The joys of RIP Holdover

Jim Jones · Post by **Jim Jones** » August 8th, 2004, 10:55 am

Before you can become a Ranger, you gotta go through RIP, and before you can go through RIP, you gotta deal with RIP holdover. Some would even say hold is worse than RIP, not because it's hard, it's far from hard. Hold is just incredibly boring.
After the RIP hold cadre pick you up from airborne, you get dropped off at your new home for the next month or more, the Ranger Training Detachment barracks. They look almost as bad as the airborne barracks until you get inside. The drywall has holes punched into it in every room, tiles are coming up, the mattresses are slashed, it's just a mess. RIP hold, as of now, lives on the third floor of the second building. They have over one hundred joes on one floor. They've also put all the lockers on one side, and all the beds on the other. So on one side of the hall, you've got 6-8 lockers in every room, and on the otherside, you have 6-10 beds in every room. Good luck finding a free one of either.
When you first arrive, you'll have to take the PT test either the day after you arrive or the monday of next week. It's always changing, so i'm not positive which. It used to be that if you needed to score 70% on the PT test(as well as 6 pull-ups) to make it into the next RIP class. If you scored below 60%, you were kicked to worldwide. If you didn't make 70% after two tests, you went worldwide. The guys that just came in are saying that you now need 80% and 8 pullups to make it into RIP. Worldwide, by the way, is what you're called if you either quit RIP or get dropped from the course. You wait for orders to a unit(usually 82nd or Italy) and pretty much do nothing every single day. Worldwide just goes to formations and chow, and for the rest of the day they sit upstairs doing nothing. It's gotta be depressing, and quite a few of them act like total shitbags.
The usual day in RIP hold goes like this: You wake up at 0500, put all your linen away, shave, etc., then get downstairs in PTs by 0545. The RIP cadre usually don't make an appearance until about 0630, and PT still doesn't start until about 0700. After morning PT, you'll go upstairs, maybe get a shower, and get downstairs in BDUs at about 0820. We'll then get marched to the Ranger Dining Facility, RDF for short. Go in 10 at a time, get one tray, one utensil, one plate and bowl, one scoop eggs, one scoop 'tater tots, one meat, a glass of powerade, shut up, eat up, get the fuck out. That's basically breakfast. You'll get marched back and then get assigned to details for the day. The details vary from either going with a leg sergeant and moving some boxes around a warehouse, to working KP at the RDF, and sometimes going to the field for a week and playing as OpFor for a Ranger company. They can be interesting sometimes, but for the most part, details suck. I'd much rather be in RIP getting smoked than cooking eggs in the RDF. After your detail, the typical release time is 1500. If there's any mail, it'll get handed out, we get any neccesary briefings, then we're released for the day until the usual 2100 recall formation. You might get a free weekend, but a lot of the time it's been a partial lockdown(formations at 0900 and 2100, and you have to sleep in the barracks).
The last RIP class just started with over 200 people, and RIP hold is over 100 with people coming in every week form airborne school. With this many people crowding the place, you've got a much better chance of getting dropped to worldwide if you don't keep your shit straight. One integrity violation or FTR, and you're likely going WW. Just stay on track, deal with the details and make it to formation, and you'll be in RIP in no time.

Earthpig · Post by **Earthpig** » August 8th, 2004, 11:29 am

Jones-
That's a lot of excellent info. I'm sure it will help many of the guys who will be following you. Thanks for giving us the low-down.
RLTW
EP

Ranger2 · Post by **Ranger2** » August 8th, 2004, 11:33 am

In your PM you told me about that asshole RIP instructor who spends all his time on the computer. What did you say his nickname from the RIP holdover's was?

Ranger2

Bell · Post by **Bell** » August 8th, 2004, 1:59 pm

Great SITREP. I wanna see RANGER under your username in a few weeks. Drive on soldier. It's up to you now.

RLTW
Bell

Blacksrt4 · Post by **Blacksrt4** » August 8th, 2004, 2:05 pm

Thanks for the heads up. I was wondering if the PT that you guys do in holdover is like OSUT PT, or is it to the regiment standards?

Jim Jones · Post by **Jim Jones** » August 8th, 2004, 3:22 pm

The PT is a bit tougher than OSUT. it usually flips from pushups-situps-pullups-dips one day to a 4 mile run the next (they can't take us for 5 miles for some reason). They'll make PT last about an hour if they can. After a run you might do sprints or some other leg exercises.

Ranger2 you're gonna have me fearing for my life in RIP. :(

Rock Island Ranger · Post by **Rock Island Ranger** » August 8th, 2004, 3:36 pm

Good sitrep, young man. Theres another gent there by the name of Phillipi, Jon is his first name. Stay away from him....I think some of the RIP Instr. have a target drawn on the boys back.

By the way....all those things you said about that whimp Ranger RIP Instructors are just between us. Id never betray your confidence and the fact that you think RIP is no harder than a....how did you put it..."walk in the park with Gay Park Rangers" is truely inspirational. Anyhow son...best of luck.

Blacksrt4 · Post by **Blacksrt4** » August 8th, 2004, 5:21 pm

I have yet another question, do you have your stuff already issued to you for RIP ( ruck helmet LCE)? So when you have a weekend off or free time you can go on ruck marches or do you get all that stuff once you get picked up for the class?

Bugsy · Post by **Bugsy** » August 8th, 2004, 10:40 pm

Thanks for the SITREP Rippie, I thought it was interesting that they don't make you run after PT exercises "EVERYDAY". Hang in there, stay away from the slugs and remember that you're in the right place.

Jim Jones · Post by **Jim Jones** » August 9th, 2004, 2:33 pm

You'll get all that stuff issued when you start RIP, so if you wanna practice marching beforehand, might wanna get one from ranger rags.

Blacksrt4 · Post by **Blacksrt4** » August 9th, 2004, 3:41 pm

Ok...thanks again!!

Silverback · Post by **Silverback** » August 10th, 2004, 3:14 am

I know you think it sucks but...There are some of us who's RIP class actually lasted 3 months. How about them apples?

Parabellum · Post by **Parabellum** » August 10th, 2004, 8:55 am

You don't like details huh? That's understandable I will make sure that the Holdover Cadre know about your issue and I am sure that they will accomidate you and your fellow classmates.

On another note. Do you know why the barracks are fucked up? Because undisciplined fuck stains can't control themselves without adult supervision.

Oh by the way....THE EGGS THAT YOU HAVE BEEN COOKING TASTE LIKE DOG SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Saltbitch · Post by **Saltbitch** » August 10th, 2004, 9:24 am

Black Skirt wrote:I have yet another question, do you have your stuff already issued to you for RIP ( ruck helmet LCE)? So when you have a weekend off or free time you can go on ruck marches or do you get all that stuff once you get picked up for the class?

Yeah, that's a GREAT idea....

I hope you don't, oh say....roll your ankle and go World-Wide because you thought you'd impress someone.

PT on your own is admirable initiative; just be smart. Hopefully you'll give 100% and then some during PT/smoke sessions and not 'sandbag'.

You turds will have more than you share of real opportunities to fail RIP; don't go adding to the list.