How to Join the Army Rangers

The Army Rangers are elite members of the United States Army.

The Army Rangers are elite members of the United States Army. To become a Ranger you must serve in recognized U.S. Army Ranger units or graduate from the Army's Ranger School. Civilians interested in becoming a Ranger should contact an Army Recruiter.

Instructions

Qualifications

1. Rangers must meet all the basic requirements. You must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident alien, must have a high school diploma or equivalent, and must be 18 or older. You also must pass the Army Physical Fitness Test (AFPT) and be eligible for a Secret Level Security Clearance. A score of 50 or higher on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) AFQT and a General Technical score of 110 or higher is required. Scoring high on the ASVAB is key to being able to join an elite team like the Army Rangers.

2. As a Ranger candidate, you will begin with nine weeks of boot camp where you will complete Basic Training. Once completed, you will attend Advanced Individual Training (AIT) to earn your Military Occupational Specialty (MOS). Your training varies in length depending on the selected MOS.

3. After graduating AIT, you will be sent to Army Airborne School. The Airborne School requires special dedication. Each individual will be challenged mentally and physically. The program consists of three weeks. The first week is Ground Week, an intensive program of instruction, which will build your individual airborne skills that prepare you to make a parachute jump and land safety. Training takes place on a mock door, a 34-foot tower and a lateral drift apparatus. After completing Ground Week, you will move on to Tower Week. This will test your individual skill training and build your team-effort skills. Trainees must qualify on the Swing Lander Trainer, pass all physical training requirements and master the exit procedures from the 34-foot tower. Jump Week is the final week of training and to successfully pass, you must complete five jumps at 1,250 feet from a C-130 or C-141 aircraft. Your final test will be a non-assisted jump. Graduates will receive the Silver Wing for their uniform , will be assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment and attend the Ranger Indoctrination Program (RIP).

4. Immediately after graduation, the Ranger Liason will pick you up to begin the RIP program. This program will determine if you are suitable for service in the Ranger Regiment. It is a four-week program and consists of physical training and preparation for service in the Regiment. Learning the operational procedures, equipment and Regiment standards are required prior to your assignment. To pass RIP you must score 60 percent or higher on the Army Physical Fitness Test, run 5 miles in less than eight minutes per mile, complete the Combat Water Survival Test, complete two of three road marches and score at least 70 percent on all the exams. After completing RIP you officially will be a Ranger and receive an assignment to either headquarters or one of the three battalions.

5. One of the toughest training schools a soldier can volunteer for is Ranger School.

   You will be sent to Ranger School after proving yourself at your Ranger Battalion. The school is a requirement for becoming a Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) in the Rangers. The soldiers will be put through rigorous training to prepare them for the difficult missions that the NCOs will lead them on. Ranger students are trained to exhaustion for more than two months and are pushed to the limits of their minds and bodies.

References

• Military: Army Rangers
• Military: Army Rangers: Training