SITREP- Andrew

[brighterthanthesun]

Hello Rangers,

It's been quite some time since my last post,(took the read lots/post little idea to heart) and so I figured I would give an update. I graduated BCT at Ft. Leonard Wood back on February 19th. BCT was much easier than anticipated. The hardest parts were waiting around, dealing with immature shitbags, and the cold. Good Lord, was it cold. If you are going to Ft. Leonard Wood in the winter be ready for some bitter freezing days and nights. When we qualified with our M-4 it was 11 degrees out. Everyone was shivering and miserable, but you just have to find the mental resolve to carry on. I ended up shooting sharpshooter 33/40, and am mildly happy with those results. I had never done any shooting before, and range time was limited due to weather constraints. I know with more practice I'll be able to do better and work my way up to Expert.

I know that it has been said before, but the PT is very easy. You HAVE to do PT in your free time, if you want to see improvements. We only ran once or twice a week as the roads were constantly iced over, but me and some friends would make up for it by running/rucking up and down the stairs in our barracks and doing lunges and squats. There is also more than enough downtime throughout the day and night to get extra pushups and situps in. If you want to see improvements, then you have to put the extra time in. Besides, there is not much to do in your freetime anyways.

Graduation was a really great feeling and I even won an award for leadership, knowledge, and being squared away. The award doesn't mean much, but it was nice to be recognized for constantly being squared away and helping others around me to be as well. Don;t let the shitbags bring you down. They all eventually get caught and are dealt with appropriately. Stay motivated and the time will fly by.

Here at 74D AIT things are going well! We get up at 0400 on weekdays and have formation at 0430, with PT at 0500. That usually wraps up at about 0645 and then breakfast chow is at 0730. Then it's off for the days training. We usually get back from class around 1600 and have time for dinner chow and studying until 1945, when there is a final accountability formation. The training is pretty interesting and time is going by very quickly. On weekends we have two accountability formations a day and the rest of the time is for us to relax, workout, catch up on sleep, or hang out. Some of the tests have been tough, but if you take time to study and stay awake in class, then it is all manageable. We get HAZMAT certified and that test is difficult, as it is a lot of information in a short amount of time.

Out of 60 people in my platoon, 21 failed and will have to stay here longer because of it. CDTF is a lot of fun. It is the chemical defense training facility, and it is where all CBRN soldiers, no matter which branch of military, do training. It is a building here on post where they release live nerve agent, and you go in and perform different activities to get experience working in a deadly environment.

As previously stated, I was unable to get an Opt. 40 in my contract, but have made it very clear to my Plt. SGT here at AIT that I really want to go. A Ranger came by a few weeks ago and gave my class a brief about trying out for RASP and all that goes along with that process. Apparently he will come back after our final PT test next week to get names of people who are qualified and interested. I remind my Plt. SGT here weekly that I very much want to go, and he said that when the Ranger liaison comes back he will recommend me. I am at the top of my class as far as grades go (97 test average) and currently score around a 270 on the PT test. He said he would do all that he could as far as the recommendation goes, but ultimately it is up to the Ranger and whether or not there are slots for this MOS.

I'm really hoping to be able to go, and am constantly working towards that goal. If anyone has any advice or tips on talking to the Ranger liaison to help myself secure a slot I am all ears!

Sorry for the lengthy post, and I appreciate you taking the time to read it. Again, any advice is more than welcome!

Thanks!

**Barney Style Repair Paragraph Team Was Here**

[gRavepc]

Keep pushing for RASP. It sounds like you're a good fit for Regiment.


I'm putting the Repair Paragraph Team (RPT) in for an ARCOM. Stand up job, men.

[Jim]

Andrew, talk to your Chain of Command and let them know you want to earn a place in BAC and RASP. It sounds like you have a good handle on AIT. Never, never quit!

[Jim]

Andrew, a year has passed. What's going on?