Ranger and Family

[buddylee]

Hey fellas, I was wondering what any of you think or know about being a Ranger and having a family. I really want to be a Ranger, but at the same time, I want a family. How hard is it to keep a good relationship with your wife as you go through training and everything from start to finish? How often do you get to see or talk to them? Would you just suggest waiting until afterwards to start a family? What did you do?

Thanks

[Earthpig]

Hey fellas, I was wondering what any of you think or know about being a Ranger and having a family

None of the Rangers in my platoon were the type that I would want to settle down with and raise a family.......


Seriously, it's just like anything else. If your wife truly loves and supports you, it's no big deal. I was married when I was in Bat.

The benefits were:
a. I got to live off post, instead of in the barracks.
b. I didn't catch as many Midnight Smoke Sessions from tabbers returning (drunk) from the NCO Club.
c. I missed out on most of the Late afternoon details, like raking pinecones, etc.
d. I got to sleep with a woman (my wife) nearly every night.

The negative side was:
a. Depending on the alert status, you often have to be within a certain range of base at all times.
b. You will spend a LOT of time in the field (including nighttime) and usually won't be afforded the luxury of phoning home to say you won't be home for a few days.
c. When you get deployed (for training or for real), your wife won't know about it for some time....and then she won't know any more than that you are gone.
d. Some of the unmarried tabbers will dump more smoke on you because you live off post.

As far as I'm concerned, it shouldn't really have much bearing on your decision. You either luck out and catch a good gal, or you catch one that's not a keeper. I didn't catch a keeper until my third try, but this one would follow me to Hell and back.

I can't imagine marrying a girl, just to spend the rest of my life in a career that she chose for me. It's my life. If I choose to be a Ranger, then that's what she gets up front...like it or leave it.

We had no problems what-so-ever while I was in the Army. There is also a huge support group of Ranger wives, as well as many on-post activities which she could explore to kill the time: pottery classes, etc.

My advice: go with your gut feeling, but realize that if your relationship isn't rock-solid, it won't matter what career you end up choosing...you'll still end up splitting up eventually.

RLTW
EP

[buddylee]

Thanks fellas! You might not know it, but what you guys have told me could change my life incredibly. Thanks for the advice.

[Earthpig]

damn pig,do you have a major in counceling or what?

Jody-

Should I just say fuck it, and change my logon name to 'AskHelloise'?
Oh, and that's some problem you've got there...only 5-6 times/day.....how long is your nose getting? Ha!

RLTW
EP

PS: Buddylee- I'm not advising you to be a jerk to your girlfriend and say something like, "I'm joining the Army and if you don't like it, kiss my ass!"
I'm simply saying that a true partner will whole-heartedly support you, if they know that's what you really want. Know what I mean, Vern?

[PaleHorseRider]

question for a Ranger....if you aren't married, and are in batt. do you have to live on base, or do you have the option of, say, living in an apt off base, also, what are the benefits of living onn and off base, just curious.

[Rgr_MindRiot]

If you want to be a family man then make that your priority. If you want to challenge yourself in the Batt., Delta, SEALS, etc... then don't plan on having a family or a wife just yet. Too many guys leave their new wives at home while they go out and ride the tiger and that will be the beginning of the end (note women in bars outside base during deployment), good for you but bad for your relationship. If you still are determined to do both consider yourself forewarned, no disrespect intended.

[eagleswings]

Ranger EarthPig,

I was wondering if you know of any of the sites that are available for Ranger wives? I am seriously considering trying to become a Ranger although I know that it requires a lot of work and commitment on my part I do not want to leave my wife hanging. She has a number fo questions that I think would best be answered by ladies that have been there. I appreciate any information or sites that you could provide.

I tried doing some searches before I open my mouth about this however, I could not seem to find to much information on specific places that wives could go. Thank you for your time.

[Spartan]

There is a Ranger Family Readiness Group program that provides support to family members of Rangers while the Rangers are busy training and/or deployed. You can provide your wife with assurances that supporting Rangers and their families is a very important focus for the chain of command of the 75th Ranger Regiment.

You didn't say whether or not you were already in the Army or not. If you are, what unit are you in now and does your unit have a FRG?

Check out this site for a description of the FRG of the Regiment.

[Spartan]

question for a Ranger....if you aren't married, and are in batt. do you have to live on base, or do you have the option of, say, living in an apt off base, also, what are the benefits of living on and off base, just curious.

You can live either on or off base as a single soldier, however, I do believe that units reserve the right to set their own policies, so don't quote me on that. Note that the government provides housing, in the form of barracks, for soldiers who are single so they can live on base and not have to spend $ going to and from work, as the barracks are usually closely colocated with the unit.

Also note that since the government provides you with housing, they will not provide you (a single soldier) with supplemental income so that you can afford to live off post. This will have to come out of your base salary.

On the other hand, guys who are married do get a supplement, which varies from installation to installation due to differences in the cost of housing for each area of the US. So, when single soldiers move off post, it is usually to share a house or apartment with others in the unit to which he is assigned.

A problem with being a single soldier and living off-base with a girlfriend for example, is that you will be frequently deployed and the girlfriend will no doubt have you set up automatic rent deductions and other stuff and then you are gone in Iraq let's say for an extended period with no clue what is going on back at the house you pay for, and no sense of commitment from your girlfriend. This would grate on you for a while. Better to probably forgoe the complications and stay focused on the mission at hand, which, similar to Vietnam, may mean simply coming home alive.

PHR - you'd better not be wasting everyone's time by posting the same questions to multiple boards, cause you'll sure as shit be getting close to the same answers on each of them. It's not like some of us don't have better things to do than answer questions and if I find that you are, I'll see that you're banned from this one and you can just stick to one board.

[Tool175]

Let me give you this piece of advice you are young, you should be out there trying to tag as much ass as possible. Don't even consider getting married until you are in your late twenties. Fuck I'm in my 30's and I'm out there gettin all the strange I can.
The Tool, RLTW!!!

[eagleswings]

First I apologize for the double post. I am not sure how to remove it. If someone would show me or if the Ranger Moderator could do it for me I would appreciate it.
Second Chewing Gum is out sir. Thank you for pointing that out. I am sitting in the hallway at attention awaiting my turn for the insight from the Great Ranger sir.
Ranger Neves: Thank you for the information. And no I am not in the Army yet.