No E-4 Slots? Suggestions

colek42 · Post by **colek42** » October 23rd, 2007, 11:54 pm

Here is my quagmire. Looking for some suggestions.

So I want to go active duty from the guard. I want to be a part of the 75th. Problem is that when I contacted the LNO he stated that they are currently over their MTOE for E-1 to E-4. My plan was to sign a contract with the option 4 and talk to the Ranger recruiter onsite to get a slot for RIP. From my understanding of the conversation this would not be a possibility at this time due to the slots already being full.

The LNO and myself discussed another alternative *possibility*. I am about to be picked up out of the EPS system to receive my E-5 in the guard. Apparently there are plenty of slots for E-5 (in the 75th) right now. With the right talk to the right people I could RIP as an E5.

For me this does not feel right. Although I am very confident in my leadership ability, I do not feel that my training and expertise are to the level they need to be at to lead a Ranger fire team. A year of training in the 75th as an E4 would certainly change that.

I want to do this, but my worst fear is to be stuck in a RA unit for years where I am not challenged.

I was also told that if I can get Ranger School along with Airborne they would be able to take me as a SPC. I have no idea how I can get Ranger School with my contract.

Silverback · Post by **Silverback** » October 24th, 2007, 12:48 am

I'll tell you that when I was in the Regiment I was not challenged by the unit. My men and I did more than was expected without a lot of effort. We took every task or assignment given and we kicked it in the ass. I could bore you with reminiscing on our triumphs and thoughtfully remembering all the times we exceeded the standard, but that is not important.

The important part of being a Soldier (and Leader) is to have faith in your abilities and honestly appraise and attempt to overcome your inabilities. In short "Know yourself and seek self improvement". All to often I read the "I don't want to get stuck in a regular unit" type posts and it pisses me off. It pisses me off because often times it's written by some self absorbed Soldier who feels he is "Too good to settle". All the while the young man in question is waiting for some external event to trigger some kind of "positive change" in who he is.

Here's a news flash for you. Regardless of the situation you find yourself in...you will come out of it the same person you were before. If you were a turd the likelihood of remaining a turd is fairly good. I know that as Children we were overrun by images of men who encountered some life changing event and came out of it better men. I think this storyline is intended to sell products and nothing more.

It is true that significant events can have significant impact, but the lasting effect becomes less lasting as time marches on.

Whatever you do I can only make this suggestion. Regardless of the unit you are in, it is not the responsibility of the unit to challenge you it is your responsibility as a Soldier to challenge yourself.

colek42 · Post by **colek42** » October 24th, 2007, 2:19 am

I want to do this, but my worst fear is to be stuck in a RA unit for years where I am not challenged.

Ranger Silverback I don't believe my intended meaning was apparent in those words.

What I meant is that I want to be a part of a unit with high standards. I've seen it too many times in the guard where some fat fuck with no motivation or leadership skills is given a leadership position and fucks everything up. (The guard EPS system has many faults).

This is the type of unit Iâ€™m afraid of being "stuck" with. I know they are more prevalent in the NG but they exist in the RA as well

Am I wrong to say that it takes a certain type of person to deal with all the crap that you Rangers get; whether in garrison, or combat? Those are the type of soldiers I want to be surrounding me. Those are the type of soldiers I want leading, and training me. Am I able to find those soldiers in other Infantry units, of course. The difference is the frequency and the caliber of these soldiers.

I am happy with who I am -- I'm just not happy with what I do.

EvilCouch · Post by **EvilCouch** » October 24th, 2007, 3:59 am

Never been in the Guard and so cannot possibly have all the answers to your questions, but I know that in an RA reenlistment contract, you can get Ranger School as part of your contract. If I were you, I'd poke at some of the regs and hit up other recruiters/retention NCOs if the one for your unit doesn't know the answer.

Sleepy Doc · Post by **Sleepy Doc** » October 24th, 2007, 4:36 am

Going Guard to Active is a piece of cake because Active trumps. All you need is a 4187. I did the very thing myself. I explain in detail how in one of the intro threads.

Every unit has the same standards, for the most part. It's just the enforcement that varies. (that whole AR 670-1 thing..) One of the young men who has just joined our company is in the very unit I started in 18 years ago. They had some of the sorriest excuses for soldiers I've ever seen.. they also had some of the best.
Looking back, even then I had the pride in my appearance and unit that I had in the Regiment. The unit I was in had a long and glorious past. One of the companies pre-dated the US Army and is the longest standing unit in the US military. Not even the Ranger Regiment can claim that!.. I made sure that for every drill I had an extra set of Spits and Starches, just in case. Doing this kinda thing just made it easier when I got to the Regiment.

When I went Active Duty I had three specific goals in mind; to find out if I like the military enough to make it a career, to see if I liked medicine enough to make it a career, and to get my Paramedic license. It was literally a whim that led me to join the Regiment...

Jim · Post by **Jim** » October 24th, 2007, 6:18 am

Have you considered requesting Ranger School as a Guardsman? From your introduction, you already have your CIB; why not ask your Chain of Command for a chance at school? They ought to know if you have earned it.

colek42 · Post by **colek42** » October 25th, 2007, 1:01 am

After looking at AR 601-210 for awhile it looks like my best bet will be to take option 4 (airborne) with unit selection - get my tab and hope to be able to 4187 to the 75th. Really doesn't make sense that option 40 isn't available to prior service, but I guess somebody with a heavy collar has a reason for it.

So I guess now my question is what units usually have plenty of Ranger slots available to them?

...My comments are not meant to piss anyone off, or offend them. I have my own reasons and motivations for what I want to do, and I thnak the people here you are trying to help me achieve this goal.

RGR_Dan · Post by **RGR_Dan** » October 25th, 2007, 6:42 am

IMO

My guess would be the 82nd Airborne. The guys are not going to want to go or be prepared for RS right after deployment.

colek42 · Post by **colek42** » October 25th, 2007, 7:43 am

Ranger Dan,

Sounds like a smart idea - thanks.

Now I just have to wait for my 368 to come back from the state. I submitted my letter in June and still haven't received it. Paper work pisses me off.

Tupac · Post by **Tupac** » October 25th, 2007, 11:14 am

You would learn and grow more than you think by serving in a Rifle company in 10th mountain or 101st. Go there and work your ass off and you will get out of it what you put in. There are many excellent infantry units out there, you shouldn't be so worried about " getting stuck " in a conventional infantry outfit. This entire conflict is unconventional and has our "conventional" infantry line companies doing some cool shit that they wouldn't have done a few years ago.

Either way I don't care. Have fun figuring it out dude. :?

colek42 · Post by **colek42** » October 31st, 2007, 9:57 am

So I finally have my 368 in my hands (after five months!), and while I haven't seen it on paper my recruiter says that it is possible to get me an option 40 on my contract. I don't know why I would be able to get it and no other PS is able to, but hey i'm not going to complain. I'll let you know when I actually see it on paper so that other PS guys know that it is actually possible.

Silverback · Post by **Silverback** » October 31st, 2007, 10:04 am

colek42 wrote:So I finally have my 368 in my hands (after five months!), and while I haven't seen it on paper my recruiter says that it is possible to get me an option 40 on my contract. I don't know why I would be able to get it and no other PS is able to, but hey i'm not going to complain. I'll let you know when I actually see it on paper so that other PS guys know that it is actually possible.

At this point I think you have lost the audience.