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Army Ranger Training
01-18-2014, 08:21 AM
I found this after seeing the discussion of "Lone Survivor". John Reed has some caustic comments about the danger, pain, and uselessness of Ranger training.
There is a physical test, but the school training is almost entirely a masochism test. Masochism is generally considered to be dumb and rightly so.
most who flunked were arbitrarily flunked just so the Rangers could brag about how hard it was to be a Ranger.
When I went to Ranger School, we were told we were being trained to patrol behind enemy lines.
If there haven’t been any enemy lines since the Korean War in 1953, why are we still training soldiers to patrol behind them?
'Elite' military units: Army Rangers
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Army Ranger Training
01-18-2014, 08:26 AM
Quote: (01-18-2014 08:21 AM)Searcher Wrote:
If there haven’t been any enemy lines since the Korean War in 1953, why are we still training soldiers to patrol behind them?
'Elite' military units: Army Rangers
Damn - that's a poignant thought.
Wald
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Army Ranger Training
01-18-2014, 03:23 PM
I went to Ranger School at the age of 20. In fact I spent my 21st birthday baking on the landing strip in Dugway, Utah waiting to board a C-141 to take us to Ft. Benning to graduate. Frankly I thought the 2 week Ranger Indoctrination Program was much worse. I called it concentrated evil. The Ranger Instructors in the Florida Phase were all crusty. weathered, scary ass Vietnam vets that were in Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol units. The primary thing I learned in RIP, and Ranger School is to keep going. There were times that I wanted to quit, but didn't because I couldn't live with the shame of raising my hand. I saw some glaring weaknesses and strengths in my character there. It didn't make me braver, smarter, or better, but I learned more about myself in the process. And I'm better for it.
"Feminism is a trade union for ugly women"- Peregrine
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Army Ranger Training
01-19-2014, 01:38 PM
I have a lot of respect for Rangers.
When I was on active duty I did a JTF-6 mission with 2nd Marine Recon Battalion (from Lejeune) on the Mexican border in Arizona. We had to monitor and track the movement of suspected drug smugglers coming in from Mexico.
In the beginning I was a bit wary, since there is some antagonism between the Marine Corps and the Army. But the Rangers were great. Calm, cool, psychologically well-centered.
I was one of the intel guys with 2nd Marine Recon Battalion, and we had to work with Ranger units coming from Ft. Huachuca. They were extremely competent, professional, and disciplined. I thought they were fantastic.
My experience with Rangers contrasted greatly with my experience with Navy SEALS. I'm sorry, but I found most of them to be arrogant, overbearing, and not very good at basic patrolling and collection skills. Then again, this was the mid 1990s, so maybe things have changed over the past 15 years.
QC
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Army Ranger Training
01-19-2014, 04:28 PM
^^^
Mike:
Yeah, that's been my experience. My experience with them when I was with 2nd Recon was the same. I know some guys will put that down to interservice rivalry or just competition, but that's not the case.
The SEALS that were with JTF-6 were jokes, when compared with the Rangers. The best way to explain it is that the SEALS are tri-athletes masquerading as soldiers. They'd rather walk around with Oakleys on and talk shit about how bush they are, than actually do the work on the ground. I think they were good during the Vietnam era, but now their PR machine has turned them into false gods.
I blame a lot of that on Dick Marcinko and all his carnival-barking bullshit. His book "Rogue Warrior" in my opinion is one big infomercial for him. I'm not saying every SEAL is bad. I'm just giving my own opinion based on personal experience.
But Rangers were fantastic. I was able to do such good work for JTF-6 because of my Rangers who were assigned to me. They would even draw me amazingly detailed maps, by hand, that Mexicans would make crossing the border. And because they have to get psych evals, they're all level-headed, even-tempered, and strong-willed.
I don't like to give the Army compliments, but I have to say it. I also had a great Army CO when I was in Bosnia on another joint-service op.