Tag Archives: Ranger School

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Ranger is not a Leadership School

An Education in Self Discovery

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Junior Army Leaders considering going to Ranger School expecting to be taught how to be better leaders ought to know something: Ranger School is NOT a place the Army will formally instruct them in new ways to be a better leader.  That may be surprising to many, but factually, Ranger School never introduces any new, advanced troop-leading methods.  The Ranger Handbook I carried in 1982 isn’t very different from one my father carried in 1958, or that carried by Ranger students today.  Almost every task Ranger Students perform should already be familiar to them.

Ranger School Candidates conduct combatives training
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Commitment, Discipline, & Follow Through

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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.  

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The Fourth Phase of Ranger School

The Social Aspect of Leadership

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It’s not the Desert Phase at Dugway Proving Ground; at least, it’s not anymore. The “Fourth Phase” of Ranger School is an abstract construct that transcends geographic location. It is continuous. For some, it starts when they first arrive. For others, it started well before, while attending Pre-Ranger. It is going on during RAP Week, as you shiver your way out of Victory Pond or break ice into Malvesti. The phase is well underway as you traverse the Darby Queen Obstacle Course. It is providing the most significant impacts on your overall success as you side-slope your way “one more hill, one more “click” through the mountains of Dahlonega, GA. Success in the Fourth Phase will see you through The Weaver in the swamps of Florida. If you make it to Graduation Day, it will have determined whether you are standing there alone in success or standing beside your peers in a team triumph. What is this Fourth Phase?