Introduction Erik from MA

[Eriks]

Hello all who read this.

My name is Erik, I am 19, and I'm from Massachusetts. I am a junior at Boston University right now and have been contemplating military service for a couple years now. At first, I was attracted to the 18x program; however, after considering the length of the SF training pipeline and given my lack of prior military experience, I decided that I need to take a different entrance into the Army. This led me to the Option 40 contracts.

As with anyone my age, all I know is life as a student, full of all kinds of people with varying integrity, intelligence, and moral foundation. But I have ALWAYS felt as thought this path of college, grad school, and well paying SECURE and COMFORTABLE job never held anything of importance. I have never helped anyone by studying programming languages, never contributed to anything but my own resume by getting good grades. Even then my resume dosent have anything to do with how I feel about myself.

I've read several books on the matter, and read every forum I could find on elite infantry units in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines. Mostly I read peoples experiences, memoirs and such. What struck me is that every one of these great men who I had the pleasure of reading about, was more of a man, more honorable than anyone I have ever met in my life of scholastic learning. This is what I want more than anything, to be a man who has earned respect, and is truly proud. Those are in short supply where I come from. I want to die knowing that I pushed myself harder, that I gave more for others, and that I didn't make decisions in my life because they meant I could drink every weekend, drive a have a big house full of things I don't really need. I want to live like a samurai-my civilian perspective of today's elite troops.

I told my parents about my plans to deviate from the beaten path (the liberal town I come from does not support much other than academics, and certainly not the military). So far its been received with mixed opinions. Unfortunately I have few who believe that I will succeed. Most tell me I am too young and intellectually promising for something like the military. What bullshit.

I am proud to say that this is my goal, if not rangers then SF, 10th Mountain, or SOAR. I am proud that despite attempting and failing to workout for sports and a beach body the first 18 years of my life, these last 2ish years with the Army and a more honorable life in sights I have come to value physical virtue over most indulgences of my fellow college students.

On that subject my APFT is as follows:
Pushups 2 mins: Approx 50-55 (I am 6'4", and with long arms so this is by far my hardest area to improve)
Situps 2 mins: 80-85
2 mile: 13:00 (best I have recorded but I am sure this has improved)

Others:
5 mile/ Ranger Run: 36:30
4 mile Ruck with 60lbs on back: 52.00


I'm sorry if this is too long of an introduction, and thank you to all who have read it and put up with my ramblings. I have been reading on professionalsoldiers.com and this forum for a while and I decided to join in hopes of finding someone with more experience similar to mine who understands where I am coming from and would be able to mentor me in someways. I have a difficult transition ahead by prematurely ending my studies against the wishes of my parents, and could use support from fine people like yourselves. Thank you again for reading this.

[Ranger Bill]

Welcome. Your interest in serving our country as an Army Ranger is appreciated. Keep us posted as you begin the enlistment process and be sure to read and heed the ROE PM I have sent you.

[Eriks]

I have a difficult transition ahead by prematurely ending my studies against the wishes of my parents, and could use support from fine people like yourselves. Thank you again for reading this.

Welcome to the site, You have written about virtue and honor. You threw in some comments about liberals, etc. so you threw out some red meat for people to chew on. Some may find your post admirable but I will hold judgement for now for a number of different reasons. Right now I view this as a piece written with a bunch of sexy catch phrases and nothing more then fluff to gain some kind of approval or acceptance by Rangers on this site.

I must ask you, who has been writing the checks for you education up to now? If you have been working and funding your own way through college, then it is your choice to quit even though it may not a very smart thing to do but more on that later.

However, if your parents been funding this education of yours, then that is a whole different matter. What you are saying is "fuck it mom and dad, despite the money you have spent on me, I am going to do what I want to do". Of course this shows no maturity nor any sense of obligation. If you can show a sense of obligation to your parents, then how the hell are you going to be with your fellow soldiers who depend on you?

Your parents worked hard to acquire the funds to put you through college with hopes that an education will secure your future. They are making an investment in you. You repay their generosity by just quitting before you reach the objective? "Quitting" is NEVER tolerated by a Ranger. If this is the case, you seem to think you have no obligation to them nor their wishes? Do you plan to stroke them a check for the money they have spent on you to repay them? I am sure they can find a better use for it. If not, then simply "quitting" is neither virtuous nor honorable and shows a lack of maturity on a number of different levels not to mention a disrespect for your parents who are only lrying to do the best they can for your future. It is hard to "respect" a person who would have so little regard over the money their parents have spent and say "I quit".

It is easy for young men to get a romantic view of becoming a warrior by reading forums such as armyranger.com and professionalsoldiers.com but you know what stud? The majority of wannabees don't make it to the Ranger Battalion, a SF Group, etc. They quit and the end up as a 11B in a Mech or Light Infantry unit. The reasons these units are elite is because it is hard work to get into one in the first place and even harder work to stay in one. No matter how carefully you read through the threads on this forum, you cannot even start to imagine the mental and physical ordeal you will go through to become an Elite Soldier.

So what you going to do when you quit and you do not become an Elite Soldier? Have you thought of this? How often do we read SITREPs on here about people who hold 11x Option 40 contracts who drop like flies at even OSUT? There are quite a few.

I strongly advise you to take advantage of what your parents are offering you (if they are paying your way) and finish your education. Many do not have this opportunity. Bust your ass to get that degree as fast as you can by taking Christmas courses and summer courses. Make that your first objective. While you are doing this, you can prepare your mind and body for your next objective of becoming an Elite Soldier. Do you perhaps have only a little over 1 1/2 more years to go? This will go by fast. A college degree will help you in advancement in rank in the military or could be a good fallback if the military does not turn out like you thought it would.

Thanks you for your advice ZoneIV.

I hear you loud and clear with college and persistence. I suppose I have never admired or respected any pursuit anywhere near as much as that of the military's elite warriors, and I am so eager to get started it clouds my rational judgment. My parents are doing a wonderful thing is supporting my financially. I cant help but feel I am working against the virtues driving me to become a Ranger by sticking it out in school. I feel greedy and wasteful in college, and every semester I spend here I am more upset by the self-promotional attitude that is advocated all around me. But this idea of quitting does not bode well with me either.

Also I do not intend to impress with my unproven words, this precisely the attitude I despise. I greatly value your guidance Zone IV, and I can only hope to one day earn the respect of men like you. Sometimes this desire becomes too pronounced and I will work to cultivate it more consistently. There is a book on Zen that I enjoy that speaks of "conquering haste" and I will focus on this aspect of myself.

[Steadfast]

Seeing how you replied, "Thanks you for your advice ZoneIV."

Re-read the ROE PM Ranger Bill sent you & understand it before you post again.

[Kilted Heathen]

You're not thinking this through.

Here you go.

I'm not long in from a 20 hr patrol but what's really kicking my ass today is the fucking registraton process so I can START my degree.

I'm twenty-eight years older than you.

Finish your task at hand and first.

[Eriks]

My initial posts on this forum were lacking. I will come back when I better understand the ROE.

[Jim]

My initial posts on this forum were lacking. I will come back when I better understand the ROE.

Good plan.

But, first, Erik, please allow me to point out that a man has only one opportunity to make a favorable initial impression. Yours is still unfocused. If your goal is to earn a place in the 75th Ranger Regiment, you came to the right site. Read the ROE, FAQs, as well as selected threads and stickies. You can avoid abuse by using the search feature; most questions have been addressed at least once. The search feature is your friend -- I reserve judgement. Here at armyranger.com, we take particular pride in the number of fine young men who have taken advantage of the opportunities afforded by educating themselves at this site. One of the issues you need to recognize is that any member of this site who has the "Ranger" honorific attached to his name is a verified Ranger. We know one another and we provide a source of insight and support for potential Rangers. Never, never quit!!!

[Eriks]

Hello again,

My name is Erik and I'm currently living in Boston, MA. I cannot say I have wanted to be a Ranger or serve in the military my entire life due to lack of exposure to the military and soldiers when i was younger. However, about two years ago this changed and every since I have had enormous respect for what you Rangers and other soldiers do for all of us, and extreme admiration for the standards Rangers hold themselves to. I am dedicated to becoming a Ranger, and while I am not sure yet when I will try for an Option 40, I have been and will continue to work at perfecting my PT, motives, and spirit in hopes of living up to Ranger expectations.

Ranger Bill, Ranger ZoneIV, Ranger Steadfast, Ranger Kilted Heathen, and Ranger Jim thank you for allowing me to see the problems with my attitude previously displayed and helping me to understand what needs to be squared away. Your advice is invaluable. I see now that my words are unproven and speculative, and of no importance to this forum as I have no experience, and I will stay in my lane from now on. I am ashamed to have not seen this self absorption and romanticizing before, but grateful to understand now and motivated more than ever to continue PTing and working towards becoming a Ranger through the right, grounded mindset. There is much room for improvement and with that I will keep reading up on these great forums. Again, thank you for creating and contributing to this amazing resource.