seeking information about Rangers

[Silverback]

You are right to be concerned. I work with ROTC and I have seen fewer and fewer "Order to active duty", there is a good chance he will end up with a significant debt. Since he is an MSIII he does not have the ability to "quit", he lost that when he signed in to his sophomore year of school.

[Silverback]

To clarify what I meant there is no "Free" way out at this point. He will have to pay back every penny of scholarship and the process to leave ROTC can take a considerable amount of time. Until he is completely done he will be flagged in the personnel system and will not be able to enlist.

[Dan B 3/75]

I am a parent of a ROTC student that wants to drop his scholarship to be a Ranger. First about me I am educated with a Master degree and single parent. my son frequents this web site for advice and now it's my turn. My son will be in his 3rd year of ROTC and wants to drop it. He has been told by people on this site that he wouldn't have any problems getting into a Ranger battalion. as an enlisted soldier but his chances as an officer are slim. I am concerned because once he drops his scholarship he has 2 choices, pay the tuition back to the Army , pay back with enlisted years. If he pays back with enlisted years his MOS can be anything. and he risk the chance of not be allowed to reenlist. a recruiter told me that they are not accepting reserves or guard members and that they have no Ranger slots until after October when congress passes out the funds.I don't want him to make a mistake. Are they any active duty enlisted or/officers that would be willing to give me information ? I would like to communicate with both if possible. He is very head storm about dropping out of ROTC. The problem is his grades are only mediocure. If this isn't the site to get help please redirect.
thanks

I don't believe anybody on this site, that has ever been an actual Ranger, has ever told ANYBODY that they "wouldn't have any problems getting into a Ranger Battalion", as it is NOT easy. It most certainly is easier for enlisted than officer, which is probably what your boy means.

You should very well be concerned for your boy, however, it is his decision to make. Right or wrong.

I most certainly would NOT advise an individual to default on a ROTC scholarship for a "chance" of earning a RASP date, as the odds are against him being successful. I feel that when one signs a contract, one should fulfill that contract.

Best of luck to you and your boy.

[Silverback]

You are right to be concerned. I work with ROTC and I have seen fewer and fewer "Order to active duty", there is a good chance he will end up with a significant debt. Since he is an MSIII he does not have the ability to "quit", he lost that when he signed in to his sophomore year of school.

SB,
So paying the debt by going active, or pay hard cash, is at the discretion of the Army and not up to the cadet?
And……………… if the cadet is to report to active enlisted he goes worldwide at the discretion of the Army, not an MOS or station of choice?
Sounds like a bad idea……………..

The decision is made at Cadet Command Commanding General level. The Cadet does not have an ACTIVE choice, but of course the Cadet can REQUEST an order to active duty. If you treat each transaction individually you're right it sounds stupid. If treated as individual transactions the Army would be allowing 18-22 years adults to determine the manning levels of the active force. If you look at the transactions as a whole it makes sense.

[Silverback]

The bottom line is that a contract is a contract and if someone is trying to slither out of their current obligation it is most likely a character issue that will resurface throughout that person's life.

[Rock Island Ranger]

If your son is a Mountaineer, I spoke to him.

I am happy to to speak with you offline as well. It was not advise, it was cause and affect, options and ramifications.

[Ohmess]

Mr. goarmyusa:

I am not particularly well qualified to reply to your question, save one salient fact: my son, having spent a year associated with (but not contracted with) an Army ROTC unit, is now looking seriously at enlisting and trying to become a Ranger. It seems my son's association with the Army has created a desire on his part to enlist, and in looking at enlistment options he thinks Ranger is a good alternative. I find myself therefore in a situation similar to yours.

I think you can help your son by challenging his decision. In particular, he is seeking to break a committment he made previously to the Army, and in doing so, is raising questions.
Questions of character. The kernel of doubt created by breaking his prior commitment is something he will need to overcome, as his compatriots will need to know whether they can count on him. Make sure he clearly understands this. It will create mental hurdles that will not be easy to surmount.

[RangerTee]

Ma'am:

I just got to this thread.

All the reasons listed above are good reasons for him to stay in school and honor his existing contract, and I understand that others from the board have contacted your son and possibly yourself.

There is no such thing as "he wouldn't have any problems getting into a Ranger battalion"...

The reputation of the Ranger units is what it is BECAUSE it is not easy to even get to the selection process, let alone complete it.

Not to mention the fact that he might be injured during the course of his training and never even get close to reporting to a Battalion.

Even if he did report to a Battalion, he may not remain due to injury or other factors, and then he would still have the previous financial obligation, no college degree, no commission, no tenure in a Ranger Battalion, and a much more difficult road ahead of him.

Most parents know that the single most important factor in a child's success in life in this society is their education... that education will provide them with a means to succeed in life even if (when) other things happen along the way, for other things do always happen. It is an important tool which should not be squandered once the opportunity to achieve it is presented. I personally know many Rangers who would have availed themselves of the opportunity to attend college had it been an option for them.

If I may use an analogy...
Count the numbers of high school football players in the country...
Then the number of them who actually play in college (much smaller), many of whom dream of playing in the NFL.

Then count the number of currently active NFL players, which I believe is in the neighborhood of 3-4,000.

Do the math... the odds of any individual high school player actually getting to the NFL are overwhelmingly against them.

Not to mention that once one is rostered in the NFL it is a day-to-day career, always one injury away from never playing in the league again.

If that player does not have a degree (many do not complete college) they then must find another way to provide for a future family and children.

That is something often overlooked in the bloom of youth.


Your son currently has a means by which to secure a college degree, not to mention a scholarship. He also has a financial commitment which he will have to honor even if he were to leave college. He also contractually obligated himself, an obligation he should not take lightly. Were he to leave, his abrogation of that contract will most certainly be viewed negatively by some in the military, which could possibly affect his career in the military if he did enlist.

If this were my son, I would advise him to finish college, satisfy his obligations, honor his contract, and then, if he still wants to serve in the Rangers, do his utmost to achieve that goal. It may be more difficult for him to do so as an officer, but then again, that is what Ranger spirit is all about, isn't it.