Advice from a dropped RASP candidate

[MikeG86]

Rangers, past, present and future,
I am returning to this forum to give advice to those either in Battalion or those who wish to serve in the 75th Ranger Regiment.
If I am posting this in the wrong forum please let me know and I will change it, however I figured this is where most of the hopeful Rangers will look.
I graduated OSUT, earning a slot to RASP in week 10. Went on to Airborne School and got to train with the most interesting group of people in the US military. Soldiers, Marines and Sailors from all over the world were in my platoon, and on top of that we got to jump out of planes. It was remarkable.
Then we went down the road to RASP. I had a knee injury since the second week of Airborne but I kept my mouth shut. In week three of RASP I was dropped without a chance to recycle. As an 11B, they may or may not give you a second chance.
Those who are dropped get sent to worldwide, and if you beg and plead, they may let you go back to RASP for a second shot. However for me that was not the case, and I have no one to blame but myself. I had a three day weekend off and broke a rule. I went to Atlanta with some other privates and we got caught. We were then declared AWOL and sent to Fort Sill, Oklahoma and were all discharged within 2 weeks.
Please, for those who wish to become Rangers, do not take the path I took. I was Platoon Guide all through Basic Training, never got into any trouble, 300 PT score and I threw it away by being a moron and breaking simple rules.
The Ranger cadre are the best soldiers in the US Army and they will train you to be the best, but they have standards, and if you fail their standards or break their rules, it will not go unnoticed.
There were guys getting into trouble for the dumbest things, and they all got caught, including myself.
Do not think you are smarter than them, because you are not. Do not think you are more clever, because you are not. They have seen it all and have no qualms kicking you out of Regiment or RASP if you fail to meet their standards. For those wishing to join, this information should not deter you, it should only motivate you to not end up like me.
Luckily I have a great job in the civilian world, however nothing can replace wearing that tan beret and being a part of a group of men that are the best trained Infantry in the entire world. Life goes on, but some things in life are not replaceable, and one of them is finding a job that compares to being in the 75th. I feel lucky enough to have even trained with them for a short period of time.
For the future Rangers, the "never quit" saying is not a joke, it's not something to just type out or say to your buddies. It is very real. Do not quit and do not hang out with the complainers, stay motivated and do not break the simple rules you are given. PT as much as you can, learn your Ranger history and do not think you are better than your battle buddies, because that will only hurt you in the end.
Best of luck to all of you.

[Jim]

Great SITREP! Thanks for the thread, and best of luck.

[Jasper]

Keep the integrity and honesty throughout life and know that you have the values of a Ranger in my book. Best of luck

Sent from my EVO using Tapatalk 4

[MikeG86]

Rangers, past, present and future,
I would first like to say that I appreciate the kind words you have given, and although I am no longer in the Army, not a day goes by that I don't utilize the tools and knowledge I gained while I was in, especially the knowledge gained from my Pre-RASP and RASP cadre.
I am currently working as an illustrator and just got my first book published two weeks ago. I am also in talks with a family member who serves as an officer in the Marine Corps about painting portraits of Wounded Warriors and donating the money to the organization, which hopefully goes through.

I still keep in touch with all of my friends serving in Regiment, and words cannot describe the bond I have with these men, even after I disappointed them and myself with past actions. However, they all have told me that we are all still friends, which goes to show the values that these men have. Their loyalty to each other and their families is indescribable.
For the future Rangers and those in Pre-Rasp or RASP, I need you all to know that my friends who currently serve in Regiment love their job. They wouldn't trade it for anything, and that's coming from buddies who are also having a rough time there. Not a day has past since I got out that I don't wish I was back with my buddies. I am not saying that people can't move on and accomplish great things after past mistakes, however there were times in Pre-RASP and RASP where I would have given anything to become a civilian again. The moral of that story is be careful what you wish for.

Lastly, I want to let everyone who visits this post to know that I am available for questions, advice or any help that is needed. If any of the Ranger mentors would like me to share this story with anyone, or if any of the men in Battalion or on their way there need anything, do not hesitate to let me know. I may not be able to give advice on what it means to be a Ranger or serve in Regiment, but I can help with those who are struggling, and let them know what not to do. When I was getting discharged at Fort Sill, I was put in barracks with all of the troublemakers in the Army. There were AWOL guys, drug abuse, theft, assault, all sorts of Soldiers who made bad mistakes. Many of them had just done time at Fort Leavenworth prison. I heard stories about some pretty outlandish stuff, and none of it sounded fun.

All in all, if I can't serve with Rangers, the least I can do is help from the outside.

[Jim]

Thanks for your post. Let this be a lesson to all MENTEES!