Introduction Peakbagger

[Peakbagger]

Hello, my name is Abe. I am 19 years old and have been out of high school for a year. I want to serve my/our country, particularly in the 75th Ranger Regiment. During the past year I hiked the Pacific Crest Trail and had the opportunity to meet many interesting people. Among them, there were a fair number of veterans "hiking off the war," either on their own or with a Wounded Warrior program. These were some of the most incredible people I had ever met, and through them I have learned about the 75th Ranger Regiment and military in general. Over 2,650miles and 4 months of hiking I have decided this is what I want to do.

So after finishing and coming home I immediately began talking with an Army recruiter. He claimed that he would be able to send me to MEPS within a couple weeks, that was almost 4 months ago. I took my asvab, filled out medical forms, background check, and fingerprints. However that is all I have been able to accomplish since expressing my interest in joining in August. I have been bugging him and he says that it is the Fort Snelling MEPS fault. So as of now I am stuck waiting.

Thank you for running this site and thank you for your service. I have already found answers to many of my questions.

Current APFT scores (2016/12/01):
Pushups: 73
Situps: 77
2 mile: 13:45
Pullups: 15

[Jim]

Abe, welcome. Please tell us more about yourself and why you want to become a Ranger. Read the FAQ ands use the search feature located on the Quick Links. Most of the questions you might have can be answered using these features. I see you have self-administered a PT test. You now have a PT baseline to build on. You need to work on PT. There are a couple if PT threads on the site. Read the letters from school thread. Never, never quit!

[CharlieRanger1FFV]

Welcome to the site, Abe.


RLTW!!!

[Peakbagger]

Rangers, thank you for welcoming me to your site. As mentioned previously, I want to serve my country in my fullest capacity. It is a privilege to be an American citizen, most people in the world are born into far less opportune countries. I believe it is worth giving back to my country and serving for the freedom that we all benefit from. Additionally, I think the military (and specifically the Rangers with their high standards) would provide me with superb moral and personal grounding to carry me into manhood. My mother and father both served and it has become clear to me that the values the military drilled into them have served them well throughout their lives. A 4 year enlistment seems a small price to pay for the kind of person it can create. At some point I would like to attend college, but not until I am ready to truly learn.

How often do you expect me to post an updated APFT?

[Jim]

How often do you expect me to post an updated APFT?

At least two weeks apart. Sooner than that makes it difficult to measured improvement.

[Peakbagger]

Rangers,
Updated APFT
pushups: 80
situps: 79
pullups: 18
2 mile: 13:32

My recruiter now says my medical information has been sent to the surgeon general in Kentucky for further review. I tore my labrum (shoulder ligament) 3.5 years ago during football for which I had surgery. Although I have multiple notes from my surgeon stating that my shoulder is %100 rom and strength, apparently the meps doctors would not approve. So I am still waiting with no further developments on my enlistment.

[Jim]

Abe, Please keep us up-dated on your progress. Never, never quit!

[Peakbagger]

Ranger Lunch,
Yes sir I thru-hiked it. I was told by some of the veterans I met on the trail exactly what you said; that it would be excellent conditioning for military service.

I've heard of the North Country Trail. To be honest I think it would be even more difficult than the PCT/AT because of the lack of scenic views. I imagine one would spend many days and miles wandering through cornfields.

[Peakbagger]

Rangers,
I just received good news from my recruiter. I will be going to MEPS on Wednesday to take my physical and if I am cleared I will be enlisting as well.

I am interested in the 68w MOS. My father was a flight surgeon in the Navy and his interest in medicine has rubbed off on me. I am not trying say that infantry are of lesser intelligence, but I want a job that is more intellectually stimulating. As in I would like to learn skills that might transfer more readily into a life after the military.

On a side note, 68W training before RASP totals 29 weeks not including holdovers versus 17 for 11B. This would provide me more time to improve my PT scores beyond a 300.

However, with that being said, I feel equally ready to commit to 11B if the circumstances surrounding a 68W enlistment are not ideal. For example I would have to wait another 4-6months before shipping out. I simply cannot hang around at home for much longer. My primary goal at this point is to simply get started. I am ready to dive head first into this, to give myself to the training and lifestyle no matter the MOS.

[Jim]

Abe, there are a number of mentees (now Rangers) who have completed 68W, option 40 training. Please take a look in the letters from school thread. Never, never quit!

[Peakbagger]

Roger Ranger Jim.

[Peakbagger]

Rangers,
Today I went to MEPS. I was able to complete my physical but was not allowed to enlist on account my shoulder. Once again, the MEPS doctor did not feel comfortable approving me for enlistment. My waiver has been sent to somebody higher up the chain of command for approval.

After some prodding, I was able to get my recruiting office's CO to call up and get that waiver expedited. So as of now, I will going back up to MEPS next week to finally enlist.
My recruiter has reserved 11x option 40, but I also plan on looking at 68w contracts with the career liaison.

[Jim]

Abe, be patient. Anything worth getting is worth waiting for. Never, never quit!

[Peakbagger]

Rangers,
I just returned from MEPS. I was able to enlist with a vanilla 11X contract, ship date 20170227. Because of my medical DQ, option 40 is not available to me and despite passing the airborne physical I couldn't get an option 4 either. I asked every recruiter I could about this and they all replied "...Every infantryman will get an opportunity to volunteer for Airborne school as well as RASP." Based on information I've gathered from this forum, this is only partially true.

68W is also not available. I was told they don't have openings for 68W AIT for atleast a year.

While an option 40 would have been ideal, I think there are benefits to not having one aswell. The fact that I will be competing for a limited number of slots with a company of 150-200 recruits will force me to be the absolute best soldier I can be at all times. This will probably be a major source of anxiety for me during OSUT, but I believe this will make me a better soldier in the end.
"Pressure makes diamonds" -General Patton

Furthermore, my motivation is now through the roof since I finally have a ship date and goal to work towards. "Pressure makes diamonds" -General Patton