Intro

[Baseplate]

I just moved from Hattiesburg in June and worked in Purvis

[601reece80]

Ranger baseplate, You are no longer located in this area?

[Baseplate]

Moved to Omaha NE last June but I know for a fact there is a Ranger from 2nd Batt living there

[75rangermom]

Just keep talking to your parents. My son had us sign so he could enlist at 17. I have to say my initial hope was that he'd go to college. But he displayed a desire and knowledge of the military that could not be denied and made it quite clear if we didn't sign, he would just do it when he was 18 anyway. Since he's been in the army, my attitude about college has changed. He's getting an education that just can't be acquired on any campus. Be confident in your decision and present yourself that way. They only want you to check out all your options and desire the best of life for you.

As for the knee, a football season does not equal the daily stressing of army training but probably you will know one way or the other if it's going to be 100% healed. Be prepared when you go to Meps, they are going to want the records from your surgery. If everything is good to go, while you are in the DEPS program, use it! Hopefully you have a great Future Soldiers Sgt who keeps in contact with you and runs you through the pt test over and over and over. Learn your standing orders, your military time, your map reading etc. Read the book they give you, work and prepare. You can get a jump on basic training requirements and by all means listen to the Rangers here. They will push you and push you and push you all to your benefit. Good luck and God bless.

[panthersix]

Welcome Son! I too trashed my knee playing football. I trashed it two years in a row in both my sophomore and junior years. Back then they casted you from hip to big toe for 6 weeks. If I had it to do all over, I'd join the Cross Country team and Wrestle in my Senior Year. HS football is kind of a sham, the permanent damage just isn't worth the "glory".

I dropped out of college to join the Rangers. I had to get an orthopedic consult at Walter Reed because of scar on my right knee. But the surgeon asked me what I wanted to do, I told him Airborne Ranger, then he pulled and stretched and yanked on my knee and then signed off on me going Ranger.

If you want to seriously prepare for the challenge of becoming a Ranger, then consider cross country and wrestling before you graduate. Unless your just a meat head nose guard like me :)

[601reece80]

Ranger panthersix, I am going to continue running cross country. I start back jogging this week. My surgery was in early January. Also, what exactly did you do to your knee? i tore my PCL my sophmore year but kept playing, and then this year I tore my miniscus and my leg was locking up so they had to do surgery.

[601reece80]

75 rangermom, It's the fact that their is a war going on. I would probably be the same way, but I've just gotta show them that this is what I am going to do and will wait until I'm 18 if I have to.

[Kilted Heathen]

I hurt my knee at football too.

OK, so I was a hooligan and it was actually a football riot...but we all play an important part for the team. :D

[JarHedSolja]

I hurt my knee at football too.

OK, so I was a hooligan and it was actually a football riot...but we all play an important part for the team. :D

[panthersix]

Ranger panthersix, I am going to continue running cross country. I start back jogging this week. My surgery was in early January. Also, what exactly did you do to your knee? i tore my PCL my sophmore year but kept playing, and then this year I tore my miniscus and my leg was locking up so they had to do surgery.

Sophomore year, completed destroyed my ACL/MCL, shredded it. Wicked 6" scar!

Junior year, hyper-extended the same knee.

Now 30 years later, I went to VA because my left (good, never been injured) knee was giving me pain during and after running. They had x-rayed both knees and were amazed at the reconstruction job on m right knee and said that it should be written up in some otho journal it was such a work of wonder.

The left knee, old age, suck it up Ranger and drive on.....LOL

[panthersix]

Did I mention that you need to forget the football? Do a sport that builds your body instead of trashing it for life? Did I mention that part?

I have a 12 y/o son that I got into martial arts instead of football. I'm going to try to direct him to cross country and wrestling too.

If you really want to play college football, take your senior year off and work hard at rehab, strengthening. Then walk on at some small university, not Appalachian State, but something like that and you can play college ball. I had a frat brother at Univ of Maryland that was technically on the team, but he was like 4th or 5th string and never, ever got on the field during a game, nor did he ever travel.

When I was at Maryland, I was 2nd string or B team on the Rugby Team! Well, actually 1st string drinking and 2nd playing ;) But I was on the field every saturday till I trashed my ankle! LOL

[601reece80]

Ranger panthersix, I only had too have my PCL replaced. So do you think I should have no problem getting an option 40? Surgery these days is also less invasive then it ever has been so their is less damage done. I have been worrying about my knee keeping me from becoming a ranger so bad! As for not playing football, I am on a scholarship at a private school for football, so I atleast have to act like I'm going to play and go through some practices.

[601reece80]

Ranger panthersix, also how did your knee do during rucking and things of that nature?

[panthersix]

Ranger panthersix, also how did your knee do during rucking and things of that nature?

My knees were fine, but my feet hurt something fierce! We used to wear nothing but Jungle Boots with no type of arch support for PT in addition to rucking and jumping.

I should point out that I did serious rehab on my knee and I spent a lot of time in the gym and hiking. Football was my life at the time. When I went to the Univ of Maryland I thought about "walking on" so I went up to watch a practice. When I saw that some of the guys on the field had numbers on their jerseys that were bigger than I am, well then that's when I moved on with my life without football!

If you're going to play football, then play with all your heart and put a whoopin on the other guys. If you're just standing around with your thumb up your ass you're more likely to get hurt again. In my humble opinion.

[601reece80]

Ranger panthersix, I am a 6'4 240 pound tight end machine lol, but I wanna pursue my dream of the ranger tab alot more than I wanna play for a college and end up having some linebacker come at me from the side and take my knee out again. Did you have any metal hardware put in your leg when they fixed the ligaments? I hear that has a lot to do with if you pass a physical, but they say it'll be OK if the hardware was just put in to help the ligament grow to the bone and that it serves no purpose being in there now.