Cole Range.

[EvilCouch]

Cole Range was fucking fantastic!

I just couldn't make up my mind as to which side of the range was my favorite.

And they gave me a pet log! I only had to share it with 4 other RIPies, too!

[cdwdirect]

Cole Range is a chunk of grassy field out in the middle of nowhere on Ft. Benning, circumferenced by a line of trees, a "woodline," as it were. North of it is a expands a well-sized land nav course that's about as overused as Jenny McCarthy is over exposed. Cole Range is used by people coming through RIP as well as the Regiment's Pre-Ranger course. In addition to land nav training, classes are taught there ranging from first aid to patrolling to knot tying to combat movement drills.

Traditionally Cole Range is the place where everyone gets fucked up. You'll get marched or bussed out there, depending on who is running your class, and then the games begin. There is, as of late, a circle of sandbags that will become your home. It has an entrance, and it has an exit. Do not confuse them or you will pay the price. During the wet season there is a tangible ditch that assumes various names, "victory pond," or "just 'cause" pond. Why are we hitting the pond? "Just 'cause." Low crawl. Lay on your back. It's 40 degrees out and raining, you're shivering already, it's four in the morning. Lightening is lighting up the night sky. Your body is bleeding in five places. Go lay in the fucking pond. Why not. Across the field is the infamous "woodline." Hitting the woodline means stopping whatever you were doing and running as fast as you can, which becomes a lethargic shuffle after a couple days, and going to the trees and back.

Lots of yelling. Very little sleep. Lots of land nav. Lots of smoke. Lots of time-hacks. Very little rest. Sores. Scratches, etc. Lots of stuff will happen that you will want to complain about - but you're not going through it alone, so you don't. You're just sucking, and it sucks. Get out there and get back. Don't quit. Don't stand out and look like a shitbag. Keep pushing until some other guy decides he's done and gives in, and then the pain will stop for a while and you know what, you'll still be there.

Some buddies of mine currently in Pre-Ranger reported back on the RIP class that they observed while they too were out at Cole Range, and they said they pretty much just sat around, resting, and got classes. Some iterations it seems, are becoming a total joke. Don't be afraid of anything in RIP... get ballsy and just rough and dive into it, like everything that has come before.

They can't make it last for very long. Make them quit before you will.

[Odiedog52]

Thank you for the information, Ranger cdwdirect

[11bulletstopper]

Some buddies of mine currently in Pre-Ranger reported back on the RIP class that they observed while they too were out at Cole Range, and they said they pretty much just sat around, resting, and got classes. Some iterations it seems, are becoming a total joke. Don't be afraid of anything in RIP... get ballsy and just rough and dive into it, like everything that has come before.

They can't make it last for very long. Make them quit before you will.

That must have been my class, me and one other guy hit the woodline the entire time. I will never make the mistake of wearing boxers again. I had to 'Im up, they see me, Im down' to the woodline and back. That was a good little smoking for me. But our class was a little let down on the lack of smokings. Not that I am complaining. We think it was do to the fact that we had a heat casualty on the 5 mile run. He had a core temp of 108. So after that they took it a little easy on us. And we where never introduced to just 'caue' pond. That seemed to piss off a bunch of my budies that went threw before me.
Oh and just one little tip. If they say pack the cole range packing list for the 12 mile ruck do exactly that. No more no less. Or you could be like me and do a second 12 mile all over some bodywash. Good memories.

[1/75 Ranger]

Cole Range is a great time. You get to sit around the camp fire, roast marshmellows and sing songs! Why dont you just quit worrying about it, you'll find out what it's all about when you get there.

[RangerStew]

Do they still make you pick a class rock that you have to lug around every where you go, including all the runs? We had this huge rock (maybe 2 1/2ft. x 1ft) that somehow became the class rock. On all the runs we would pass it off in formation every 5 seconds or so. It was in someones ruck on all the roadmarches, and finally we used it as a tombstone when we had the burial of our class mascot which was torn into pieces at Cole Range. We put it into a bag and somehow I became the mascot carrier and the bag tore and poor "Barney" (we didnt have a choice on the mascot) was strewn out all over the field while we were doing buddy carries to the woodline and back.

[Chiron]

We didn’t have “Cole Rangeâ€

[PULSAR]

Does anyone remember the "Just Cause" waterhole or "Mind Erasers"?

[cdwdirect]

Does anyone remember the "Just Cause" waterhole or "Mind Erasers"?

...there is no mind eraser. ::mumbles something unintelligble and shudders::

Gehhhhh...

[The Holmchicken]

Some buddies of mine currently in Pre-Ranger reported back on the RIP class that they observed while they too were out at Cole Range, and they said they pretty much just sat around, resting, and got classes. Some iterations it seems, are becoming a total joke.

"Man, you should have been here last week, back when it was fucking hard! Shit ain't the way it used to be, they let anyone through now!"

[Looon]

Luna breaks into song....................."Thaaaaanks fooor the meeemooorreeezzz.............."

[BadMuther]

Hey, I liked Cole Range....I much preferred to at least be spending some of the time out land naving instead of getting smoked......

[Nomad]

Cole Range was awesome in RIP, but it was so much better in Pre-Ranger. Especially as the class-leader, with two mermites full of brussel-sprouts and being reminded that I didn't have my shit yet

[KW Driver]

those fuckin brussle sprouts...

fuck you for the reminder Bullkiller.

[RTO]

those fuckin brussle sprouts...

fuck you for the reminder Bullkiller.