How To Become An Army Ranger
With two wars going on and the ever presence of another terrorist attack on our soil, more and more young men are deciding to join the Armed Forces. For those joining the U.S. Army, they may decided to further their career by joining one of the specialized branches. In case you’re thinking you might like to join and you’re trying to learn how to become a Army Ranger, read on. I’ll point you in the right direction.
First off, learning how to become an Army Ranger has several paths.. Probably the best way for the average un-enlisted young man is to march down to the Army Recruiters office and sign up under the Army Ranger Contract. The contract ensures your spot at Airborne School and assignment to the 75th Ranger Regiment to attend the Ranger Indoctrination Program.
The requirements of this program are; you must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident alien (whatever that is!), be 18 years or older, have a High School diploma or GED, pass the Army physical fitness program, be eligible to pass a secret level security clearance, score a 50 or better on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) and have a GT score of 110 or better.
For all you out there who think you just do as little as possible to pass the ASVAB, let me tell you something. If you want more choices, and better ones, along with bonuses and preferred treatment in getting into other areas of the U.S. Army, then you need a high you score on your ASVAB. This will open all those doors, including the door to becoming an Army Ranger or other Special Forces.
Army Ranger Training
As a Ranger trainee, you’ll undergo 9 weeks of Boot Camp and then Advanced Infantry Training for your MOS. AFT training time varies depending up on what your MOS is.
After graduating Advanced Infantry Training, you’ll continue at Army Airborne School and then on to the Ranger Indoctrination Program in Fort Benning Georgia.
Airborne School is broken down into three weeks. You’ll have the Tower week, Jump week and Ground week. Each week presents its own set of challenging obstacles.
Should you actually make it through Airborne training, you’ll quickly be whisked away to the Ranger Indoctrination Program which lasts for four weeks. Here, you’ll undergo these and types of training.
Daily Physical Training – Ranger History test – Map Reading – Airborne Operation – Ranger Standards -Day and night land navigation – 5-mile run – Combat – Knots – Combat Water Survival Test (to become a Ranger, you must pass this test by swimming at least 15 meters in BDU’s, Boots and other gear) – 6, 8 and 10-mile road marches – Fast Rope Training – Combat Lifesaver certification
To qualify for the 75th Ranger Regiment, you must also make at least 80% on the Army Physical Fitness Test and complete a 5 mile run. But that’s not all, you have to run these miles in 8 minutes or less! As if that wasn’t enough, you’ll also have to complete at least one march of 12 miles long in 3 hours or less and a score of at least 70 on all exams.
Once you’ve completed these requirements, and only then, will you be considered a Ranger. After that you can attend Ranger School. This is one of the toughest training regiments on the U.S. Army and many don’t make it. Attendance of the Ranger School is mandatory for anyone wishing to be an NCO in the Rangers. Now that you know what it takes to become a Ranger, are you up for the task?
