Introduction; Spc. XXXX

[BonesTheUnforgiving]

Last Name: XXXX
Rank: Spc
Edu: High School Grad 2006

About Myself:

I'm a soldier in Iraq. I'm currently over here with a XXXXXXX and I was deployed only a few short months after graduation of high school. The army was not what I thought it would be like after seeing all those adds on T.V. Combat wasnt like the movies and I hate myself for ever even thinking I wanted to see some action. However, I'm proud of what I'm doing.

Why I'm here:

Myself and a few other soldiers were saying a few words about some things that went wrong out on the road involving our leadership. The chowhall was very full that night and a SSG helped himself to an open spot at the table as we continued our converation. He began talking with us and he seemed to have what I can only explain as an aura of leadership. I'm damn sure if he would have said get your gear and follow me I would have untill I couldnt go any further. Before he got up I could only see his unit patch was 82nd airborne however when we all got up and left I could see that he had a 75th ranger combat patch.

I have always heard about that rangers and sometimes even dreamed of being one after so many movies before I was enlisted. But, I never really considered it a goal. However after meeting that SSG I have this urge to be a ranger. I know now before that day I have never seen real leadership in the army and I hope I can find it with the rangers. I'm kind of having a hard time over here trying to get a RIP contract becasue the RNCO cant help me here even though she is active duty. My commander already said he will release me from the NG however I'm going to have to wait until i get home to talk to a recruiter. If they will not let me or if I die trying to make it I want to thank the rangers because just from that one SSG I see what you guys can do with just a few words. I couldnt image the power of the rangers with weapons. I know you guys are hunting them fucks down and I want in on it.

Their are a few Iraqs I need to hunt down myself for what they have done to us. hiding bastards with their IED's and EFP's can all go to hell. and if I die before them I'll have a go at their 72 virgains before they get their.

[RTO]

Welcome to the site and THANK YOU for serving in the sandbox now. I appreciate what you all do over there every day. The others will be along shortly to guide you on your journey. Fasten your seatbelt and listen to what they have to say.

[Hoover]

Welcome and Thank You for your service.

[42L5V]

Welcome. Thanks for your service.

If things are fucked up in your unit - then damnit, start fixing the things that you can. In my day (not too long ago) a SPC was a leader. Start acting like one, instead of a PFC at a chow hall table, bitching about it.

I understand you don't have the leverage or immediate credibility - but it's time to step up. Combat isn't the time or place to be a "Joe".

Good luck, stay safe, and happy hunting.

[Kilted Heathen]

One of the Admins will have to tidy up behind you.
You have posted your name and location in the open, don't do that again.
Your spelling and punctuation needs work and you need to capitalise Ranger.
Combat sucks?
No shit.
Quit the snivelling and don't fucking take Hadji personal or he's got you beat already.
Your internet time is limited I realise that, but next time you visit the site read all the rules before you post here.

Take this any way you want but you need to get your head back in the ball-game. Hadji is getting in your head...find a way to deal with that.

Welcome to the site...you've got balls for stepping up and serving.

[BonesTheUnforgiving]

I got time right now to look at the rules. About the spelling, I have never been very good at it but I'll be sure to reread my posts before sending them . I dont know what to do with my anger besides punch a pillow but that dosent help my level of thought. It just helps me not loose my temper.

[Kilted Heathen]

I got time right now to look at the rules. About the spelling, I have never been very good at it but I'll be sure to reread my posts before sending them . I dont know what to do with my anger besides punch a pillow but that dosent help my level of thought. It just helps me not loose my temper.

Read the fucking rules now.

[BonesTheUnforgiving]

Ranger Kilted Heathen

Roger, I have read the rules and I see the rules that I have failed to follow. No excuse.

[Kilted Heathen]

Ranger Kilted Heathen

Roger, I have read the rules and I see the rules that I have failed to follow. No excuse.

Attaboy.

Stick around we're probably just what you fucking need.

By the way, since you're already serving you've posted your intro in the wrong place.
We'll get you sorted out and help you get the fuck out of leg-land if you promise to stop punching your fucking pillow at night.

Heh,heh...punching pillows, Jesus that's fucking funny.

[Sleepy Doc]

Normally, I wouldn't be this long winded but I wanted this out there for anyone else in your position; wanting to go Guard to active duty.

Thank You for choosing to serve. Even the National Guard has it's place and there is nothing wrong with serving through them. Had I stayed in the Guard, I would have been deployed once to OEF and twice to OIF, and this is the first time my old unit had been activated since Korea.

I can't give you any pearls about dealing with the sandbox because I spent my entire career without being deployed to combat. I can tell you that there is a wealth of experience here on the board. I would listen to everything they had to say and engrave it in my memory. Even a bad example is a good example of what not to do. However, if you desire to switch to active duty and become a Ranger I can give you some advice about that because it is exactly what I did. You are very lucky too have this resource to get you prepared as I and others did not.

First, I use the word "prepared" because that is exactly what you will have to do starting right now. If you cannot max your PT and do 10 pull ups you need to set that as your goal. You won't get there overnight, but 6 to 9 months is a reasonable goal. Use the APFT program here: viewtopic.php?t=8368 It works. The op tempo of the Regiment requires you to be in the shape of a professional athelete. Excelling in PT is the single most important factor in success as a Ranger because it makes the rest easy.

Second, start boning up on your skill level one common tasks, especially land nav. Knowing these cold will make life easier. Also, try and get a hold of a Ranger Handbook. (The Ranger Store on the board has 'em..) Don't worry about learning the tasks in it yet, but keep it in your pocket for motivation. Better yet, seperate the pages, laminate them with acetate, and dummy cord it around your neck. (Just Kidding you won't have to go that far for a while yet.. mebbe someday, but not yet..)
Get a hold of a good Ranger history book and start learning it. A very good one that covers from the French and Indian war to Somalia is "To Fight With Intrepidity". Make it your friend.

Lastly, the easiest thing is getting a release form the Guard. Because there is always more of a need for active duty soldiers they have to give you a release. Just initiate a 4187 requesting release to go active duty and throw in there that you intend to volunteer for the Regiment for good measure. As long as you haven't been caught doing the Governor's teenage daughter doggy style in public, while wearing an Iranian flag screaming "Allah Ackbar!!.." you should be G2G. When you do talk to a recruiter, tell him exactly what you want, don't sign until you get it, and have his lazy ass hand-carry the paperwork. If your CO is anything like mine was you have no problems. (Bulldog looking 173rd vet from Vietnam and Captain on Philly PD..one tough bastard! He pounded his desk with his fists, jumped up and shook my hand. He said that he would be proud to sign my release with full endorsement. He also told me he would sleep better at night knowing that I was out there to cover his ass.. )

[GoldCoast]

I don't normally post in the intro section because I don't normally know who's going to turn out to be a dumb shit twenty four hours down the road, and it's the easiest way to avoid regret.

That being said - welcome to the board. It sounds like you are having a difficult time right now, but remember, thousands and thousands have gone before you, in your exact shoes, myself included.

Don't get upset with your chain of command; just try to make sure that you're doing as much as you can as well as you can. I'm sure for many of them it's their first deployment, too.

Don't get upset with the Iraqis. Getting hit sucks, but that's the nature of the beast. If you get the chance to kill someone who's threatening you or your bretheren then by all means do, but keep it professional. Remember, that under NO CIRCUMSTANCES should you ever embarass your country. Pulling some unneccessarily violent stunt will do just that.

Keep your head on straight out there. Undue anger will get you, or even worse, someone else killed.

I think your new goal is a worthy one. You got the right idea when you decided that Rangers may collectively have their heads on straight (they do). Follow the advice of the other Rangers on this board, get a mentor, and do what he says. That is the best thing you can do to help yourself down the path you seek.

[Jim]

Damn, reading this thread gave me a real BTDT flash!

Guess that's why I moved the thread to the right place.

I understand your frustration and while I have not done OIF or OEF, but I feel comfortable addressing your concerns. What is happening to you is not a unique experience. Many of us have been in mediocre units and knew that there ought to be a better way to run the railroad.

I saw that if we were to be successful in Viet-Nam, we had to have talented soldiers working as advisors to the Vietnamese. So I extended on my first tour and spent my second tour as an advisor. I still think that was the way to fight that war. Today, American advisors with the forces of the Afgans and Iraqis are combat multipliers.

Guess my point to you is that you have a good opportunity to make your unit a better place. Take the inititive. Determine what the best course of action for you is -- and then go do it. The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.

[Steadfast]

I'm damn sure if he would have said get your gear and follow me I would have untill I couldnt go any further.

To be a Ranger even when you feel you can go no further, a Ranger will continue to drive on - as failure/quitting is not an option. This feeling/thought/attitude of yours must change to "Yes, I will do it!" to make the grade. Remember it, to succeed in all you do.

Welcome here.

[BonesTheUnforgiving]

Ranger The Sleepy Doc & Ranger GoldCoast

The forums here have already helped out a lot. Like what to prepare for. Thank you for sending me the link to help me with the APFT because I didn’t have a routine to follow. I am currently at 62 pushups, 67 sit ups and a 13:55 2 mile run time. Thank you for telling me your story as well Ranger The Sleepy Doc. I know now that it is possible to go Ranger; I was getting scared when some people were telling me it’s not possible to go Ranger when going from National Guard to Active Duty. My feelings about you never being deployed; you signed that doted line. You got lucky or unlucky (however you want to think about it) and never were deployed. That dose not make you less of a man or soldier then anyone else. (However, the people who try to get out of deployments because their pussy hurts can burn in hell. Even the ones who still made it over here because they didn’t get out of it.)

I will never embarrass my country and I’m a Christian I would never kill or harm a man without a just cause. If I have to kill a man to save a loved one or a fellow soldier’s life I will even if I’m condemned to purgatory.

My issue with the chain of command:

It’s hard not to get upset at my chain of command. I have a MSG as a platoon sergeant because our Platoon is separated from the rest of the unit by a large distance. HE talks the big game and but can’t walk it. Here are some examples of what kind of guy this is. Back in the states he was wearing a C.A.B. from a deployment a year before we left. It ended up he never left the F.O.B. on his last deployment and was never awarded a C.A.B. (He was ordered to take it off when we hit an active duty station for training when a CSM found out about it) he even complains about how he got fucked out of a bronze star on his last deployment. My Squad leader try’s to do his job. Once he was giving a 38 year old Cpl. Corrective actions for screwing up. He ended up getteing yelled at by the MSG because back in the civilian life that Spc. and MSG are friends. That’s just one example, so now my squad leader just doesn’t even give a shit anymore. That Cpl. is my team leader. He thinks he can do what he wants because a MSG has his back. On top of that, I’ll be scanning my sector of fire and BAM! I’m lying on my back in the humvee because he thinks its funny to pull the gunners emergency release on my seat. I think it’s sad that I think the best NCO we have here is our Lt. The examples above are just one incident to each person in my chain of command.

I’m putting the facts out their (with the exception of my personal feeling on our best NCO) I’m either a little bitch and my pussy hurts, or I have the right to be upset as a soldier. This is also however why I want to be a Ranger. I want to be apart of the best. I don’t believe this is the best the Army has to offer.

I have not seen a lot compared to some others over here. My team’s truck has been hit by an IED and I have only fired a handful of rounds. I can deal with that. What I have a hard time dealing with is when I hear about other soldiers I know get hit out on the road or get in a firefight no matter how long it lasted or someone got hurt and I wasn’t out their to help them. If the shit is going to happen I would rather be with my buddies then back in the FOB smoking and joking.

Ranger GoldCoast, you said I need a mentor; what is the best way to go about this?

[smokn38]

Welcome, ,and thank you for serving. Stay focused in all that you do.