Introduction

[Parkie]

Welcome to the site.

I don't have experience with either a Ranger Battalion or SF, but I am damn happy I got my tab.

Good luck with your choice, because whichever one you choose, it will be the right one. Thanks for wanting to serve.

[Jason113]

Welcome!

Nice pics, what type of setup do you use?

[Eight Changes]

Welcome!

Nice pics, what type of setup do you use?

Army Veteran Jason113

Thanks.

I use a Nikon D200 and/or D70 and Novatron strobes inside, usually with softbox or shoot through umbrellas. Outdoors, mostly available light with reflectors or an SB-800 flash. I usually keep it as simple as possible.

This one was one shoot-through umbrella/softbox (a hybrid modifier called a Halo) from the right and a bare head with blue gel and barndoors from the left:

[Eight Changes]

Rangers,

I started another thread in the Enlistment Forum, but I will add the information here as well.

I required an age exception in order to get the 18x contract (missed the cutoff by less than 2 months) and it has been denied.

My options now seem to be:

1) Push hard for an OPT40 contract

2) Get a non-OPT40 with ABN and volunteer for Ranger while at Jump School.

3) Rep-63 contract with the National Guard (I have been looking into this a bit and it looks good, but I really wanted to go active duty. It would be with the 20th Group if I did go this route)

4) Take one of the jobs the recruiter is pushing, Parachute Rigger, EOD, Intelligence, etc. (parachute rigger does at least come with automatic Airborne, but after that I don't know about it as a job)

They are not offering me any combat MOS, and I can not understand why.

I am supposed to head down to MEPS again tomorrow morning to be "the first in the chair" but right now it looks like it will be a wasted trip. At the very least I'm going to get the liaison making some calls.

Again, thank you Rangers for all the advice.

[Jason113]

Welcome!

Nice pics, what type of setup do you use?

Army Veteran Jason113

Thanks.

I use a Nikon D200 and/or D70 and Novatron strobes inside, usually with softbox or shoot through umbrellas. Outdoors, mostly available light with reflectors or an SB-800 flash. I usually keep it as simple as possible.

This one was one shoot-through umbrella/softbox (a hybrid modifier called a Halo) from the right and a bare head with blue gel and barndoors from the left:

Not bad, i've found that the simpler you keep it, the better it tends to be.

As far as the meps visit, I posted a comment in the Recruiting forum and the jist of it goes kind of like this.

Go in there with a clearly definied goal of what you want. If you want an option 40 with your job, don't settle for anything less and be prepared to walk.

[Eight Changes]

Rangers,

I have just returned from MEPS, and I am now officially DEP'd.


My contract is for 92R - OPT 40, Parachute Rigger Airborne Ranger

My ship date is 20070725 and I am currently scheduled for Basic at Jackson followed by Rigger Prereq at Jackson and Benning. After that AIT is at Jackson then BAT is at Benning.

If I understand all this correctly, that means I would arrive for RIP no sooner than March of 08.


Thanks again to all of the Rangers on this site who have helped me to secure this opportunity.

[AbnRgr289]

Rangers,

I have just returned from MEPS, and I am now officially DEP'd.


My contract is for 92R - OPT 40, Parachute Rigger Airborne Ranger

My ship date is 20070725 and I am currently scheduled for Basic at Jackson followed by Rigger Prereq at Jackson and Benning. After that AIT is at Jackson then BAT is at Benning.

If I understand all this correctly, that means I would arrive for RIP no sooner than March of 08.


Thanks again to all of the Rangers on this site who have helped me to secure this opportunity.

Something is fucked up about that schedule.

I know it been a long time since I went to Jump School, but back in the "day" (ya' I'm getting old so shut the fuck up peanut gallery) Riggers went to Jump School before their AIT. It was like that so they could jump the chutes they pack. I don't know if things have changed since then, but you might want to double check that sequence of events so you know what your in for.

And congrats on the Opt40.

[AbnRgr289]

Eight Changes, your title has been upgraded, go ahead and get a DEP avatar.

[Eight Changes]

Something is fucked up about that schedule.

Ranger AbnRgr289,

That is what I thought too. It seems strange based on what I have read about the training:

From Wiki:

Army Parachute Rigger recruits start their traing at Airborne Orientation Course (AOC), a course designed to prepare 92R0 recruits for success at Airborne School. AOC was, in the past, a three week course at Ft Lee, VA, but is now a much shorter course at Ft Jackson, SC. From AOC, rigger recruits go to Airborne School at Ft Benning, GA. If a rigger recruit does not pass Airborne School, that soldier is reclassified, as all US Army Parachute Rigges must be airborne qualified. After Airborne School, the 92R0P recruits head to Ft Lee to attend the 10 week Parachute Rigger Course. The course is divided into three parts: Personnel Pack, Aerial Delivery, and Air Item Repair. During their first three weeks they must complete a parachute jump using a chute that they packed themselves.

There must have been some changes, or my paperwork has errors.

Specifically, I show two separate Prereq's, one 3 week at Jackson and one 3 week and 3 day at Benning. It doesn't seem to make any sense to do BAT after already having jumped with a chute you have packed yourself. Perhaps the order of AIT and BAT just got reversed on the schedule do to clerical error.

And congrats on the Opt40.

Thank you very much. :D

[42L5V]

Is it possible that the rigger pre-req at Benning is actually BAT, and the second trip to Benning is instead, RIP? That makes more logical sense.

Don't let those assclowns at Jackson ruin you. You will need to PT above and beyond anything at Basic. Waaaaay above and beyond. There are good Drill Sergeants at Jackson, but the politics of that installation are greater than any other training base, causing a more watered-down environment.

There are Infantry Drill Sergeants in every company, even at Ft. Jackson. If you're lucky, you'll have one with a Tab. After the first four weeks, when things calm down, tell him you've got an Opt 40, and to smoke you repeatedly.

Good luck.

[Eight Changes]

Is it possible that the rigger pre-req at Benning is actually BAT, and the second trip to Benning is instead, RIP? That makes more logical sense.

Ranger 42L5V,

That may be it. If so, then the length seems to be wrong, because it shows

BAT - BENN - 2 WKS 4 DAYS

and I have read that RIP is 4 weeks and Airborne is 3 weeks. Maybe my recruiter can look into the schedule and get clarification.

Thank you for the advice. I have heard Jackson referred to as "Relaxin' Jackson", and I do not want to show up at RIP unprepared.

[hit_it]

Is it possible that the rigger pre-req at Benning is actually BAT, and the second trip to Benning is instead, RIP? That makes more logical sense.

Ranger 42L5V,

That may be it. If so, then the length seems to be wrong, because it shows

BAT - BENN - 2 WKS 4 DAYS

and I have read that RIP is 4 weeks and Airborne is 3 weeks. Maybe my recruiter can look into the schedule and get clarification.

Thank you for the advice. I have heard Jackson referred to as "Relaxin' Jackson", and I do not want to show up at RIP unprepared.

There's probably a four day weekend in there. Not sure if 11th QM (ABN) moved to Jackson, but the Airborne Orientation Course is definitely there now.

I know your paperwork has no mention of going to Fort Lee, but I would expect to still attend AIT there AFTER JUMP SCHOOL.

[Nomad]

What happened to this guy?