Being a ranger in the Army...what does that mean?

Question

My husband has an opportunity to go to "Ranger school" and I have absolutely NO idea what being a ranger means. Will his MOS change? Will we get a new duty station? Will we get to CHOOSE our own duty station?? Oh! - and what are some Pros & Cons of being a ranger??

It's a lot of questions...but I'm new at being an "army wife" and as you can see, I'm clueless. lol

Answer 1

His MOS should not change, and he should report back to his duty station on successfully completing ranger school. He is being sent to ranger School as a leadership course, and he would become more proficient at his job when he completes the course. It gives him more promotion points and offers him an advantage whenever he is up for a promotion. Also, he will earn the right to wear the 'ranger tab' on his uniform and would be regarded as 'ranger qualified'. Now, ranger school is extremely challenging and .....well I'll let your husband tell you the horror stories when he gets back LOL. best wishes.

Answer 2

The rangers are a Special Ops group for the Army. Some say Ranger school out of all the military training takes the most toll outta your body.

Answer 3

A ranger is a special version of the infantry .one of the cons is that hes not with many people during that period so the chances of being injured and not making it out alive increase greatly

Answer 4

The U.S. Army Ranger motto says it all:

"Rangers lead the way!"

Answer 5

Being a Ranger is being one of the best. I thought that Ranger School was tougher than the Selection and the Q course for SF. I was with the 75th when they were only recognized back in the states as the training company for Rangers at Fort Benning. Basically, the Ranger training developed and enhances your skills in the Army. The biggest Ranger op I was ever involved in was with 11 other individuals. I disagree with the person who says that your chances of survival are slim if you're with the Rangers.  True, most operations involving ranger teams are most definitely hazardous but your chances of survival are 98% greater. Why? You are better trained than the average infantryman. You usually work in small teams so you are less noticed and your knowledge on the art of camouflage is excellent. Being in a team means that you can move quieter than any unit such as a regular infantry company. Your support ( artillery, ARA, tac air) is reserved for your team. Your communications are better. The ideal ranger op is to go in quiet, stay quiet while you recon your A.O. and then with a safe extraction PZ close by raise h**l, capture or kill any enemy you come upon and extract to safety with ALL of your team. Your land navigation skills are excellent and probably most important you are trained to specifically stay alive in all sorts of situations. Career wise: It enhances your promotion chances. The down side, you may be killed, maimed, or wounded while on a mission. But think about it...... that can happened (and more often here  in the USA than you can imagine) by climbing into your car, jogging down a road, being murdered in your own house, or any other act of violence that occurs in this country. ( By the way, more people in this country die a violent death each year than do all of the serviceman presently overseas. The only reason no one thinks about that is that the media doesn't report weekly on "How many people died a violent death this week in New York, California, or any where else in the United States."  Believe me, I'm not saying being a U.S. Army Ranger is all honey and roses It is mainly vinegar and ragweed and involves total dedication from your mind, spirt, and body. I'm sure that if your husband even passes the initial few weeks of the course (there are A LOT OF PEOPLE ELIMINATED in this course for various reasons) he will do just fine. I loved it, still do and it taught me that there is NOTHING you can't do, obtain, overcome in any of life's many choices, challenges, and objectives. Personally, I would rather be with the Rangers right now than this d**n civilian world. Retirement sucks! Good luck to you and your husband. The rest of your question is really up to the Army's needs.