| I will go ahead and reply, even though this topic has been discussed and described in detail for others many times. Always preform a search prior to posting a new topic.
You haven't really signed for the Ranger Regiment. What you have signed is an 11X with Ranger Option contract. This means your contract guarantees you will attend infantry OSUT, BAC (abn school) and RIP (Ranger Indoctrination Program). At any point you can fail, and your contract will be null and void, meaning you will be at the Army's mercy. Remember this when you are thinking about quiting, and you will - everyone does at some point. Push on, and remember, they can't take away your birthday.
BAC is three weeks long. Hold over is usually a week, but some can go directly after OSUT. If you don't make it through BAC, you'll be kicked over to a non-airborne div. 101st, 3ID, 4ID, etc.
RIP is 2.5 - 3 weeks long and it's a gut check. You get one shot to make it to a Ranger Battalion, and this is it. If you're not in the best physical condition of your life .. you won't make it. And if you are, then there is a 20-30% chance you'll make it. If you do pass RIP, you are now a Ranger and you'll be assigned to a Ranger Battalion. Sometimes, if you are very lucky, you'll get to choose 1st, 2d or 3d .. most of the time, you're assigned. If you don't pass, you'll be assigned to 82nd, 173d or maybe even a non-airborne unit like the 101st, etc.
Once in Battalion you'll spend about a year being hazed, harassed and abused while learning everything you can. One: You're a cherry (New guy) and two: you're tabless (Don't have the Rgr tab). After about a year (it's possible to go in a shorter amount of time given our current circumstances), and once you've proven yourself .. you will be sent to Ranger School. With the current war, you will have to fit Ranger school in between deployments, so when you will go will vary.
Ranger school has three phases.
Beginning Phase at Ft. Benning, Georgia (4th RTB [Ranger Training Battalion])
Mountain Phase at Dahlonega, Georgia (5th RTB)
Florida Phase at Eglin AFB, Florida (6th RTB)
Once you graduate Ranger school, you're sent back to battalion and you're a Tabbed Spec4 (E-4). Life gets a little easier as you have proven yourself and you will now be in charge of preparing the new guys for life in battalion.
Life in batt is hard, you'll spend your entire three/four years proving yourself every day (even more so now that we are engaged in war), with or without a Rgr tab, because they can and will remove you if you fail to meet standards at any time.
Good luck. |