Training to be a Ranger

[Ryno78]

Hello Rangers,

Something I have been wondering recently and have been unable to find an answer to, is if you get an option 40 contract, you go to Basic, AIT, and Airborne school, then you go to RASP which is 8 weeks total. Then you are sent to serve in the regiment. So my question is, is why does it only take 2 months to become a Ranger? What kind of training do you go through once your in the regiment that seperates it from regular infantry continued training? I'm just confused because all other Special Operators such as Special Forces, PJ's and SEALs go through a year or more of training before they are Special Operators. Thanks in advance Rangers.

[Dan B 3/75]

The Ranger Regiment is unique in that the selection process is geared toward identifying individuals that possess the characteristics needed to learn specialized skills within the unit, and through external training opportunities. Other SOF organizations require ALL members to be trained in specific special skills and insertion and extraction techniques that are often specialties withing the Ranger Regiment.

Other SOF elements have a wider range of mission requirements, which in turn, require a greater degree of individual specialization, hence, a greater degree of individual training during their selection / initial training phases.

The Ranger Regiment has a much narrower and specific mission set, which requires a larger element to execute, and allows for the inclusion of initial term soldiers within the ranks. Unlike ANY other SOF element, key leadership positions within the Ranger Regiment REQUIRE the individual leader to be a graduate of Ranger school, down to the SGT / E-5 level. While the successful completion of Ranger school marks the beginning of leadership for the graduate, it goes a long way in establishing the skill set of an effective leader.

While the selection process for the Ranger Regiment may not be as long as other SOF elements, Ranger Privates are in a constant state of "selection" in order to earn a Ranger school slot, and upon successful completion of Ranger school, they are afforded the opportunity to attend further formalized training within the SOF "school house".

While the Ranger Regiment may have a narrower mission set than other SOF elements, this allows the Regiment to concentrate on, and gain exceptional skill, at the mission set they are designed to execute. There is no other SOF element that can bring the numbers, with the skill level, to bear upon the enemy as the Ranger Regiment.

[K.Ingraham]

Don't let them fool you. Make sure you compare apples to apples. SEAL & PJ training is much longer when compared to RASP because the sailors and airmen have to spend a lot of time learning what soldiers learn from day one; basic weapons handling, simple tactics and a myriad of other skills that are very basic to soldiers and Rangers - or Marines - but are not of any use in big grey floating boxes or on flightlines.
Ranger training, if taken in total, can be said to run a year as well. You spend up to a year on "OJT" in your platoon after RASP before you go to the next required school, Ranger school.

[panthersix]

OJT time is dependent upon if you get your tab and when you make speedy 4......some are still on OJT....lol....

[Steadfast]

I myself am on OJT, it never ends.

[whocares175]

take into account basic/ait (we'll do infantry for example 14 weeks), jump school 3 weeks, RIP 8 weeks now, so far we're at 25 weeks for training. and that's for an mos with a relatively short training period unlike medic which is 6 months for ait alone (not counting the additional requirement of socm which is an additional 6 months). a lot of the other skills needed in Regiment are executed so often the only people there who cant be considered subject matter experts are the new privates. on top of the initial training you have the probationary period which last i checked was officially 6 months (meaning you can get relieved for pretty much any reason within those 6 months) plus you have to attend and successfully pass Ranger School. all in all this adds up to approximately 57 weeks of training for a soldier to be fully vetted into the Ranger Regiment. dont think for a minute that because a good chunk of the "training" is done in house that it's of less quality, it's quite the opposite. the training a Ranger receives is far beyond what most other soldiers, even ones in other branches of Special Operations, will receive. here's a perfect example, after spending almost 3 years in Regt when i came here to the qcourse, SUT (small unit tactics) was easy for me because i already knew everything we were doing from not only Ranger School but doing it in real world operations. another thing to consider is that a good chunk of the training other units go through are schools such as halo, scuba, that particular branch of service's equivalent for infantry/small unit tactics training, etc. the bulk of their training process isn't on their actual job but knocking out schools geared around their job.

[Capellanus]

Just graduated RASP II. I am impressed with the product we are getting in our RASP I kids. They are simply the best the Army has to offer. Most of these are new Soldiers entering the Army and they go through an extensive amount of marksmanship trrainning during Phase II. SF and other Tear elements are recruiting from within the ranks and are getting a more experienced Soldier, however, the Ranger Regiment is the premiere organization that grooms, mentors and feeds all other organizations. Remmeber Abrams' Charter.