Self Assessment

[NeverSayDie]

Rangers,

During the past two years that I have been preparing myself for RASP I have pushed myself harder for a longer period of time then I ever have previously in my life. The one thing I am most grateful for besides the time that tried and tested warriors (that I am truly in awe of and continually amazed by ) have invested in me and seeing me succeed, is that pushing myself has allowed me the opportunity to learn more about myself then I have during any other period of my existence. Things that never made sense to me before are clear now. I have identified personal failings and strengths that I never knew I had, and I know this is just the beginning. My reason for posting this is that having identified my personal failings I still haven't learned how to overcome them and have decided to seek advice. I am doing this because after two years of trying to figure this shit out on my own Im not much further from where I started and even If I get told STFU GO DO PT I don't have anything to lose because know that I am not CURRENTLY Ranger material and will not be until I square this all away. I make no excuses for myself here. This isn't some freudian "daddy never hugged me" bullshit. I am explaining my faults in detail here so I can receive advice learn to overcome them.

Not sure where to start.Not to give my life story but, I have lived a harder life then your average civilian. A good portion was due to the actions of others but most of it is my own goddamned fault. I spent the first 16 years of my life digging myself deeper and deeper into a hole that I have spent the last three climbing myself out of.

My strengths are that I thrive during crisis. I have excellent instincts and presence of mind. I study the situation before hand and when other dudes just wing it I know exactly what Im doing and when. I memorize shit and always have an answer ready before almost anyone else. When it comes down to sink or swim I always manage to find away to stay afloat. When theres a pecking order and I know my place in it (whether its at the very top or the bottom) is when I interact with others best. I am a very determined person. I can switch off the voice in the back of my head that says " hey thats dangerous dont do that"

My weaknesses are that even though I strive during crisis I can be an astounding failure in every other type of situation. Thats probably why my life tends to be very turbulent. I seek out chaos because its the only environment I have really known how to function in. I am very susceptible to social pressure, good or bad. I have to keep myself under constant pressure. Its why I picked the Rangers. Surrounding myself with the best of the best motivates me to new heights. Also why I strap hang at ROTC, without that sense of pressure and discipline I just drift. When theres no social pecking order I give into peer pressure easily, which has led me to make very stupid decisions in high school. I would skip school for four days a week drinking with friends and pussy hunting then cram for the big test on friday and still score 80's on the test with a hangover. Which brings me to drinking, I dont drink often anymore but when I do I DRINK. I get out of control when I do. Which is why I dont drink often. Without a peking order I get anti social. mostly because of my difficulties with peer pressure. I Dont like how much effect I let people have on me so I tend to isolate myself. I used to very happy with that arrangement except for the fact that Isolation breeds depression and its impossible to stay motivated when I get like that. My PT suffers as a result of this. But Im also very determined to the point that it can be an extreme fault. stubbornness, against pain and people. If I know Im right I... even if its about something small... will argue about it until Im blue in the face and the entire conversation becomes counterproductive. I have a hard time trusting people. Even though I let people influence my behaviors I have a very hard time being dependent on them in the smallest way.

In short, Being RFS'ed for something stupid instead of being a quitter is my biggest fear. I believe Victory Drive is going to be a bigger obstacle for me then Cole Range will be. If I can make it RASP there is very little doubt in my mind I will graduate, my biggest obstacle there is learning to STFU and not push to get my way, which I can catch myself doing and change on my own. Its just making TO RASP and not fucking up when I have the freedom to do so that scares me.

what do I do?

[NeverSayDie]

I also want to make it clear that Im not looking for a reason to quit. I'm trying to figure out how to fix this shit so I can become a better soldier because of it.

[mortar_guy78]

My advice? Quit overthinking shit.

You've got a great mentor and you've been here long enough to know the standard. You know what you have to do. Man the fuck up and do it. Make a decision and live with it. Don't quit. Don't fuck it up. RFS'ed Rangers are some of the sorriest dudes on the planet because they made it and then violated everything that they worked for by letting themselves and their Ranger buddies down.

You're young, about my second son's age, so I'll tell you what I've been telling him. It's time to wear the big boy pants. Figure out what you want and go after it and don't let anything get in your way. Stop analyzing everything, get off your ass and DO SOMETHING.

That's my .02

[Baseplate]

Here are the top reasons dudes get RFSed in no particular order but 1 and 2 are the biggest.
1) PT failure. You fail a PT test for whatever reason, shit happens, well you get 30 days to retest if you fail it again then you are gone I mean you had 30 days to do PT. Most likely you didn't want to be there anyway. 2) DUI Don't drink and drive. 3) Neglegent discarge. Keep your fucking finger off the trigger. 4) Some other stupid ass shit. A knew a dude who stole a can of Copenhagen from the PX. And another who was RFSed breaking into rooms in the leg barracks. Common sense usually prevents these.

In 4 years in Ranger Regt I only saw one dude where a guy got RFSed and everyone thought he got a raw deal.

[K.Ingraham]

Mortarguy nailed it, except for that 'great mentor' thing. You've IDed the issues & that's the biggest part of overcoming.
You've beat bigger odds already.

Anything else I'll save for in-person.

[colt1rgr]

I grew up in a pretty rough neighborhood and at the age of nine, with the death of my father and my mother's constantly working to support me, I was running the streets. Started smoking pot, drinking to excess and hanging out with bikers, rednecks and assclowns (at the age of nine). This was the standard until I was 19 when my son was born. In all of five minutes of time I changed my life 180 degrees, cold turkey and went on to great things in our beloved Regiment and later on the streets as a cop.

Listen Brother............ "I'm addicted, I can't, It's hereditary, Daddy didn't love me, whatever".... are all BS excuses for I don't have the heart. You have already come a long ways, you must want it. The devil (if you will) will always kick your ass, beat you down and tell you "you'll never make it!" He's a fag and if you allow yourself to succomb to that BS you might as well become one too! The only thing that will ever beat you is YOU! Ranger UP! STFU! And let's get 'er done. A great Ranger NCO once told me that the "maximum effective range of an excuse is 0.0 meters! FAILURE is not an option AND is not authorized at this station!" Great words to live by for all Rangers and those aspiring to be. Best of luck to you in this process Brother!

[RangerX]

1) Go get laid

2) Go talk to a recruiter

Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you are right.

[cams]

Two simple words: Self Discipline.

Which I equate with this 'self definition'.

"Doing the right thing, even when no one else is around to see it."

Write it down and tape it to your door, read it every time you walk outside your house.

[KW Driver]

If you have to pause to think, is this a good choice, is this the right action? It's probably not. By 19 you should know what's right. If you don't, no one else can tell you or do it for you.

It's about mental discipline, period. You have to train yourself to think about doing what's right, so that you can execute it.

Surround yourself with those that are better than you. Achieve their standard and continue to better yourself with and in a personal (unspoken) cometition with them.

Coversely, get rid of all those who will bring you down.

Finally, will your choice uphold or violate the Ranger Creed?


What more do you really need, but to do it and live it?

[K.Ingraham]

Thanks Rangers for some good, sage advice to this whelp.

NSD, to earn a little of their effort, do a set of fifty flutter kicks for each reply posted so far.
Add 30 pushups for every set of flutter kicks not up to standard - "Doing the right thing, even when no one else is around to see it".

This is in addition to the regular workout you did today ( "Doing the right thing, even when no one else is around to see it").

This is not to penalize you for asking or posting, but to push you past what you made yourself do today.

Text me when this is complete.

[NeverSayDie]

Rangers,

Thank you for the words of wisdom. They will be heeded.

[Slowpoke]

Rangers,

Thank you for the words of wisdom. They will be heeded.

DO or DO NOT.....to try only is to fail.........Yoda