think it was because of me, not that I was great but that they hated me so much they didn't want to give me the satisfaction.

Hate is an amazing motivator. There were several times in my brief career where I had sand in my vaseline, but pure hatred of my squad leader gave me the drive on I needed.

Of course, my hatred was justified. After all he got banned here.

[DangerClose]

Someone said it perfect earlier - I don't think the 1 hour gave the whole idea of the 'grind' that went on everyday. I can't even remember how many ants or spiders I killed laying on the perimeter for hours pulling 'security' and looking back in the middle as you see an occasional RI ghost (walking stick with glow in the dark tape) by yelling random shit at the leadership.... while you battle the 'Z' monster.

I remember feeling it was like a game show - but the bad kind where you were just sitting on the fringes waiting for your roster number to be yelled into the night and getting pulled into a mission that was fucked 6 hours earlier and it was just handed to you.

Nothing said it better than the 'lost Ranger' discussion and everyone doing midnight pushups - hahahah. We did the same thing but it wasn't so brief, we were down for HOURS for a set of lost NODs that someone had in their ruck the whole time...

[ZoneIV]

they preferred to slip in to the shadows of obscurity and wallow in their shame out of the scrutiny of those that chose to drive on.

You hit it right on the head. The quitters always wanted to "talk" where and when they could not be viewed by their peers. It also depended on the RI at the time. When I was walking Rangers hardly ever quit and I think it was because of me, not that I was great but that they hated me so much they didn't want to give me the satisfaction.

When I went through, RIs simply came in the morning and left when their shift was over. They just seemed all alike to me. I do not remember any of the RIs who walked the patrols. I just remember some folks from Morgan Team. I had to do the first OPORD at Darby. I got RIPPED for it but I deserved it. Hatred never developed. The motivation not giving an RI satisfaction by quitting never occurred. To be honest, I became immuned to "training methods" used way before I attended RS. They were just doing their jobs. I knew this so it never bothered me. I just kept on driving on because I would call myself a pussy if I quit and it would have stayed with me for the rest of my life.

Perhaps I was oblivious to students going to RIs to "talk". I did not see the show. Hopefully I can view it on the web eventually. I just saw some clips. People quitting because they didn't want to do the log walk/rope drop at Victory Pond was simply amazing. I just can't wrap my head around it. Hell this was a break in the action doing this and this is coming from someone who does have a fear of heights and was scared shitless while doing it.

[Looon]

I was yelling at my tv during the show, at the fucking quitters.

[Grifter]

Just catching up....the only reason I remember quiters is because a supposed SF SGT. I was literally one yr old in the Army, pure battboy rage, went in thinking I was the shit. The SFer and I went a verbal round about who was better. Then a certain RI named SSG B. (most my timeframe will remember him) stepped out of the Ranger Shack and we were face down eating Benning red sand. All the time he was asking who wanted to quit. And low and behold 1/2 hr into it the SFer stood up and quit. My ego SOARED. Unfortunately 2 months later I doubled no-goed patrols in Mtns. Damnit. I remember having a meeting with the School Commander back at Benning then going home but in that whole process I felt completely alone, there where others there with me but I dont remember a soul who made that that ride with me. I returned a month later and thankfully went straight thru.

When this show hit the net.. someone please post it up..I would like to see it.

[Silverback]

Hate is an amazing motivator. There were several times in my brief career where I had sand in my vaseline, but pure hatred of my squad leader gave me the drive on I needed.

Of course, my hatred was justified. After all he got banned here.

Our old friend Hate was a student in a different company when I was an RI. During an ambush patrol I was grading I had a Hoffman device go off in my hand which was a fairly catastrophic injury. He mentioned that some of the students may have been "happy" I got "Blown up". I think that indicates that "hate" is the correct word to use.

[Jim]

It was just another reminder that the tab is earned.

[75rangermom]

my son said they were there filming when he went through Benning the first time. Let's see that was sooooo long ago - I think he started in March. Ha ha - he's still at it in second phase now. Fool just refuses to quit! I am so proud but will his digestive system and sleep pattern ever be normal again? How long can someone go on limited amounts of food and rest? I think he's determined to find out. Is there an ultimate limit on recycles? I mean geez we still have the lovely swamps to go and I don't know how long he intends to hang out there!!

I would say your boy is fully prepared to get his Tab or come back on it, and if there is still a recycle limit, he hasn't hit it yet. And sleep and eating will go back to normal eventually- he'll just eat anything he can that isn't nailed down and sleep anywhere at anytime until he's recovered.

sitrep - son is in swamps!! finally! 3 darby, 2 mountains, lets hope 1!!! swamps. Never quit.

[MattPJA]

Honestly I was pretty annoyed with the show. Am I the only one who thought they spent almost all their time on the first 2 weeks and then barely screened the rest of the training?

On the otherhand I saw the show on Marine Recon and it was pretty much the same thing. Possibly the DOD thought they shouldn't let the training of our elite forces go on tv

[PocketKings]

I think they max the shows to show the drop outs. RS dropouts who quit or fail generally do so in the first two weeks. I remember watching people drop and thinking that my odds got better every time. Very schadenfreude.

The Recon 1SG said it best - they weren't there to break them. That was clear in how they allowed some folks (who would have been dropped from RS) to continue.

The PJ indoc was tough just for the swimming. Blacking out underwater is no joke.

I love all of these shows. They remind me to embrace the suck and motivate me to get my ass off the couch and do stuff.

[goon175]

I watched the combat diver episode last night, was suprised to see one of my old squad leaders on there. I am also kind of suprised at the lack of PERSEC on these shows. I mean, its one thing to show a bunch of guys trying to make it through a selection school, but combat diver is not that.

[The Holmchicken]

Hate is an amazing motivator. There were several times in my brief career where I had sand in my vaseline, but pure hatred of my squad leader gave me the drive on I needed.

Of course, my hatred was justified. After all he got banned here.

Our old friend Hate was a student in a different company when I was an RI. During an ambush patrol I was grading I had a Hoffman device go off in my hand which was a fairly catastrophic injury. He mentioned that some of the students may have been "happy" I got "Blown up". I think that indicates that "hate" is the correct word to use.

I went to the same class as Hate and an RI in, I want to say Darby, had one of those go off in his hand. It was during a thunder/lightening storm and the RTO keyed his mike and BAM! Off goes the Hoffman device. It mangled his hand something fierce and I would have probably jumped for joy had it not been for the fact I was blind and deaf for about five minutes. That wasn't you by chance was it?