I earned my Ranger Tab largely, if not completely, through persistence. My Ranger School journey required 7 phases and a signature from my future Brigade Commander. It took me 175 days to earn my Ranger Tab – half of 2014 – but at the end of September I graduated. Through all of this, and in the time and space I have had to reflect back on it, I learned that graduating Ranger School requires commitment, discipline, and follow through. If I can do it, you can too.  

Commitment

Use the power of your mind to commit yourself 110% to your cause. Ranger School demands singular focus and commitment. If you enter Ranger School harboring ultimatums or doubts, you will see quiting (“Lack of Motivation Drop” – LOM) as acceptable. What are ultimatums? – “I am going to give this one shot, and if I recycle then I am done”. How about excuses? – “I have led in combat, I don’t need my tab”. Or, “there are a lot of great leaders without Ranger Tabs”. While these statements may be true, they don’t serve you in your goal.

Unpredictability is the norm at Ranger School. Sleep, food, weather, your mission, etc. – these are just a few of the things that you usually get on a regular schedule. Now they are out of your control. This state of unpredictability and inability to control your surroundings tests the commitment of even the strongest. This is why committing yourself to graduation above all else is key. I watched numerous BOLC classmates who were absolute studs at West Point and IBOLC simply LOM upon being told they had to recycle. No matter the setback, even if it is a recycle with 3 to 9 weeks added to your Ranger School timetable, commitment will see you through.

Discipline

I am always taken aback by the term, Lack of Motivation (LOM) Drop. Motivation is wholly the wrong word. Motivation won’t see you through. It is trivial and fleeting. Motivation doesn’t last when the excitement fades and gives way to struggle. That is when discipline kicks in. Discipline is what wakes you up on Sunday morning to ruck for 12 miles or time yourself on your 5 mile. It is what makes you do a 15 minute push-up workout every other day after your PT session, because you know you need more work. Discipline is what keeps you focused and pushes you through when motivation waivers. It is the investment you make, both physically and mentally, toward your success.

Physical

Physical Discipline is number one, because Ranger candidates must have the baseline endurance and strength to pass RAP week. Not only that, but physical discipline will help sustain your mental discipline. What habits do you currently have and need to develop to ensure you are in the best physical condition you can be going into Ranger Assessment Program (RAP) Week?  Are you absolutely certain you can redo the pushups if you have to retest? How do you know? Have you tested the scenario? Do 49 in two minutes, rest 10 minutes, and do 49 again. Can your legs hack it if you have to re-test land navigation?

You need to develop the discipline to regularly train to the point of supreme confidence. It Is the paradox of worry. If you are worried about RAP week, you haven’t trained enough. If you are not worried about RAP week, you aren’t taking it seriously and you haven’t trained enough. where you won’t be worried about RAP week.

Mental

Mental Discipline is also key to success. Learn the Ranger Instructor 20 Boards before you ever report to Camp Rogers. Download this publicly available file, print them off into flashcards, laminate, and study. Instead of playing on your phone in your free time, study your flash cards. Study the Patrols section of your Ranger Handbook. Pay the equivalent of 2 beers in downtown Columbus to buy books written by past Ranger Instructors about graduating Ranger School. You studied for everything else in your military career thus far, why on earth would you not study to become Ranger Qualified?

Are you proficient in all your Ranger Technical Training tasks? This is now an elimination/evaluative event. Train for these events as seriously as you will for land nav and the Ranger Physical Fitness Test (RPFT). Take every opportunity to practice on each weapon and piece of equipment. When the condition permits in the field, train and practice to standard. When in garrison, coordinate for training. I would be shocked to find a combat arms, or any MOS for that matter, NCO who would deny someone the opportunity to train on a piece of equipment. 

Now that you’ve done all your prep, it’s time to follow through.

Follow Through

My advice, as someone who has done RAP week twice, is to understand that RAP week is meant to be as mentally exhausting as it is physically. Do not stress that you are getting smoked for the most trivial of things. Do not get angry at your Ranger Buddies because they forgot something on the packing list. Be a good Ranger Buddy yourself, even when your squad messes up the guard shift leading to loss of sleep and some more involuntary PT. This is all part of the plan; blissfully accept it and (internally) thank the RI’s for giving you the opportunity for another workout.  A stoic mindset during the nonsense of RAP week will give you tremendous comfort as compared to getting wrapped around the axle about it.

If you recycle (which statistically most graduates do), enjoy the rest and retraining. Do not worry about lost time or opportunities. Concern yourself only with what you need to do to get your tab. I recycled a total of 3 times on my second attempt at Ranger. In fact, after my second attempt at Mountains, I went to Florida, only to contract Cellulitis in my knee. After 2 days in Eglin hospital, I was given a choice. Return to Ranger School only partially healed (still in agonizing pain) or to wait for 30 days on recycle so I could recover 100%. That voluntary recycle was well worth my tab.

When I finally reinserted into Florida, only to recycle again, those extra 21 days were well worth it too. I watched the Florida bus drive back home to Benning twice. Both times I told myself, “One day, I will sit on that bus on the way to becoming a Ranger, care package in hand”. Regardless of your unit’s schedule (deployment, CTC rotation, etc.), nothing is more important in this moment than earning your tab. Once you graduate, you will have a tremendous sense of pride and accomplishment. But, you will also carry the inherent responsibility that comes with bearing your tab.

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To those about to take their first step into Camp Rogers, whether you are entering from your unit, RASP, BOLC, or straight out of Basic Training, you are all volunteering together for an experience that will undoubtedly make you a better Soldier and Leader for our Army. Commit yourself 110% to the cause, focus on disciplined training, and regardless of how long it takes – follow through. Stick with it until the job is complete. Don’t forget to pack your running shoes – RLTW!