I graduated from Basic Combat Training a few months ago, then returned to college under a split-opt contract. Fortunately, my experiences in basic training made me realize that I had made a huge mistake by signing up as a part-time pogue and I was afforded the oppurtunity to go active duty and reclassify.
When I returned to MEPS to choose a new MOS, I inferred that I was only interested in combat-related jobs and when the phrase "How about.. AIRBORNE RANGER?" came out of the Liaison's mouth, I felt like I had won the lottery. However, ten minutes later, he recoiled, stating that I was prior service and that he couldn't give me an 18X contract.
I couldn't get an AIRBORNE INFANTRY contract either, but he insured me that I could volunteer for "all of that stuff" later. I thought for a few minutes and remember hearing stories on this website of people failing to meet the standards of land navigation during RIP and I chose the MOS 19D instead, hoping that it might better prepare me for RIP than 11B.
However, I was recently told that it is impossible to serve as a Ranger, unless your MOS is 11B. But that I could still go to RIP as a 19D and become "ranger qualified," which would earn promotion points and status. But I don't want the training as much as I want to serve in a rapidly deployed unit, so that would be some what purpose-feating.
My question is: Is there any possible way for me to serve in a ranger battalion as an 18 series, while my original MOS is 19D? Would it be possible to ride my contract out, then re-enlist as 11B and find some way into RIP at the age of 23 or 24?
Anyhow, I begin 19D OSUT from day 1 again a few days after Christmas and hopefully I'll learn a little more about land navigation than I did last time.
-Mike
PS. To other DEPS, I went through Basic Training at Benning. But it wasn't OSUT. I can answer any questions you might have about BCT in general, but like I said, from what I gather, OSUT is much different. Or at least I hope it is.
