I'm at an NCO course right now and there are a few Rangers here. I started talking to them and asked if it was possible for a reservist to head to R school. They said that there are slots open to all MOSs Reserves and Guard. I heard for Ranger school, I have to take a PT test for the Rangers, go to and successfuly pass Pre-Ranger school before I can get accepted into Ranger school. I'm wanting to volunteer for a deployment, but I want to have my rear in the "grass" (even though its sand). I just dont want to sit in a FOB and never leave the wire and upset that I've done nothing but sit on the side lines. I understand that I might be a "shake 'n bake" Ranger if I could get the school and get through it but I'd like come back and have a flying job. Just want to be deployed, but my unit isn't letting me go because we are on home land defense.

With the aviation industry in such chaos, is it good timming trying to get to Ranger school and maybe a deployment in while (if) the industry recovers? If the stuff hits the fan with Iran, I don't want to miss that show.

 

I'm a few years removed from it, but in the past ranger school slots have been available to AD, Guard, Reserves of the army and other services, including the navy.

My guess is that you could get a slot unless your CO C-blocked you for whatever reason.

However...a ranger tab does not mean you will deploy in any capacity other than your current job. They let a variety of folks go to the school to create a pool of tabs, and to enhance army-wide warrior culture.

In order to actually deploy with a ranger battalion, you would have to join one. I don't know of any reserve/guard ranger units, you would have to research that. You could also do ranger school as a reservist, and then if you graduate, try to get a ranger-guaranteed active duty contract.

You would also need to go to jump school to get into the ranger battalions...agin, do it in the reserves to you are not stuck with an AD committment if you fail out.

If you have an aviation job right now, then you would be job (and seniority) protected for reserve training and deployments and even going active duty. The exception would be if there are furloughs, and you would have been furloughed anyway then you will be in a furlough status upon your return from military service.

 

Go for it! Get the tab even if it doesn't help you get in theatre any quicker. I had a Ranger slot but I got an asthma attack in the field before I got to go. I missed Ranger school, and all of the fun in the desert. Take it from a guy who was close, but never got to do it. You'll regret it if you don't! Flying will be here when you get back, and this industry sucks anyways. Go have fun, and learn some cool sh!t. I'd give anything for another shot at Ranger school!

 

I just finished Ranger school and jump school. I haven't flown since September and am lucky that I will start again on Monday. Every day I was in Ranger school I thought to myself, what the eff am I doing. I could be in Hawaii flying alongside my girlfriend.

Anyway, my mom died while I was in pre ranger and my girlfriend left me while I was in mountain phase. I didn't fly for 9 months because of going. But, even after all that, I am glad I did it. I learned a lot about myself. If you get the opportunity you should take it, though like was said earlier it won't help you deploy any faster.

I also learned that going to Ranger school doesn't make you a Ranger in a lot of people's eyes. It is merely a school that makes you Ranger qualified when and if you finish. The real "Rangers" are in Ranger Bns that deploy a few times a year. They are not all Ranger qualified though. Let me know if you have any questions about it. As to your original question, there is never a good time to go to Ranger school. It always sucks. The industry will do what it will do, and you can either take a job now or later. I think the real question is do you want to put everything else on hold for a significant commitment to something totally different than an aviation job. That is a decision I made and I lost a lot of important things, namely a girlfriend and flight time/flying skills that I am now trying to regain. But, in the long term, those things can be recovered. A tab is forever.

Hope that insight helps.

 

Well said.......lots of guys out there wearing the "Ranger Scroll" on their right shoulder who didn't get the "Tab." Hat's off to all that wear the tab and to those Rangers that don't.

Scout