Going into pre-RASP: Letter for the mentees

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jth456

Going into pre-RASP: Letter for the mentees

Post by jth456 »

Mentees,

My name is John and I am currently a pre-RASP candidate. Welcome to the site. You have all made a great choice by creating an account and letting the Rangers on this board be your mentors. You will learn so much and will have a huge advantage on your part by the time you get to pre-RASP and RASP. When I first arrived to this site, I really didn't have much knowledge on what I was getting myself into and the long/rigorous process it takes to earn a place in the 75th Ranger Regiment. After being mentored by Ranger Jim and Ranger GoldCoast for a few months before I shipped out, I now realize why they had us do all of the assignments that I am sure you all are doing or have recently done. Listen to them because it will benefit you tremendously. For example, when I arrived to pre-RASP I was one of the only guys here who actually knew the Ranger Creed. Most of the other candidates had just found out that they were going to have to learn it and live by it every single day. I also had other advantages over the other guys as well, such as knowing my Airborne Ranger in the Sky (they take that very serious over here. You need to know every little detail about him), making sure to always do one extra pushup for the Airborne Ranger in the Sky (many guys didn't know about this and it got us smoked quite a few times), and how to construct a poncho hooch. It's made me look a lot more squared away and it will do the same for you. Plus, since you will know the Ranger Creed already, you will be able to take some leadership and help all of your other brothers get squared away before you class up for RASP. Also, take advantage of the free time that you have to get in as much PT as you can. Before I shipped out, I would make it a requirement to get in at least two hours of exercising each day. You can always increase the amount of hours you train depending if you have the time to do so. What really helped me was doing interval training for my running (60/120's for 30 minutes are always great cardio sessions and will increase your speed tremendously if you put in maximum effort). I would also mix things up and would go for long distance runs (6-10 miles). You should also start practicing ruck marching as soon as possible. You don't even need to buy a rucksack if you can't buy one (I would just load up a backpack with some of the weights I had in my home gym. Improvise if you have to. Just make sure rucking becomes a strong point for you). For bodyweight exercises, I followed the 14 week RASP preparation workout that you should be able to find by googling it. Make it a rule to do 5 sets of max pull-ups each day. People over here are really hurting on pull-ups. I would also throw in the occasional weight lifting sessions and focus on compound lifts (squats, dead lifts, and bench press) to help strengthen your body. Don't focus so much on curls and all of those other isolation exercises right now, your training to become a Ranger, not a bodybuilder. Next is nutrition. I can't even stress how important a well and healthy balanced diet is for maximum performance. Start eating right! Eat proteins, complex carbs, and dietary fats. Try to stay away from junk food as much as possible. Even when you are in OSUT/Basic/AIT, Airborne School, and pre-RASP, don't be like a lot of the other guys and pig out on cakes and pudding. I found out very quickly that those were usually the guys that had lower PT scores. Even in pre-RASP, those type of people are the ones that almost always fall out of our runs. You DO NOT want to be one of them. Other than that, don't do anything stupid before you ship out or while you are in the Army. I've seen a few guys lose their Option 40's from doing dumb shit. You don't want to lose the opportunity of a life time over something stupid. Mentees, listen to everything that the Rangers on this site have to say. You have no idea how fortunate you are to have them as your mentors. Work hard, keep your mind in the right place, and look forward to that day when you will don the tan beret and scroll. I haven't even gotten to RASP yet but I know that I will never quit until I finally earn a place in the 75th Ranger Regiment. Hopefully we will all earn the title of Ranger. Best of luck. If you have any questions, feel free to send me a PM.
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boomer478
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Re: Going into pre-RASP: Letter for the mentees

Post by boomer478 »

Awesome letter, and thank you very much for the advice jth456. Good luck in RASP!
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Bronco
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Re: Going into pre-RASP: Letter for the mentees

Post by Bronco »

jth456, thank you for taking the time to give us DEP's this great information.
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cams
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Re: Going into pre-RASP: Letter for the mentees

Post by cams »

Well done. Keep up the good work and drive the f**k on stud.
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"It is a heavy thing, to see a Father so strong in life, unable to rise."

"A great civilization is not conquered from without
until it has destroyed itself from within." -W. Durant
jth456

Re: Going into pre-RASP: Letter for the mentees

Post by jth456 »

Roger Ranger cams.
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ConstantineCS
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Re: Going into pre-RASP: Letter for the mentees

Post by ConstantineCS »

Thank you for devoting some time to square away us mentees jth456. Good Luck in RASP.
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Carpenter
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Re: Going into pre-RASP: Letter for the mentees

Post by Carpenter »

Roger Ranger jth456,

Thank you for this post. Giving us mentees information that sets us up on the right path both in the present and the future is very useful and is information that I will keep in my back pocket.
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