Prior Service Confirmation/Questions

[PilSung]

Rangers, please excuse the questions, but through doing my research on here and a few other sites....I have not come to a conclusive answer. Further, it seems the more current the information....the more ambiguous the answer is.

A little background...I enlisted as a Reservist in 2008. During training, I was hurt and placed on permanent profile. After returning to my unit, I requested release to Active Duty three times. Each time my paperwork was "lost". I followed up with my chain of command and noone could answer where my packet was. Once I got the BDE level or higher, noone could even claim that they had ever seen my packet. The IG could not find my paperwork either and was a bit lax in their investigation. I filed a complaint with my local congressman, which found that the BN civilian administrator had never properly in-processed my request so that it could be approved. In the meantime, I had had my permanent profile removed and reclassified to 74D. By the time my release came through, Active Duty was not taking E-4's at all. I just got word that my MOS is on the list for Active Duty Prior-Service enlistment....or that I could even potentially reclass to 11X if I chose...I have confirmation that I can be released and that I can have paperwork in hand by mid-week.

This brings me to questions....and I am sorry for asking these before my research is complete, but time is of the essence.

First off, my recruiter has said that since I am an E-4 and recruiting is so hard for PS, that I will not be able to get Option 40. So....now I am trying to see what I may be able to do since I am not willing to play hardball on this one...I would rather be a Soldier on AD than sitting waiting on Option 40 to open up for PS E-4 recruitment.

Q1: What would my options be for getting to the Regiment? I will more than likely be able to choose from a list of available duty-stations....as a 74D I imagine that choosing Fort Benning will open more opportunities with the Regiment....but I will also look for HAAF and Fort Lewis. Also, HRC is saying that no matter what my orders state, they can get me into L6 and Airborne....and that if selected by the 75th Ranger Regiment...this would not proclude me from being able to attend RASP and accept assignment. This may give me a little extra time to work things out if needed...and L6 would be a pretty cool course as a 74D.

Q2: I understand that by being in the Regiment that I will deploy and that the training schedules are a lot more intense than your average unit. I am okay with this, as is my wife. However, I am curious if anyone can give me a good run down on how to prepare my family for the OPTEMPO and what may help easy her mind despite her support. We have a great relationship and she would never tell me "no" when it comes to my service....but I want to ensure that I am providing equal support by preparing her and my son for what may be to come if I make the cut.

Q3: I have read on an AKO message board from someone who was a 25(something) that quite a few of the low-density support MOS's do not go to RASP...and are still assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment, but wore Maroon berets instead. This was then confirmed by another poster in this message board. Is this true? If so....is 74D one of those MOS's? I hope not....I would feel goofy wearing a Maroon beret instead of tan if I made the cut.

Q4: I am a bit concerned....eventually I would like to apply to OCS. I am concerned that if I am just an "average" Soldier in the Regiment that I would not be recommended by the CoC to attend the OCS board.....whereas in another unit I may be a stellar Soldier. Am I over-thinking this, or is there some truth to this.

I truly appreciate it. I am sorry for the length, but I am trying to be efficient and get as much as possible so that I can accurately take the next step this week.

[Disinfertention]

Rangers, please excuse the questions, but through doing my research on here and a few other sites....I have not come to a conclusive answer. Further, it seems the more current the information....the more ambiguous the answer is.

A little background...I enlisted as a Reservist in 2008. During training, I was hurt and placed on permanent profile. After returning to my unit, I requested release to Active Duty three times. Each time my paperwork was "lost". I followed up with my chain of command and noone could answer where my packet was. Once I got the BDE level or higher, noone could even claim that they had ever seen my packet. The IG could not find my paperwork either and was a bit lax in their investigation. I filed a complaint with my local congressman, which found that the BN civilian administrator had never properly in-processed my request so that it could be approved. In the meantime, I had had my permanent profile removed and reclassified to 74D. By the time my release came through, Active Duty was not taking E-4's at all. I just got word that my MOS is on the list for Active Duty Prior-Service enlistment....or that I could even potentially reclass to 11X if I chose...I have confirmation that I can be released and that I can have paperwork in hand by mid-week.

This brings me to questions....and I am sorry for asking these before my research is complete, but time is of the essence.

First off, my recruiter has said that since I am an E-4 and recruiting is so hard for PS, that I will not be able to get Option 40. So....now I am trying to see what I may be able to do since I am not willing to play hardball on this one...I would rather be a Soldier on AD than sitting waiting on Option 40 to open up for PS E-4 recruitment.

Q1: What would my options be for getting to the Regiment? I will more than likely be able to choose from a list of available duty-stations....as a 74D I imagine that choosing Fort Benning will open more opportunities with the Regiment....but I will also look for HAAF and Fort Lewis. Also, HRC is saying that no matter what my orders state, they can get me into L6 and Airborne....and that if selected by the 75th Ranger Regiment...this would not proclude me from being able to attend RASP and accept assignment. This may give me a little extra time to work things out if needed...and L6 would be a pretty cool course as a 74D.

Q2: I understand that by being in the Regiment that I will deploy and that the training schedules are a lot more intense than your average unit. I am okay with this, as is my wife. However, I am curious if anyone can give me a good run down on how to prepare my family for the OPTEMPO and what may help easy her mind despite her support. We have a great relationship and she would never tell me "no" when it comes to my service....but I want to ensure that I am providing equal support by preparing her and my son for what may be to come if I make the cut.

Q3: I have read on an AKO message board from someone who was a 25(something) that quite a few of the low-density support MOS's do not go to RASP...and are still assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment, but wore Maroon berets instead. This was then confirmed by another poster in this message board. Is this true? If so....is 74D one of those MOS's? I hope not....I would feel goofy wearing a Maroon beret instead of tan if I made the cut.

Q4: I am a bit concerned....eventually I would like to apply to OCS. I am concerned that if I am just an "average" Soldier in the Regiment that I would not be recommended by the CoC to attend the OCS board.....whereas in another unit I may be a stellar Soldier. Am I over-thinking this, or is there some truth to this.

I truly appreciate it. I am sorry for the length, but I am trying to be efficient and get as much as possible so that I can accurately take the next step this week.

I can make a few of these questions easier on you. There may be better answers on the board by other members, but I'll kick it off and either get corrected or someone will elaborate better than I can.

Your first question and question three kind of go together. So I'm going to attempt to answer both. If you don't enter active duty with an option 40 it becomes more difficult to get your new chain of command to sign off on your re-assignment to the 75th. Not impossible, but you remember how your paperwork was "lost" before? Well expect it to happen again. Or they will be straight with you and tell you to your face that they need your job skill and can't afford to let you change units. The most typical way of coming from any Army unit to the 75th is to re-enlist for it. Most of the people I talk to that come from any unit out there re-enlisted to ensure they get their spot. A few didn't have to, but they still served their time in their unit before coming here.

Just because you are at Fort Benning or another location that has one of the battalions there does nothing for your odds in my opinion. It may be easier to walk over to 75th HQ if you are on Benning and talk to the recruiters but they can't force your unit to release you. Go where you can develop yourself in your skill set to the max... where-ever that may be for a 74D... I don't even know what that is and I'm too lazy to go look right at this second. I will before I hit submit I guess.

That AKO message is bullshit. I see no pink berets in my formation. Period. Dot. No discussion. No matter how short we are you will go through RASP 1 or 2. Expect that and not the ability to cut a corner.

For your second question... Not many words of wisdom can make it "all better" for when you get here. The simple fact you know it will be challenging and may not be like "most other places" is going to have to be enough. Will you be gone? Yep. Will you be gone in any Army unit? Yep. Is the frequency or length of time different? A bit, but in the end we all work our asses off whether we want to or not. Someone else may be able to fill your head with some bullshit to make you feel better. But their is nothing like being gone, being home for a week, then being gone again. Or some combination of that.

With your last question... You are over thinking the OCS bit. If you think you're going to be an "average" soldier inside the Regiment then you will be an average soldier in the rest of the Army. Don't place yourself where you don't want to be mentally and you won't end up there physically. As long as you serve your required time in the Regiment and do as we ask you'll make your way to OCS if that is what you want. Show a little leadership and potential, go to Ranger school, maybe serve 2 to 3 years in the equivalent of a team leader spot. After that no one is going to have an issue with you progressing your career. It's all about timing. The last thing any unit does is hold someone back from substantial career progression when the opportunity is given or planned for appropriately.

What have I missed?

Good luck.

Oh. Chemical dude huh. Schweet.

[PilSung]

Thank you Ranger Disinfertention,

I have been told that if I can get accepted prior to checking in with my unit, that I may still stand a shot. I won't hold my breath, but I will at least try. What's the worst that can happen...I get told "not right now?" I'm okay with that.

I also understand not being able to sugarcoat the OPTEMPO. My family is rediculously supportive, so I am not worried. I just like to do what I can to help prepare them for what's to come. I will be surprised if I am not deployed within 6 months of reporting to Active Duty unless I have to reclass or go to other training.

I think you have a greatly valid point on OCS. I just need to go be the best Soldier that I can be and the rest will fall in place.

Sadly enough....Chemical is pretty sweet...if you have the right assignment. There are great recon opportunities and other uniquely high-speed assignments if you are lucky. Otherwise....you can have a really boring assignment....which would suck. I must admit...I do wish I were combat arms, but in lieu of...I will find the most high-speed CBRN spot that I can and excel.