Soldier fights injuries for Ranger School

[Newsman]

Soldier fights injuries for Ranger School

Spc. Nikki St. Amant
Bayonet staff

The tan beret. The scroll. The standards that defy most mortal men. Those are the signatures of a brotherhood earned with sweat and toil and consecrated in blood on the lonely battlefields of the world.

The elite ranks of Army Ranger units are filled with men who were faced with tests of unimaginable proportion and succeeded despite the odds.

Spc. Akili King, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, U.S. Army Infantry Center, has only just begun his battle to become a Ranger against seemingly insurmountable odds, but said beating the odds are nothing new for him.

As an all-state tailback at St. Andrew Episcopal High School in Jackson, Miss., King ran for more than 2,000 yards and, upon graduation, had offers from Southeastern Conference universities like Auburn, Mississippi and Tennessee.

King turned those offers down and accepted an opportunity from West Point in 1992 instead.

"I have a deep respect for the Army and for anyone who does their time for this country," King said. "I wanted to be a part of that."

During his three years at West Point, King set a single-game rushing record of 235 yards against Colgate his freshman year, ran for 883 yards with a six-yards-per-carry average his sophomore year and rushed for 136 yards against Duke his junior year before suffering a hamstring injury against Temple.

After only a week's recovery, King took to the field again and tore his left anterior cruciate ligament.

With his season over because of injury and his enrollment at West Point terminated later that year, King could have let go, but couldn't give up on the chance to return to the field.

With the help of his coaches, King arranged to play for Oregon State University in 1996 and returned to his career on the field. Even with nagging injuries, King was selected as the team's most valuable player in his final year of college competition.

After Sept. 11, 2001, King answered the country's call for service and enlisted into the Army, but found himself frustrated by the attitudes of most of his fellow service members.

"It's the 'me' generation," King said. "Everything in our society is based on making us more comfortable and geared toward comfort instead of getting the mission accomplished."

He said the motivation to join the military shouldn't be based on selfish reasons, like college money or loan repayments. He said it's a volunteer force and people are joining for the wrong reasons.
As a demonstrator for the Land Warrior System, King travels the country epitomizing what tomorrow's Soldier should and will be, but being the Warrior Ethos poster child as the Army moves into a new era isn't enough for the former football star.

He has his sights set on Ranger School, and it is a challenge he is committed to overcoming, he said.
"I came in to be a Ranger," King said. "I won't settle for less. When you get used to being the best, you can't ever accept being mediocre at anything."

That attitude is what will help the infantryman overcome mountainous obstacles to get into the school.

After spending his whole life functioning at peak performance for no more than 100 yards at a time, the 30-year-old must retrain his body for long-distance, endurance-focused runs and cardio challenges in order to score at least 70 percent in all three of the Army Physical Fitness Test events in the 17- to 21-year-old bracket, which is only one of the prerequisites for Ranger School.

King said the hardest part is the mental challenge of forcing his body to keep going and battling recurrent injuries, but he is determined to keep training until he meets the rigorous physical standards demanded by the school.

King's NCOIC, Staff Sgt. Andrew Davis, a Ranger who earned a Bronze Star for valor with the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, in Operation Iraqi Freedom last year, believes King has what it takes to make it in Ranger School.

Davis said King is strictly focused and goal-oriented.

"(King) is strong. He knows what he wants and doesn't stop," said Davis. "He just doesn't quit until he accomplishes what he wants to do."

Determination and personal courage to drive on through the rigors of Ranger School will be key to King's success, and he said he is ready for both the mental and physical challenges of not only the school, but the trials and tribulations that come with the Ranger way of life.

"If it was easy, everyone would do it," King said. "It looks cool, but the reality of it is it's not an easy life. It's hard. Standards don't change for anyone over there (at 75th Ranger Regiment.). I want to exceed the standards. "

King is immersed in a rigorous training regimen in preparation for the Ranger Indoctrination Program and, if all goes well, will be reporting for his personal test of intestinal fortitude in the next few months.

[Steadfast]

Read, GL King

[RRDTm3]

i smoked this fucker a few weeks ago in the 2.5 mile buddy (boots,BDU's, LBE, and weapon) run out here at NGB pre ranger, good guy though!
i was ragging his ass the whole way telling him how he is letting an old man crush his nuts!
he was panting too much to talk back any shit!
i left him in the rear with gear at 1.5 miles
if he gets a chance i hope he gets his shit!

[Looon]

Drive on, King.

[Silverback]

How great would life be if each individual Ranger candidate had his own story of determination written about.

I got one thing to say to this stud.

Belly up and get fucking on with it!