SITREP

[Black Sadie]

BAT graduation on 26JAN2008, I'm in the Alpha Airborne bay waiting for the "pain train" to come and pick up all of us rippies tomorrow morning. The rumors and stories about RIP are buzzing around like a phalanx of angry hornets. You wouldn't believe half of the stuff you hear. Seventeen out of the 76 guys going to rip tomorrow have already raised their hands telling the black hats that they don't want to go while doing a chute shakedown.

Airborne school was a great experience. Once you get over the mental part of actually jumping out of a perfectly good moving aircraft, the rest is pretty simple. For me it looked like I was jumping right into a tornado - being from Kansas it was like being back home. Keep your feet and knees together, elbows in tight, and pull the right slip and you'll be fine.

A word to the guys just coming into Airborne...that PT test they give on Monday morning after your Friday inprocessing is no joke, so don't go drinking yourself stupid over the weekend. If you fail, THERE ARE NO RETAKES. They tear up your contract and you go straight into hold where you work details all day until they ship your butt to a leg unit. It happened to a friend of mine. Don't let it be you.

[rgrking]

Congrats on BAT. Next comes the real fun. Drive on to the Objective! Good luck in RIP.

[RTO]

You jumped out of a perfectly good moving aircraft?

Lucky Bastid. I only ever jumped from Air Force planes and Army Helicoptors!

Congratulations Airborne!

Never, never quit.

[Horned Toad]

I know when I was in I got pretty damned tired of always hearing, the next step is harder. To bad it’s very true. RIP will be gut check and then if you’re lucky you get to try and stay at whatever Bat they send you to.

Keep us posted.

[Jim]

You just had your last easy day. Never, never quit!

[Bugsy]

The rumors and stories about RIP are buzzing around like a phalanx of angry hornets. You wouldn't believe half of the stuff you hear. Seventeen out of the 76 guys going to rip tomorrow have already raised their hands telling the black hats that they.....QUIT!!! .

........... Don't let it be you.

We've said it on this board a thousand times, the closer you get to RIP the more bullshit you'll hear and every single excuse known to man on why becoming a Ranger doesn't sound like such a good idea anymore.

Fuck'em, let them QUIT, you just make damn sure it ain't YOU!!!

Good luck stud.

[MORTARWILD]

Black Sadie,

The words you speak ring more true than anything. I am over in Bravo Co. right now. A lot of guys already want to quit RIP, and we are barely going into tower week. Everybody has something to say about how RIP will be, but the truth is none of them no shit, including me. I am just going to hit the wall running and drive on through it. The Rangers came and gave a brief to the Company the other day and told us we will be in RIP hold for 3 weeks to a month because we are just missing the start date that you Alpha guys are going to hit. I don't mind going to hold at all. That is just a little more time for me to push my PT, and book knowledge that much more before I go downrange.

For you soon to be AIRBORNE and DEPs: The PT test is too easy. Don’t let it psyche you out. Don’t believe the rumors that they are cutting people at the end of the line and not passing them because they are overbooked, that is bullshit. If you are going to RIP you should be able to hit 42 pushups straight in about 35 seconds anyway, they will tell you to stop and get back in line. Same thing with Sit Ups, do your 53 in a minute and knock out a few extra as they are telling you to stop. The run; the run is too easy. The track is fast and wavy just like a road run. Run a good line and go around the slow people. You will max the run and not even be breaking a sweat.

[Steadfast]

Congratulations Paratrooper! The hard part is coming. Continue driving on.