I’m hoping to have a green card in summer 2008 and the only reason I’m getting it is to join the us army(might be swayed to join the marines). I know I can’t become 75th Ranger or Special Forces because as a green card holder I’m not eligible because I can’t get the security clearance needed.
So I was hoping to at least be able to get a contract that gave me the option of going through ranger school.
If you have any other interesting military options for a green card holder feel free to add em.
There’s bound to be somebody much more knowledgeable dropping by, but my first thought is; why would they spend the money to send you to ranger school if you’re not going to be a Ranger? How would that be advantageous to them? The benifits to you would be obvious (you’d get to go to ranger school!), but I can’t imagine it happening. Somebody feel free to correct me.
Understandable in terms of money spent on your training but from what I have read Ranger School isn’t just to get people into the 75th but also a leadership course and trains you in small team combat tactics. So they will send soldiers who command infantry units through it to be better at their job.
I guess I’m just hoping that their need for recruits will cause them to say f*** it and spend a little more on my ass just to get me to join.
P.S. I’m will not be going through there just for kicks, I know(as much as you can know having not gone through it) that I need to be in insane shape and I plan to be extremely fit.
From my limited understanding of US army career progression, Ranger School is more or less a requirement in the career of an infantry officer. As for your chances, I would think that there is some process where the merits of you case are considered. If you do intend to make a career out of it, and otherwise have no issues with physical/mental fitness, I don’t see why not.
I will be going in as an enlisted man and I should have probably touched better on the fact that I want to know if I can get ranger school in my contract when I sign up since I know that if it isn’t in my contract there is a good chance I won’t get it.
One of the reasons I’m not asking about this on some recruiter forum which the military maintains is I just don’t trust those bastards after hearing all the jokes about people coming to get a ranger contract and ending up signing up to become a cook or something like that.
Ranger School is the Army’s premier leadership school. It is open to males in any MOS. The school teaches–among other things–confidence and leadership. So, it is advantageous for the Army to send anyone who can pass it. (Arguably, anyway)
Pudmobile,
There is no Ranger School enlistment contract. There is a “RIP” Contract that allows a person to enlist for Ranger Regiment. Unfortunately, a Secret Clearance is required for that contract.
However, there is no Security Clearance requirement for RANGER SCHOOL. And, despite what you think, there is good chance of you going to Ranger School on your first enlistment. All you have to do is be an outstanding soldier and ask your superiors everyday. Superiors want to send their soldiers to Ranger School. It not only looks good on the soldier, but it looks great on the command. So your command will be more than willing to send you, provided you are maxing your PT test and are otherwise a great soldier. Convince them that you have a desire and that you are capable of passing, and the WILL send you to Ranger School.
What job would you be interested in enlisting for?
Have you talked to a recruiter yet? Before you do, send me an email. It’s in my profile.
Thank you very much for the reply Bear_Nenno, reason I actually posted this here was hoping you would respond since I knew from a few threads that you were pretty knowledgable about the army.
I sort of knew the chances of getting a contract that had ranger school in it but wasn’t a ranger contract since I’m not eligible for one were pretty slim.
I will be going infantry as a mos and was hoping to join the 82nd airborne due to the fact I can’t become a 75th Ranger. I always planned on being able to max the army PT to get the army fitness badge and get through the hardness of Ranger School. I’m in the process of bolting in the walls a bar I can use for pull ups and chin ups .
So you want to go Airborne Infantry? Good choice. Here’s the trick:
DO NOT ENLIST WITH AN AIRBORNE CONTRACT!!
If you say you want to be airborne, your recruiter will talk you into an airborne enlistment contract that sends you straight to airborne school after Basic training.
You will be gaurunteed Airborne School, but after that, your duty assignment goes to needs of the Army and the chances of you randomly going to an actual Airborne unit like 82nd is ZERO. So you’ll report to your Stryker or Bradley infantry unit with some useless wings and five measley jumps.
What you need to do is get CHOICE OF ASSIGNMENT. Enlist specifically for 82nd Airborne. This will guaruntee that after Basic (I call OSUT “Basic”, btw. So when I say Basic, I mean OSUT. OSUT is your infantry basic and AIT rolled into one)
Anyway, make sure it says in writing (I’ll tell you specifically where to look, on what line and on what page of which form-- But I have to look it up guys I dont know off the top of my head. But I will look it up before you go to a recruiter) Anyway, make sure it says 82nd there. And then, once you get to the 82nd, they will immediately send you to Airborne School. So you end up getting your choice of school and assignemtn.
If you enlist for choice of school, that’s all you will get and you will never see an Airborne unit.
Also, you get to go to airborne school on TDY and Return orders instead of TDY Enroute. I’m pretty sure that means more money while you’re there. I am not sure if TDY and Return status actually will pay you TDY Money. I dont know. But anyway, it’s either the same or it’s better, so you can’t lose.
Wow, the info on picking 82nd in the contract instead of getting suckered punched with a airborne and not getting any use out of it is just pure GOLD.
I think I would have probably made that mistake even given the fact I’m extremely on edge on terms of trusting the recruiters, I would have just thought “Hey I got airborne school, no way they would send me elsewhere”.
If everything goes well and I get the green card, I will be enlisting around okt-dec in 2008. Will have my Bs. finished about June that year.
Interesting. I, too, was interested in Ranger School at one point. My brother in law went to ranger school, but since he was a marine he couldn’t wear the badge nor call himself a ranger. But after that he completed Scout/Sniper school in the USMC and since it’s infintismally (sp?) harder (according to him) he didn’t get hung up on the fact.
But he did tell me about the crap they had to do in ranger school. He told me that you had to go in there with a think-only-of-yourself mentality. Everybody else does and they won’t miss a heartbeat to screw you over if it means that they can continue in the course.
Oh, and I don’t know how much you like cold weather, but according to him you do NOT want to be a winter ranger.
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