Ranger school

I have two bad spots on my feet. The rear outside of the heel. Only had one pair of boots that never rubbed. Im wearing the oakley's at the moment and they are the best boots I have ever owned. They give me a air bubble in both those spots with a little tenderness but not a bad blister like most.

 

I think I'm showing my age, Army-wise, lol. 10-12 years ago, it seemed like a perfectly fine answer when a private complained about blisters. Problem solved! Lol

Another random pieces of advice, while we are on the road marching subject...make sure you know how to PROPERLY pack your ruck...can make a helluva difference when you get to carrying some serious weight.

 

I was just saying that sounds painful. I was on tanks so I was lucky enough to not have to ruck much. The remedy to the foot issue definitely sounded painful... I like the idea of packing your ruck properly, that would help alot.

 

90% of the Army doesn't know how to pack a ruck anymore, they just toss shit in there and call it good, then the weight of all their stuff goes on their lower back and their done.

I know we were talking about foot remedies, but another thing you can do on rucks to prevent chaffing in this stuff called "glide" put it on before a ruck and your golden.

 

OK, ruck-sack-packing 101:

the down fall of the MOLLE ruck is that they took out the radio pouch of the Alice pack. So, however you go about it, pack the heavy, dense objects(i.e. large radios, ammo cans, etc) up high, and flat against your back. It will help keep from letting the weight pull you down and backwards, ala a stuck turtle. Also, I guess lots of people dont use the nifty devider thing in the ruck...the zippered flap in the middle, inside. Well...use it. Put sleep system, clothes, etc on the bottom, and mission esential crap up top. Both because you need easy access to ammo, batteries, etc, and because they are going to be denser than clothing. You want all the weight as high up as you can...also, adjust your ruck straps(i.e. the "load lifters" if you are using the MOLLE ruck) so the frame, and by product the pads attached to it, sit as high on your torso as you can. Think about how civilian back packs sit way up on the wearers shoulders, sometimes up at the top of their head...its civilian gear, its that way because its more comfortable.

Trust me that there are many different ways to carry the same amount of weight. 100# is not always 100#

As far as Glide, Ive never tried it...Ive always stuck to vasoline, applied to "strategic" areas of ones body, lol. Always worked for me, albeit a little messy, lol.

And as far as people not being able to pack a ruck...dude, privates in basic training(well, OSUT) bring the humor to a whole new level, with crap hanging out of everywhere on long road marches. We teach em, but I think they think we are just talking to hear ourselves talk. Either way, they always have the deer in the headlights look as to why 35-40#(as much as we are allowed to put on their back) feels so heavy, lol.

 

Pretty much how you just said to pack, is exactly how I was taught when I went through RASP. I always heard my DS saying heavy shit on top but never understood it till I got to RASP. Let me tell you, it makes a world of difference too.

When I was stationed at Fort Drum the division standard was the assault pack... Yes I said it, the assault pack. There was no "rucking" it was assault packing lol.

 

Once your feet start getting some nice calluses, be sure to keep them moisturized.

My feet were in pretty good shape going into SFAS and after they were like f-ing bricks. Slowly all that skin has started peeling off because I didn't keep that dead thick callused skin moist enough to stick around. I'd also suggest wearing your shittiest old army issue socks while training up, and then buying all new for RS. Just make sure you wash them once before you go. Definitely helps when you have fresh new socks that really secure your feet in your boots after using those thin crusty old ones. And try different ways of lacing your boots to figure out what works best for keeping your feet from shifting during long movements.

 

RLTW- CLASS 1-81 (the last hard class) 16 yrs until bad PLF broke my back. Good luck

 

I got nothing man, I wasnt born till Dec 81, so class 3-82 or so. Lol. Class 01-00

 

Been There,I had a Troll that kept trying to take the barrel off my 60.

 

That's awesome.
The scientist asked me, as BTL(because I guess its Bravo Team Leader's responsibility to do this), if I had remembered to get the men their formaldehyde. I said "what the fuck are you talking about?!?" He makes this big deal, somehow convincing me that I had comitted a terrible mistake, and that I should go tell the RI, as I had seriously placed people's lives in danger. So I go over, grab the RI by the shoulder, about to tell him I forgot the formaldehyde, and suddenly realize exactly how retarded I am about to sound. After the fact, once we got back, he calls me in and asks me what I was going to tell him, what was so important. I tell him, and he gives me a major plus for having the most idiotic halucination story of the class.

 

how many started/finished in your class. we had 85 grad out of 120 and that included recycles.I talked to RI at Merrill a few years ago an he told me that they were having high number of recycles.Later on I talked to one of the students that was held over an he said that the classes were so large,that you got one shot at PL,he was ROTC and I remember back in the day that the RI's did not like ROTC stundents.Also is it true that they mite let females go thru,they try that years ago with basic and that didn't workout to well. to much forking on fire guard.

 

Holy crap...get ready, here comes the ranting, lol...

Yes, it's true(well, not first hand info, just what I have "heard"/read in Army Times), they are going to let females go through...they have decided to let female officers into IOBC, and since Ranger school is an obvious stepping stone in any Infantry officer's career, it would be unfair to not allow them into Ranger school.

This being said...I wrote a whole novel about my thoughts on the subject, only to realize that an internet forum, a truck forum at that, is probably not the place to openly, publically discuss my thoughts and opinions on the subject. Something a few folks online might want to remember. Ultimately, I have come to this conclusion: since I am still in the Army, I am game for whatever "good idea fairy" type things they come up with...I may or may not re-enlist here shortly. If I dont, have no fear, I will e mail you to tell you what I think about the subject, lol(I guess about 11 bottles of Red stripe have a positive effect of my tact and good sense, surprising, lol)

And lurpranger...honestly, I dont remember how many finished. I wanna say about 250-300 started. I know we dropped a BUNCH the first day, the PT test bullshit that always goes on. I don't remember a whole lot getting dropped latter on. I myself recycled Mountains. I broke my foot. Would love to tell you some awesome story, about how I was repelling down the mountain...nope, busted it coming out of the barracks, completely randomly, as we were heading out to formation, lol. So I sat down and started mock sweeping the ground with my hands, my buddy asked me wtf I was doing...I told him I was scooping up all the cool points I just lost, saving them for later, lol.

By the way, thats funny as shit...about the troll trying to steal your 60 barrel.

 

Well I got my class date today, Im going to Rasp1 first class 003, I figure this might be one of the first rasp school to have woman in it. I dont see them throwing them straight into ranger school w/o going through rasp. If I make I will def be with some woman in there.

 

Ranger Class 12-90..........RLTW

 

Nice! I got my Report date the other day also, 3rd Bn.

 

Wonder where he's at now... been wanting to join the army and ranger school has held my interest.

 

I am pretty sure he is still in RASP....

 

There is no way they will send women to RASP before they send them to Ranger school. I don't think a lot of people understand that Ranger school and RASP are completely separate... Ranger school is for the tab, RASP is for the scroll and the way of life.

Well anyways good luck from a 2/75 Ranger whos been there done that haha

 

My latest understanding is that enlisted men don't go to Ranger School anymore unless they have been to RASP and have served in a Ranger Battalion. In my day you could go to Ranger School straight from any Infantry or Airborne unit that was non-Ranger. The attrition at Ranger School is nevertheless still very high even with soldiers coming exclusively from the Regiment. If you go from a Ranger Bn to Ranger School and wash out, you don't get to go back to a Ranger Bn, ever. You are effectively banned. You can be "scrolled," but you had better also be "tabbed" if you want to make a "life" (career) out of being a Ranger.