INTRO- AK907

[Alaska907]

First my name is SGT.J. 21 yrs old, married with a beautiful daughter. Joined July 2005 as a 13p. My first assignment was to Bravo Battery 3/27 (HIMARS). Which is the new MLRS weapon system, which my battalion had fielded. Deployed with Bravo early 2006, I can't be specific due to OPSEC but I can say that I had worked in very close proximity with Rangers. I had several opportunities to witness Rangers in action and as a PV2 Rangers had seemed like celebrities to me. I was very disappointed with myself in the fact that I was deployed and supported soldiers of this caliber but I had to remain on the FOB the entire duration. But with that we redeployed back home and all I had to show for it was chunks from the missile pod of a ATACMS mission I had the privilege to be FDC for.

Returned to Bragg and decided that I wanted to change jobs and become a Ranger. Retention wasn't backing me up very well. There was no 11B or 13F slot, or they were just too lazy to help. But at that point I needed to reclass being that I was the most experienced Fire Direction AFATDS operator at the time and they stuck me in the office and made me the Commanders driver. So I returned to retention to see what they DID have open. 15T (Blackhawk maintainer) was what I chose because I figured I might be able to get into a Flight Company and actually crew aboard the aircraft.

Finished AIT for 15T and reported back to Bragg but transferred to 2/82(Assault), 82nd CAB. I was on Rear D but the Battalion was redeploying in only another month so I stayed at Bragg. After they return almost ever bit of experience either PCS's or ETS's so I was sent to the E5 Promotion Board in May 08 and was promoted in July 08. So now I'm a 20 year old Sergeant with absolutely no technical experience in my current MOS but I do my best.

Fast forward to present time. I've been deployed since April (09). My squad and I are the Maintenance support team for UH-60's in Tarin Kowt, Afghanistan. And I've never been so bored and fed up with pretension in my entire life. Because me and my squad are the UH-60 guys in an Apache Task Force we are treated like second rate soldiers. So now I'm looking back and regretting the fact that I should have just gotten what I had really wanted at Retention the first time. I should never have "settled" but instead held out for an 11B/13F with ABN/RIP while I was still only a Specialist.

So my question is this: As a Sergeant having already reclassed from 13P to 15T who will be reclassing regardless, have you ever seen a Sergeant reclass to 11B and go to RIP? And after RIP did that individual remain in Battalion? But I be honest up front, if I can reclass to 11B and attend RIP, graduate only to be removed from the battalion for not being up to speed I'll will still be satisfied with having earned and worn the Tan Beret and Scroll for that short amount of time.

Any opinions or comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[RANGER513]

Welcome to the site and thank you for your service.

Back in my day ( which was a while ago ) Sergeants did not go to RIP, they went to what was then called ROP. Not sure how the NCO system works today but it would seem to me that you have come to the right place to get your questions answered and hopefully earn a slot in Ranger Battalion.

There are a few on here that can assist you and I'm sure they will be along shortly.

If you truely want a posistion in a Ranger Battalion, then I offer two words that embody the Ranger Spirt......

NEVER QUIT !!!


RLTW

[KW Driver]

when you went 15T, how many years did you have to sign for? I ask because I'm having trouble understanding how you can eligible for a re-class yet. not saying it can't happen, but you shouldn't even be close to completing your ADSO.

[Alaska907]

I reenlisted for 3 years and I'm in my 2 year window. The reclass has already been okay'd because I didn't receive a bonus.

[K.Ingraham]

Meanwhile try to be part of everything "infantryish" that you can glom on to. If the 82d or Corps still run local "mini-ranger" courses like the Recondo of old, or see if you can do pre-Ranger. Since you're in aviation, politic a Pathfinder slot.
Build up your calluses and max your PT.

[Alaska907]

Working a deal to get into our LRSC while we're deployed would be damn near impossible. However the flight company I'm supporting with has been saying they want to take me but I still need to complete a flight physical and that would have to take me up to Bagram. If I get to be a crew chief while we're out here it will at least put me behind a '240 and I get to do Air Assaults.