Intro - Budd

[Budd]

Rangers,

My family calls me Budd, I am a 21 year-old college student, planning to enlist with an 11X Option 40 contract. I've been reading mostly the "Letters from School" and "About RASP" sections of this board for a while, and decided to make an account and introduce myself as I prepare to get a contract in the coming months. I'm hoping to benefit from the mentorship and the specific tasks and preparation that I have seen help other hopefuls on this board earn the scroll.

I grew up on the Gulf Coast and then on a lake, so I love the water and the outdoors. I’ve studied Russian for 5 semesters. I ran cross country in high school and now I’m an amateur/college club triathlete and endurance runner. I race sprint- and Olympic-distance, and I’ve run a 13.1, a few 26.2s, and a 50mi.

Here’s to 50 more some day, but maybe with a little bit of weight this time.

[Disinfertention]

Hey Budd,

Welcome to ArmyRanger.com. We do take mentoring young DEPs and folks like yourself seriously.. so if your goal is to become a Ranger you've definitely found the right website for that. Ensure you have read all the stickies and FAQs before you post any questions. Google or searching the web is a great option too as an informed question is much better than just an empty one.

I ran 18 miles once. And that was about it for me. Not to say I won't train again someday to do half or full marathon type events but... Yeah. That's pretty impressive stuff to knock out a 50 miler!

Even though you haven't signed a contract yet, you are welcome to post your APFT scores. Fitness is definitely one big piece of the puzzle although it sounds like you're doing ok there. Once you secure a contract and want to enter our mentoring program we will definitely ask that you post and update your scores.

What are you studying in college? Do you plan to finish school before enlisting? If you do plan to finish, what are your career goals in the military outside of the initial one of getting an OPT40 and making it to Regiment?

[Budd]

Roger Ranger Disinfertention,

I have parts of fitness more or less covered (running endurance, moving under weight, general lower body strength) but I also have some glaring weaknesses that I am working to turn into strengths (calisthenics, both for scoring high on the APFT and for avoiding muscle fatigue over consecutive hours and days of training).

To address this I've been hitting the gym progressively harder the last few months, but I've focused largely on barbell work until recently. Today I started more of a selection prep regimen that really smoked me, and I finally put my weight vest to work. It was one of the hardest things I've done in a while. I'm directly addressing push ups, sit ups, pull ups with strict form in addition to other dimensions of fitness, and I feel confident that my current training programming will get me where I need to be to succeed in the pipeline. I'm highly motivated to maintain consistency.

My major is what one might call non-MOS producing. I'm studying history with a focus on foreign policy. I do not intend to finish school. It's something I've considered for a while now, and I wish I had decided to pull the trigger and commit to this path sooner.

My career goals beyond the pipeline are to be a sponge for information, become "brilliant in the basics" of soldiering, be a good dude, and earn a tab and EIB ASAP.

[CharlieRanger1FFV]

Welcome to the site, Budd.


RLTW!!!

[IntelToad]

Welcome here Budd.

[Disinfertention]

and I feel confident that my current training programming will get me where I need to be to succeed in the pipeline.

I'm studying history with a focus on foreign policy. I do not intend to finish school. It's something I've considered for a while now, and I wish I had decided to pull the trigger and commit to this path sooner.

My career goals beyond the pipeline are to be a sponge for information, become "brilliant in the basics" of soldiering, be a good dude, and earn a tab and EIB ASAP.

Hey Budd,

Continue to research fitness. There is tons of stuff out there to help you prep. Anything you do will be awesome. Just know for context that even out of shape folks show up to basic and then go on to pass RASP - I being one of those. So do not over train. I'd research that concept over anything else since you are already a fit person.

I would vote and strongly encourage you to finish school. If enlisted is the route you want to go, that is awesome. Many of us here went that direction so we get it. But don't close off doors too early especailly if you are already in the middle of it. If you can get an OPT40 before school is done then maybe take it if that is how you feel. But transfer to an online school and finish that degree to keep yourself well in place for promotion, OCS, Warrant, or getting out of the service. Just a thought.

Great goals you listed there. I think you've thought this out and I look forward to hearing from you about all this.

[Budd]

Roger Ranger CharlieRanger1FFV and Ranger IntelToad, thank you for the warm welcome.

Roger Ranger Disinfertention. I hope I am not coming off as the kind of guy to rush through things with a half-baked plan. I have had more than enough time to think this through, I am clear-eyed about the path before me, and I will own all of the consequences.

[Disinfertention]

I am not coming off as the kind of guy to rush through things with a half-baked plan. I have had more than enough time to think this through, I am clear-eyed about the path before me, and I will own all of the consequences.

Not in the slightest. Most DEPs and hopefuls who find this site are nothing near anyone rushing or doing stuff half-assed.