Introduction- Charlie

[IvoryCharlie]

Rangers,
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to communicate with you all on this site! My name is Charlie and I am currently 17 years old, and I am graduating high school in June of 2015. I aspire to one day be a ranger, and I feel that I will be adequately prepared for this journey physically and mentally if I manage to meet the requirements of the regiment on paper.
At the moment, it appears to be unlikely that I will be eligible for airborne, due to my need of up to 3 waivers, one being for a prescription to antidepressants for insomnia (trazedone). This is what a recruiter who wanted me to be a chef told me, however, and I don't fully believe him. I hope that this is not the case, and confirmation of this is the main reason that I wanted to join this forum.
I am currently 6'1" at 206 lb and my PT scores are as follows:
56 pushups after 2 months of training (At the start of November I could do 2 pushups)
69 curlups
13:35 2 mile
12 perfect form pullups with 3 that are considered sloppy

and for all the weightlifters out there...
280 lb Bench Press
450 lb Squat
420 lb Deadlift

I expect my PT scores to increase to the 300 range by summer at this pace, and I am seeing no signs of plateauing. I started training again in November, when I was cleared after getting surgery for a labrum tear that I sustained in June playing rugby. This year I will not be playing rugby because of the two shoulder injuries that I have had from it in the past two years, one being a torn labrum and the other being a broken clavicle that needed surgicle intervention to heal. Hopefully I can get my medical issues in line before I go to MEPS, and I do not know if I should simply deny the fact that I have ever taken Trazedone for insomnia because of depression being so prevalent in the armed forces. I never had or been diagnosed with depression, but I needed these pills to get out of a funk where I didn't sleep for weeks at a time, one time going until 11 days until I was experiencing near dementia and complete psychosis. Yeah, I used to be a zombie, but I feel as if this issue will actually help me in RASP, as I usually feel well rested with 3 hours of sleep.
Thank you for having me here, Rangers, and I would appreciate your input on how I should tackle this situation.

[Jim]

Charlie, If you want to earn a place in the 75th Ranger Regiment, you came to the right site. We take pride in the fine young men who pass through armyranger.com in their life journey. Why do you want to be a Ranger? Frankly, I can't address your medical issues; but others will. Please begin by reading the FAQs as well as selected threads and stickies. Most questions you might have are already addressed. The search feature, located on the top right of this page is your friend. Never, never quit!

[CharlieRanger1FFV]

Welcome to the site, Charlie.


RLTW!!!

[IvoryCharlie]

Ranger Jim and Ranger CharlieRanger1FFV thank you for your warm welcomes! The reasons why being a Ranger is my ideal profession are fairly simple: I feel the need to see the world, help out the great nation the the United States with its noble objectives concerning equality for all, and at the same time to fully be able to appreciate life. I have had a fairly rough childhood, and I feel that most of what I have gone through I have been helpless to resist: I want these bad experiences to benefit me, however, and I aspire to make use of the lessons that I have learned. Callousness makes up who I am today, and I wish to restore my faith in humanity by serving alongside highly motivated individuals that cherish brotherhood and adrenaline. Just to clarify, I am not an adrenaline junky (even though I do enjoy having ice in my veins) and this is not a reason that I would attempt to join the Rangers for. I have always wanted a military job, and a few years ago I came across the 75th Ranger Regiment in my job search; lately, I have been doing my research and I intend to secure a place among the Regiment if it is possible for me to do so.
A "normal" Army job in recent years, I have been told by several friends, is based around the "garrison lifestyle" (I believe that is what they call it) that involves video games, patrolling desolate areas and ultimately being bored. I am aware that Special Operations Units, like the Rangers, do not have these problems to deal with: combat is intense and is encountered frequently, respect is mutual among most members of the Regiment, and there are not many jobs that are based on simply occupying time in barracks. The creed of the Rangers is something that I want to embrace, and I hope to be able to do so one day, as no other job interests me with the same pull as a Ranger infantryman.

[Bronco]

Welcome. PM inbound, IvoryCharlie.

[Bigglestheman]

A "normal" Army job in recent years, I have been told by several friends, is based around the "garrison lifestyle" (I believe that is what they call it) that involves video games, patrolling desolate areas and ultimately being bored.

Not always the case depends on the unit my buddy got sent to Sniper Section when he arrived to his unit and is going to Sniper School soon.


Drop playing video games and replace it with daily barracks checks.

[IvoryCharlie]

A "normal" Army job in recent years, I have been told by several friends, is based around the "garrison lifestyle" (I believe that is what they call it) that involves video games, patrolling desolate areas and ultimately being bored.

Not always the case depends on the unit my buddy got sent to Sniper Section when he arrived to his unit and is going to Sniper School soon.


Drop playing video games and replace it with daily barracks checks.

I didn't know that was how it works, I was always thought that you had to enlist as a Sniper... Does this same policy apply to other selections, such as RASP or SFQC, if waivers are present?

[IvoryCharlie]

Welcome to the site Charlie.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thank you Ranger ManchuV!

[Jim]

I didn't know that was how it works, I was always thought that you had to enlist as a Sniper... Does this same policy apply to other selections, such as RASP or SFQC, if waivers are present?

Ivorycharlie, have you followed my guidance and used the search feature to help answer your questions? Never, never quit!

[IvoryCharlie]

Sorry Ranger Jim, won't happen again.
Just for an update, I have achieved exactly what I have wanted in terms of PT scores. I'm currently following a training plan with 3 variations of pushup days, grueling pullup workouts, and run-of-the-mill running training, and I have so far achieved:
80 pushups (as of last night, bored and curious at 4AM)
79 Situps
15 good-form pullups
9 chinups (I don't know if I will need these, but I certainly enjoy them)
13:20-25 2 Mile

I think my training is going well, and my last test was self administered nearly 1 month ago. The reason that my score increased so much, I believe, is due to a change in my hand positioning in pushups, and high intensity. Because of this progression, I have set some goals for myself before I (try to) enlist:
120 pushups, 120 situps, 30 pulls, 12:45 2 mile
Quick question: If I was to obtain these scores before October, which I believe I will since I have such low levels of Myostatin in my body and high motivation for grueling training sessions, would it be "more likely" than now for a recruiter/ MEPS doctor to overlook my medical issues? I plan of visiting shooting ranges to work on my accuracy when I turn 18 in August, and I may have an opportunity to become a certified HALO jumper: these, I think, will put me in a better position when there comes a time when I am either permitted or denied entry into the Army, but I do not know for certain. There appears to be limited info on this subject on this forum and on the internet, and it seems that college credits are the only thing that recruiters "prefer" in terms of admitting recruits to training, and I would be grateful if anyone has experience gaining priority for enlistment options and/or waivers by having high PT scores or outside training experience.

[Bigglestheman]

I plan of visiting shooting ranges to work on my accuracy when I turn 18 in August, and I may have an opportunity to become a certified HALO jumper: these, I think, will put me in a better position when there comes a time when I am either permitted or denied entry into the Army, but I do not know for certain. There appears to be limited info on this subject on this forum and on the internet, and it seems that college credits are the only thing that recruiters "prefer" in terms of admitting recruits to training, and I would be grateful if anyone has experience gaining priority for enlistment options and/or waivers by having high PT scores or outside training experience.

I'd probably hold off on the shooting range just to avoid developing any bad shooting habits that you might have to break once you get in and breaking habits can be a chore. I remember Drill Sergeants being all over guys because of their bad habits they brought with them to basic.

[rangertough]

Do you mean skydiving instead of HALO?

Tough

[IvoryCharlie]

Bigglestheman I have already learned how to shoot pistols, and I am fairly adept at hitting Thresh birds who decided to steal my lunch at my father's house (outdoor kitchen). I can understand why it would be bad to practice before receiving any military training, but with weapons that I will probably never use in combat (pellet gun...) I thought it may be good to learn how to hold the gun so that my body will be accustomed to peering through bad sights and be more ready for more effective ones. I haven't experienced combat or hunted real game though, so thank you for the advice.
Ranger rangertough, I know a few retired Recon Marines and pilots (a domino club) who HALO jump every month or so just to relive the thrills, and they have offered to show me how to do so... for a price. I don't know if receiving training is something that would prioritize my military resume in the same way that college credits do, so I may lay off the training.

[rangertough]

Bigglestheman I have already learned how to shoot pistols, and I am fairly adept at hitting Thresh birds who decided to steal my lunch at my father's house (outdoor kitchen). I can understand why it would be bad to practice before receiving any military training, but with weapons that I will probably never use in combat (pellet gun...) I thought it may be good to learn how to hold the gun so that my body will be accustomed to peering through bad sights and be more ready for more effective ones. I haven't experienced combat or hunted real game though, so thank you for the advice.
Ranger rangertough, I know a few retired Recon Marines and pilots (a domino club) who HALO jump every month or so just to relive the thrills, and they have offered to show me how to do so... for a price. I don't know if receiving training is something that would prioritize my military resume in the same way that college credits do, so I may lay off the training.

It would do nothing for your career advancement. The only time I've seen skydiving help anything is if you want to be on the Golden Knights.

There is no "resume". You are not "interviewing" for a non entry level position. You could be that douche that jumped from orbit and it wouldn't matter. You are not applying for a job. You are going to take aptitude tests that will tell the Army what you are suitable to do. Then you will get very little real training until you get through Airborne School.

Get your priorities straight. PT, PT and PT.

Tough