Guidance needed

[NoPainNoGain]

Rangers,

I will give a summary of my very complicated and tiresome situation. I decided to wait for an 11x opt 40 after researching on this site rather than keeping the 11x opt 4 contract I had settled for. My recruiter lied, pressured, etc. to get me to ship when I told him I wanted to reno or cancel but I refused to report to MEPS to ship. A CSM and 1SG of my recruiting company came to my house the next day and apologized to my mother and I (my aunt, who is a police officer, was in the other room listening as well) and promised that I wouldn't leave without the contract I wanted, to make up for the bad impression given by the way my recruiter acted. We canceled my contract.

I pulled my credit report and found out I had something in collections. The 1SG told me to sign another 11x contract and the opt 40 would be added when I payed the bill and could obtain clearance. I was skeptical of signing the same contract again but he insisted that it would be easier to add the opt 40 to a pre-existing contract and that they could make the phone calls when the time came. The CSM was originally able to add the opt 40 to my contract over the phone from my living room but the shipping date was less than 24 hours away so we did not go that route but I was under the impression that it would happen the same way.

When I finally got proof of paying the bill acceptable to get clearance, I met with a counselor. There were two 11x opt 40s in the system but since I already had the contract that I did not want to begin with I could not reserve one. And for some reason they did not get my reno request approved before I got there even though they knew they needed it a few days before and by the time it went through the slots were gone. So basically, them telling me to sign my current contract which I did not want and laziness in getting the reno approved for that contract prevented me from getting the contract I wanted the whole time. They say I can either keep what I have or cancel again but a few people, including the 1SG and my new recruiter, have mentioned how the Army will be less willing to work with me since this will be my second canceled contract and some recruiters were talking about how I'm "hurting their numbers" as a DEP loss. The 1SG is now basically saying "tough shit, take it or leave it" though he sat in my house and told me and my mother that they would get this for me. He's also tried to feed me the old "no more 11x opt 40s" this fiscal year.

All I want is a guarantee that I'll get the opportunity to show that I have what it takes to serve my country at the highest infantry level possible. I want to be in the Army badly but I specifically want 11x opt 40 and I even gave up the good bonus in my first contract to wait. If they had just let me wait, I would have my contract now waiting to ship but now I have nothing. It's very dissapointing that even those in recruiting of higher rank are not honest or feel any sort of responsibility for theirs words and actions. Some prior service and friends have suggested that I raise hell with some higher ups but I do not really like doing things like that and I'm not sure what that would accomplish besides getting people in trouble.

I am hoping those who have come before me can give me some guidance on what direction I should take in this matter? Is my only choice to suck it up? I've been waiting such a long time already, I almost want to just keep this contract so I don't have to continue going through this but I feel like that would be quitting or even "surrendering". Thanks, Rangers. (sorry for such a long post)

[Bravo57]

Do you want it or not?

[NoPainNoGain]

Yes, I want it, which is why I have waited. But when I asked my current recruiter if he would be willing to help me by checking the system every day he said he wasn't sure if it was up to him because this would be the second time I backed out of a contract. I explained to him the whole situation and he said he was going to make some calls then never called me back. And he's new anyway and claims he doesn't know how to reserve opt 40s. I don't know.

I may have to just go to another recruiting station. Unfortunately I sold my car to pay off that bill and cover my expenses until I shipped. I have enough money to make it for a few months but I'll probably have to borrow money off my mom after that point.

I hope it doesn't sound like I'm whining but this whole situation is just really frustrating. I basically put all my eggs in this basket thinking they would fulfill their promise but instead they just made my situation worse. I should have a contract with an August ship date right now. I guess this just supports why I wanted it in writing in the first place.

[Dan B 3/75]

It is my opinion that if you want the guaranteed OPPORTUNITY to be an Airborne Ranger, than you need to sign a contract guaranteeing you the chance to be an Airborne Ranger.

Can you get that opportunity without a contract?

Maybe.

Maybe not.

If you want it, demand it while you can.

You better be worth it, as there are plenty of lads who DON'T get a Ranger contract that are worth it.

[Ranger Ron]

Ranger Dan B 3/75 have pretty much covered it. Not much else to say to you until you make up your mind as to how badly you want to be an Army Ranger.

[NoPainNoGain]

Thank you for your input Rangers.

I'm sorry if I gave the impression that I do not want this badly. I do. Which is why I have waited thus far and I am in the process of canceling another contract to wait some more. I said I "almost" feel like giving in and shipping with this contract in frustration but to me that would be surrender, which as the creed says is not a part of a Ranger's vocabulary. I have seen it said enough times here to know that I should never quit!

I was asking for guidance not in whether I should continue to wait, rather with what steps I should take to ensure that my wait leads to the realization of an 11x opt 40 contract. I missed the slots that were in the system at MEPS because of the misguidance and incompetence of my current recruiting station and now several people have mentioned that they may basically start blackballing me.

Should I just go to another recruiting station? Would it be possible to speak with a recruiter not associated with this 1SG over the phone and have him reserve the spot and have it waiting for me at the MEPS for my area? Or would I have to actually be able to travel to that recruiting station? I sold my car and the closest MEPS is nearly a 2 hour drive so it limits my options. I know there are recruiters who specialize in SF recruiting...is there something similar for Rangers?

In regards to whether I am worth it, I already exceed the minimum RASP qualifications physically and scored a 97 QT on my ASVAB. I run and do PT 5 times a week, pushing myself to improve, especially with my runs. I hope to get my 5 mile below 30 minutes in the coming months. My ultimate goal is 25 minutes. Once I get the opportunity, I am too stubborn and prideful to quit. This whole fiasco will only motivate me more to prove everyone wrong.

[NoPainNoGain]

You are absolutely right Ranger JLTW. I need to make it happen.

Now that it seems certain that I am being blackballed by this station, I am in the process of finding a new recruiter. I have an uncle who lives in Massachusetts and it has been suggested that I try finding a recruiter there because the influx of new recruits is not quite as high. I am doing some research right now about how exactly the process of using an out-of-state recruiter would work and looking into possible travel arrangements/lodging, were they able to make a reservation, before I contact the Boston recruiting company directly. I would probably just take a Greyhound bus.

[Jim]

No need to reply, it was rhetorical...

Attention to detail, please.