SITREP- Elgecko

[Steadfast]

Good SITREP. Stay motivated and never, never quit!

elgecko, X's 2

[elgecko]

Ranger Jim and Ranger Steadfast, I can assure you motivation is one thing I am not lacking. I carry the Ranger handbook with me at all times and love reading it. I am doing everything in my power to be prepared for RASP.

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[elgecko]

Good evening Rangers. As of yet I haven't been able to start AIT and won't for at least another week. I've been bumped from two class rosters to make way for National Guardsmen, who have priority over active personnel (the first time I was actually in formation ready to step to class when they pulled me out). Re-classing doesn't look possible so here I sit in reception waiting for my chance to move forward again. It has provided me some interesting opportunities, though, such as participating in the quartermaster hall of fame induction ceremony and the HHC change of command. I volunteer for every detail available to stay busy and it has served me well. It also helps that I have a solid battle buddy who is also waiting for class. I really want to be taking steps toward RASP but I'm making the most of my situation here.

Thank you, Rangers, for everything!

[elgecko]

Rangers,

First of all, I have to thank Ranger ZoneIV for looking into the possibility of me being mentored while at Fort Lee. Unfortunately, due to the post's intense focus on eliminating fraternization it won't be possible. Nonetheless, I am pushing on and feel great about the direction of my PT. I have landed at a company that takes PT seriously (one of our PSG is a Ranger, even!) and I've been adding my own workouts during personal time. Per Ranger ZoneIV's recommendation chinups are my main focus.

I still haven't been able to start class due to the high number of National Guardsmen coming through and the earliest date I've heard is July 20th. It's disappointing but it also gives me the opportunity to train and prepare more. I had some problems getting into the site for a little while and am still sorting things out but I will continue to read and learn.

Thank you, Rangers, for all your support and assistance.

[Jim]

Stay with it, and ensure you continue your PT program. Never, never quit!

[elgecko]

Rangers, Deps, and future Soldiers,

It's been a while since I had the opportunity to update my status and I'm very glad to say I'm still on track. AIT was a cakewalk and I graduated with honors. There's not much to say about cook AIT other than the obvious: you learn the basics of field equipment and cooking. The PT was a joke so I made sure all my personal time was dedicated to improving my fitness. Final PT test results:

PU: 85
SU: 83
2m: 10:57

A word to all those who haven't signed yet: BE PATIENT! I signed with the first MOS that had an Option 40 and I regret it now. If I had waited a little longer (as in, one more day) I would have seen something more challenging, more engaging and more exciting. Make sure that what you signing for is what you want to do. I've got a job, though, and I'm grateful for that.

I just finished Ground Week here at Airborne and it was a blast. Tower Week is coming up but it doesn't sound like they have enough cadre to run the 250ft towers but there's always a chance. They said that whereas they like to have 15 students for every instructor, right now they have 40 students per instructor. I guess the budget cuts are hitting here too. There's a lot to learn but there's also way more down time than I expected. I have linked up with another cook RASP candidate and we do PT every night. The Ranger Liaison gave us a workout schedule so we have been following that as well as adding our own workouts. Airborne has been as easy as everyone else here has said, you just have to avoid getting caught up in the extra freedom. There are a ton of RASP candidates here but they usually head to Gamelink or off-post on their free-time instead of preparing for RASP. I like the looks I get when I tell people I'm a cook and going to RASP because it pushes me even more to finish in front of them. My short-term goal right now is to show up to Pre-RASP in good enough shape that I can class-up and go straight to RASP as quickly as possible.

Thank you to all the Rangers who have helped along the way, I am definitely making the most of it.

[Jim]

Elgecko, you have come a long way this year. Keep up the good work and never, never quit!

[cams]

Don't downplay your own role bud, without our beloved Ranger cooks in the RDF we'd have been stuck with bubba and Shaniqua slopping shitty, nasty food every day.

Ranger cooks are very good at what they do, they have all the same pride in their work as the next Ranger and are very much appreciated by every member of your respective Batt, especially during off hours or on cold rainy days when you show up with some GD skippy hot chow or grits, I think you'll find a certain satisfaction in the grateful smiles and thank you's you receive from your brothers.

[Jim]

Don't downplay your own role bud, without our beloved Ranger cooks in the RDF we'd have been stuck with bubba and Shaniqua slopping shitty, nasty food every day.

Ranger cooks are very good at what they do, they have all the same pride in their work as the next Ranger and are very much appreciated by every member of your respective Batt, especially during off hours or on cold rainy days when you show up with some GD skippy hot chow or grits, I think you'll find a certain satisfaction in the grateful smiles and thank you's you receive from your brothers.

Amen, brother!

[Sleepy Doc]

Don't downplay your own role bud, without our beloved Ranger cooks in the RDF we'd have been stuck with bubba and Shaniqua slopping shitty, nasty food every day.

Ranger cooks are very good at what they do, they have all the same pride in their work as the next Ranger and are very much appreciated by every member of your respective Batt, especially during off hours or on cold rainy days when you show up with some GD skippy hot chow or grits, I think you'll find a certain satisfaction in the grateful smiles and thank you's you receive from your brothers.

Amen, brother!

Also concur. From what I was told, the Regiment also has more cooks who are school trained chefs than any other unit. It made holiday meal time more interesting. think I mentioned it before, but also they get to play as shooters when shit is for real. The guy who had the most confirmed kills in Somalia was a spoon. One of my fondest memories was coming back from a jump & hump at o-dark-thirty and we had to walk back. (that wasn't the good part..) When we passed by the loading dock to the DFAC, the night baker ran out and handed me a fresh-made cinnamon roll, right out of the oven..

Good times!...

[RangerX]

To this day I can almost taste the breakfast at the 3rd Batt. chow hall. If the cholesterol couldn't kill I swear I'd want to eat there for the rest of my life!

[elgecko]

Rangers,

Just wrapped up Tower Week and all is well. As was expected we didn't do anything with the 250 ft towers. We lost a few people on the SLT because they couldn't figure out how to keep their feet and knees together; all told I think we've lost around 80 people so far (pt test failures, run dropouts, falling asleep during instructions, etc). I'm excited to be jumping in a few days and being one step closer to my goal of joining the Ranger Regiment. I was talking to some guys that started RASP this week and they said anyone starting after them will be in pre-RASP for at least a month. The good part is that we will all be better prepared for RASP whenever we get to it. Another interesting note for family-oriented DEPS: the church service I go to on Sundays is pretty much run by Rangers and I can see how important family is to them. One of the Pastors I met is the Regimental Chaplain and the others are Chaplains at one level or another. Also, they were having a get-together for about 50 Ranger wives at the church later that night so there's proof that you can balance the two priorities because of the support from the Regiment. I was really grateful to see that.

Rangers, thank you as well for the encouragement. Right now the only perspective I have on my job is what I saw at AIT and I definitely do NOT want to be around that type of work ethic during my Army career. I look forward to seeing what it is like when Rangers are doing the job. While at AIT I met the director of the advanced culinary program and I guess I made a favorable impression because he took me up to meet some of the students, specifically a Ranger that had just started. And of course the only thing he told me about being a Ranger was "Don't quit!". Where have a I heard that before?...