Introduction- Preston

[Mr_Cosby]

My name is Preston and I am 17 years old. I live in Wisconsin and hope to one day join the ranks of the 75th. I have been training physically for about a year now and have lost 50-60lbs of fat and gained 10-20lbs of muscle. I am in the process of applying to West Point Military Academy, and if I don't make it there then I will try for ROTC at a University of Wisconsin. I love the outdoors, survival, extreme camping, hiking, climbing, hunting, fishing, working out, eating right, and explosions. I hope I can learn something from this site and thank all of the Rangers that support it. I also would like to thank the Ranger Regiment in general because of the motivation it has given me to improve myself physically, mentally, and spiritually. I can still only hope to overcome the obstacles set in front of me. However, I will do everything within my power to patch that scroll on my shoulder.

[Steadfast]

Welcome.

Is this Mr Preston Cosby? Is this your real name?
If yes, why haven't you bothered to read our FAQ atop this forum where it states:
EXCERPT OF FAQ

. Note: DO NOT put your last name, or the last names of others, into your introduction.

If yes, then I can call you dumbass. If yes or no - do respond.
If yes, click this link - Subject: Introduction_William & follow instruction I gave to William & send me a PM.

My name is Preston and I am 17 years old. I live in Wisconsin and hope to one day join the ranks of the 75th. I have been training physically for about a year now and have lost 50-60lbs of fat and gained 10-20lbs of muscle. I am in the process of applying to West Point Military Academy, and if I don't make it there then I will try for ROTC at a University of Wisconsin. I love the outdoors, survival, extreme camping, hiking, climbing, hunting, fishing, working out, eating right, and explosions. I hope I can learn something from this site and thank all of the Rangers that support it. I also would like to thank the Ranger Regiment in general because of the motivation it has given me to improve myself physically, mentally, and spiritually. I can still only hope to overcome the obstacles set in front of me. However, I will do everything within my power to patch that scroll on my shoulder.

[Lefty]

Damn, Jake, looks like you scared him off before I could find out what part of the state he's in.

[Mr_Cosby]

No, my username is in reference to the African American on the TV show. There is no significance to the title, it's just one that I have used in the past for other things. Also, I apologize for not responding for a few months, as I forgot my username and couldn't log on. I was looking through the intros today and saw my name, and then saw my username and remembered. Again, sorry for the late response.

[KW Driver]

Who are you addressing?

How bought you go back up to the FAQs and reread them.

[KW Driver]

How about.

[Jim]

No, my username is in reference to the African American on the TV show. There is no significance to the title, it's just one that I have used in the past for other things. Also, I apologize for not responding for a few months, as I forgot my username and couldn't log on. I was looking through the intros today and saw my name, and then saw my username and remembered. Again, sorry for the late response.

Welcome. Please answer Ranger Lefty's question.

[Mr_Cosby]

In reply to Ranger KW Driver, I was addressing Ranger Steadfast. In reply to Ranger Jim, what question are you referencing? Is it on the Board Index? Or are you talking about what part of the state I'm from?

[Jim]

Damn, Jake, looks like you scared him off before I could find out what part of the state he's in.

Please respond to Ranger Lefty's quandry. He is a squared away Ranger if there ever was one.

[Mr_Cosby]

My apologies Ranger Jim I thought he was joking at first. In response to Ranger Lefty, I live north of Ixonia in the country, which is in between Watertown and Oconomowoc. These are almost exactly in between Madison and Milwaukee, and 94 runs under them.

[Jim]

My apologies Ranger Jim I thought he was joking at first. In response to Ranger Lefty, I live north of Ixonia in the country, which is in between Watertown and Oconomowoc. These are almost exactly in between Madison and Milwaukee, and 94 runs under them.

Ranger Lefty is at least as amusing as I am.

[Lefty]

My name is Preston and I am 17 years old. I live in Wisconsin and hope to one day join the ranks of the 75th. I have been training physically for about a year now and have lost 50-60lbs of fat and gained 10-20lbs of muscle. I am in the process of applying to West Point Military Academy, and if I don't make it there then I will try for ROTC at a University of Wisconsin. I love the outdoors, survival, extreme camping, hiking, climbing, hunting, fishing, working out, eating right, and explosions.[/b] I hope I can learn something from this site and thank all of the Rangers that support it. I also would like to thank the Ranger Regiment in general because of the motivation it has given me to improve myself physically, mentally, and spiritually. I can still only hope to overcome the obstacles set in front of me. However, I will do everything within my power to patch that scroll on my shoulder.

Please explain your depth of experience with each of these factors and why you "love" them, esp. the first, second, fifth, and tenth.

Also please explain to us why you aspire to be a Ranger and not something else.

[Mr_Cosby]

In reply to Ranger Lefty,
I grew up on a farm and have loved being outdoors my entire life. This has included everything from nature walks to imaginary battles with my neighbors. My father is no hunter, but my neighbor was and so was my Uncle. These to combined had quite the influence on my desires, and although I rarely went hunting, I was always outside with as much camo and kit as I could muster.
Later in my life, it turned into more serious things as I came to like the idea of surviving out in the cold winter nights. I built my first survival village with just a pocket knife, which turned out surprisingly well, having spent the night out in the cold and also catching a rabbit in a snare (which I released). I did this when I was twelve, and I have continued to make little huts and villages around my woods (it's fairly large). There's nothing more relaxing for me than to get all my gear on and go spend a day or night out in the woods next to a campfire.
As for climbing, it began with my friend Sam, my neighbor, who had lived in Montana and moved out by me when he was three or four. He moved back there when I was about ten, and I have gone to visit him twice. I guess that his love for the recreation rubbed off on me, as now I won't hesitate to climb a bluff at my cousin's house or take a field trip to Ledge Park. We also have a 90 foot tall silo that I love to climb. It has a great view, as it is on the crest of our hill. I used to have a fear of heights when I was little, and it was the first fear that I overcame after I made it to the top a few times. I love the sense of accomplishment you get after a good climb and the feeling of being on top of the world.
As for the explosions, my childhood was not lacking when it came to a love of firearms. I'm not exactly sure when it began, but as long as I can remember I've loved guns of all kinds as well as explosions (I was actually in the NRA my freshman year). It always has amazed me at the force behind it, and they remind me how small I really am. Shooting clays or shooting off fireworks seems to bring me back to reality, as I was nearly killed in a propane explosion thanks to a friend of mine wielding an ax. Anyways, I guess I'm like a lot of other guys when it comes to explosions, but I most definitely respect them, as I know the damage they can do.

As far as my motivation for being a Ranger is concerned, I can't remember the exact date on which I chose to pursue this path, but I know full well why I want to do so. As I mentioned before, all my life has consisted of the outdoors in every aspect, and I guess I knew all along that I was going into the military. It wasn't until my sophomore year that I began to look into the Rangers. At the time, I also looked into the Marines (many of my friends are planning on enlisting), the Navy (my father and grandfather were in it), as well as the Special Forces. The reason I chose the Rangers was simply because I liked everything I learned about it, from the ruck marches to the large engagements. I also recognized that not every kid grew up the way I did, and seeing as how I was trying to figure out what to do with my life, I figured I would try for Special Operations in some form. The "secrecy", honor, duty, brotherhood, elite status, intensity, and the quality of the soldiers all stood out to me. I then decided that this was something that I wanted because everything felt right and in place. It's difficult to put into words, but I know that I want to be a Ranger because it's the Rangers, and in my opinion, they are the best. It was at this time that I began to run and lose weight, and now this aspiration has become the reason for why I am not a lazy blob at this time. Overall, I think the reason I want this so much is because it is the closest thing to what I idolized when I was kid, and having developed those interests at a young age, I grew to want the reality. Also, my view of the Rangers has changed many times as I learned new things, yet it has not yet been a view of poor quality. My recent physical change has prompted me to improve all aspects of my life, and even from that point of view, going into the Rangers seems like the best possible choice I could make (this is also why I have chosen to do college first, as it was a big factor due to my grades in school).

[Lefty]

That was a decent response. I was concerned you had, like many of your contemporaries, formed your interests from reading about them, playing video games, and watching shoot-em-up movies. Taking your response at face value. it appears you have actually tried the experiences. Good on you.

It is your decision, of course, to pursue the USMA or ROTC in college. However, to gain entry to the Regiment, it is far more difficult to do so as an officer than as an enlisted soldier. Many of your predecessors have gone the enlisted route, succeeded in making it into the Regiment, and gone to college after enlisted service.
Successful completion of RASP and entry into a Ranger Battalion is a significant achievement. Completion of college, earning a degree, and earning a commission is also a significant achievement, but not as rigorous a process. Getting an officer's slot in a Ranger Battalion depends on your class standing, the needs of the Regiment, and, sometimes, political factors.

If you were to go the enlisted route with an Option 40, I would consider mentoring you. I have outlined a program I use on my own property in northern Wis. and it seems to have helped a couple of young men.

There is nothing wrong with your current plan, and I applaud your ambition.

Keep us posted on your progress.

[Jim]

Preston, I should mention that I can attest to the effectiveness of the route Ranger Lefty suggests. I enlisted served a tour in Viet-Nam, a short tour in Panama, and then served seventeen months as a Staff Sergeant in one of the Vietnamese Ranger Battalions. Requested OCS and was commissioned. Completed Ranger school as well as German Mountain Warfare school. I led a rifle, anti-tank, and support Platoons; commanded two companies and a battalion. I was a trainer in El Salvador and my last assignment was as Senior Advisor to Headquarters, Saudi Arabian National Guard. I retired in my 30th year of service. Worked for the Army as a contract employee until January, 2012. Oh, and I can't think of a better Mentor than Ranger Lefty; he has a great success rate.