The success of all of the Rangers that made the grade before there was an RIP is testimony to the fact that those whose truly have the intestinal fortitude and determination to succeed, do. While it is natural for those wishing to become Rangers to wonder about the unknown, having the proper mental attitude will allow you to overcome any obstacle that prevents you from achieving your goal of becomming a Ranger. So, be honest with yourself. If you are the type of soldier who will not let anything stand in the way of your goal then you will succeed regardless of any prepartory programs. While its good to have information, the bottom line is, either you have the will to make it or you dont.
Good Luck and Drive On !!
Before there was RIP
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Spartan
Before RIP?
Ranger Mindriot:
Please regale us with the story. What did you early day Bn Rangers do to test individuals before RIP? In Vietnam they had a short trainup, then immediately proceed to OJT. They either cut it on the first mission, or were gone, sometimes in more ways than one. What about you guys. Did they have a weeding out process and if so, what did it consist of?
Thanks!
Please regale us with the story. What did you early day Bn Rangers do to test individuals before RIP? In Vietnam they had a short trainup, then immediately proceed to OJT. They either cut it on the first mission, or were gone, sometimes in more ways than one. What about you guys. Did they have a weeding out process and if so, what did it consist of?
Thanks!
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Rgr_MindRiot
My Story is simple.
There was, in my case, no formal training program. Either to get accepted into the Ranger Batt. or to go to Ranger School. Except for Basic Trn. and AIT (as it was called then) i had not trained myself physically at all. But, i knew that i wanted to be a Ranger, no matter what it took. Due to a slight high frequency hearing loss in one ear, i was not able to sign up directly into the Ranger Battallion, so i found another way. I enlisted for the 24th Inf. Div. at Ft. Stewart, GA as that is where the 1st Batt was loacated at the time. After AIT was complete i was given orders to report to the 24th and on the day of my arrival i went directly to the Ranger Bat HQ and asked who i needed to see and what i needed to do to become a Ranger. A Staff Officer took down my information, gave me the transfer request, and informed me that a "Ranger PT Test" would be administered on a specific date. I was there that day for the test along with other candidates for the battallion (most of whom did not pass) and i did not realize how unprepared i was until i looked at the requirements. Although the months of basic training and AIT had improved my physical conditioning, i had to dig deep to pass the PT test and i was not about to wait six months for the next test. Upon assignment to the battalion, i realized that the real test was about to begin. The NCOs selected for the battalion were selected for their vietnam experience and were unsympathethic to the suffering of a newbie. While PT was tough the runs and forced marches were brutal for a newbie trying to keep up. "Falling out" was sacrilage and any newbie in the battalion who fell behind would find themself lying face down in drainage ditch filled with water and whatever else. Only physical injury would temper the NCO's rath, but not their scorn. When i say physical injury, i mean something broken or torn anything else was considered a lack of intestinal fortitude. I learned quickly that the best way to survive the runs was to stay near the front of the squad as the "rubber band effect" was killer and made it all the more difficult to catch up. Also, a good technique that i mastered quickly was how to run and puke at the same time without falling behind. Luckily, there were others running along with me who were only too happy to shove me ahead. I would like to think it was because they really wanted to help the newbie out but i'm sure they just didn't want to get puked on. Somehow i made it those first few months in the Battalion but many did not. Once it was determined that i was not going to leave on my own, the Battalion sent me to Jump School ( too easy).
By the time i went to Ranger School i had, after months of being in the Batt., conditioned myself physically and mentally to the point that i knew nothing but a physically incapacitating injury was going to keep me from passing Ranger School. Advice about Ranger School was limited as there was some informal code that said each man must meet the unknown as an individual and return victorious as if that too were part of the test. So, the moral of the story is that it is possible to achieve your goals if your are determined not to fail.The presence of a RIP is useful for providing information to some but the bottom line is, be ready to look at yourself in the mirror and see what you are made of.
There was, in my case, no formal training program. Either to get accepted into the Ranger Batt. or to go to Ranger School. Except for Basic Trn. and AIT (as it was called then) i had not trained myself physically at all. But, i knew that i wanted to be a Ranger, no matter what it took. Due to a slight high frequency hearing loss in one ear, i was not able to sign up directly into the Ranger Battallion, so i found another way. I enlisted for the 24th Inf. Div. at Ft. Stewart, GA as that is where the 1st Batt was loacated at the time. After AIT was complete i was given orders to report to the 24th and on the day of my arrival i went directly to the Ranger Bat HQ and asked who i needed to see and what i needed to do to become a Ranger. A Staff Officer took down my information, gave me the transfer request, and informed me that a "Ranger PT Test" would be administered on a specific date. I was there that day for the test along with other candidates for the battallion (most of whom did not pass) and i did not realize how unprepared i was until i looked at the requirements. Although the months of basic training and AIT had improved my physical conditioning, i had to dig deep to pass the PT test and i was not about to wait six months for the next test. Upon assignment to the battalion, i realized that the real test was about to begin. The NCOs selected for the battalion were selected for their vietnam experience and were unsympathethic to the suffering of a newbie. While PT was tough the runs and forced marches were brutal for a newbie trying to keep up. "Falling out" was sacrilage and any newbie in the battalion who fell behind would find themself lying face down in drainage ditch filled with water and whatever else. Only physical injury would temper the NCO's rath, but not their scorn. When i say physical injury, i mean something broken or torn anything else was considered a lack of intestinal fortitude. I learned quickly that the best way to survive the runs was to stay near the front of the squad as the "rubber band effect" was killer and made it all the more difficult to catch up. Also, a good technique that i mastered quickly was how to run and puke at the same time without falling behind. Luckily, there were others running along with me who were only too happy to shove me ahead. I would like to think it was because they really wanted to help the newbie out but i'm sure they just didn't want to get puked on. Somehow i made it those first few months in the Battalion but many did not. Once it was determined that i was not going to leave on my own, the Battalion sent me to Jump School ( too easy).
By the time i went to Ranger School i had, after months of being in the Batt., conditioned myself physically and mentally to the point that i knew nothing but a physically incapacitating injury was going to keep me from passing Ranger School. Advice about Ranger School was limited as there was some informal code that said each man must meet the unknown as an individual and return victorious as if that too were part of the test. So, the moral of the story is that it is possible to achieve your goals if your are determined not to fail.The presence of a RIP is useful for providing information to some but the bottom line is, be ready to look at yourself in the mirror and see what you are made of.
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rangerbatt
- Ranger
- Posts: 17
- Joined: February 15th, 2003, 3:00 pm
Pre-Ranger
I went through a pre-ranger class at 2nd Batt in '77. It was okay, but it didn't focus on W/Orders and OPORDs like it does in Ranger School. When I came back, class 10-77, Capt. J.J.Maher asked myself, and several others to come up with an outline for pre-ranger to help with the washout rate in Ranger School. At that point, pre-ranger was an unofficial program that was passed on to company to comapany, without any clear goals. It was up to the NCOIC to decide the day's instruction. Some of it was okay. Some of it was worthless. When I did it, I focused on small unit patrols, land nav, and contingency plans. When I first got to Batt, it was common on a night jump to kill off the CO, XO, 1SG, and PSGs. It was common to see if E5's, E4's and E3's could step up to the plate and accomplish the mission. That's what it is all about. A succussful mission. We did. But, one thing that sticks with me as a pre-ranger instructor, is instilling that same ideal. Leaders stepped up to the plate, whatever the rank. You're either quick, or you're dead.
