Posted on May 27, 2022
PFC Motor Transport Operator
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I'm a foreigner who just got Green Card and enlisted this year. My goal is to become an infantry soldier, and I would like to earn that tab as soon as I can. However I'm in National Guard as a 88M Trucker. Is there any chance for people like me to get that Ranger School slot in the first few years? I will start my Basic Training in July, and come back in late November. I plan on doing 2 years of ROTC in January next year.
Does anyone know how to improve the chance of getting Ranger School slot for people like me? I want to wear that tab no later than 3 years from now.

Thank you very much.

Very respectfully yours,
PFC Ran Pan
Edited 2 y ago
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Responses: 9
SFC Retention Operations Nco
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Goddam, I like your goal oriented mindset! Gentlemen like yourself are exactly how foreigners like yourself made America into the American dream.

I will tell you that your chance of going to Ranger School, in the NG, as a non-combat arms person, is almost impossible. If you were combat arms in the NG, or non-combat arms in the Regular Army, that would be a realistic goal. There just are very few, maybe zero, paths to Ranger School as a NG 88M.

You may very well be able to get a chance to go to Ranger School at ROTC if you are at the top of your class. However, you will need to be a citizen first to go to ROTC, because ROTC is a commissioning program and you must be a citizen to be an officer in the US military.

Second, you eill
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1SG Ernest Stull
1SG Ernest Stull
2 y
The issue is not what part of the ARMY he is in but who gets first pick for RANGER school. The NG is just as ARMY as anyone else. The problem is the fact he is not full time. If his unit will pay for him to go to Ranger school, then he may be able to get ahead of the class. His other problem is the down time between Basic and AIT. I am not disagreeing with your assessment of his chances but to say its ZERO is not a fair evaluation, I hope we can agree to disagree. Hoah.
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CSM John Mead
CSM John Mead
2 y
1SG Ernest Stull - I won't question your knowledge on the subject if you have first hand experience. But, having spent time with the combat arms division at DA and also screening applications like the one this soldier mentioned, I'll tell you that it can be quite difficult to get a school seat. It seems officers get a big share of them and then 98% of them don't spend any time in one of the Batts or in a ranger slot within some of the other infantry units having requirements. While the occasional dentist or whatever might make it into a class, those that manage the allocations are very stringent on who gets them. An 11B in a Ranger Batt will get a seat before a 88M in a support role. Simply the nature of the beast. To do otherwise is not prudent and goes against mission requirements. I only wish that they would eliminate the opportunities for 5 jump chumps who simply want a badge or young lieutenants or captains that go to ranger school only because it looks good in their 201. My opinion but I've been there, done that, and got a t-shirt and hate the ticket punchers.
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CSM John Mead
CSM John Mead
2 y
1SG Ernest Stull - Maybe not a ZERO chance, as you say, but I wouldn't bet any money on it. Regardless of 88M's in support units for Ranger Batts, he's NG and that's the major hurdle. No NG command will pay for a school slot with a high washout rate without even having requirements for Ranger qualified truck drivers.
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CSM Thomas Ray
CSM Thomas Ray
>1 y
The only slots for Ranger school that I know of in the NG are in the SF units, 19th or 20 SFG.
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SPC James Neidig
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Welcome to the USA, and Thank You For Doing it the Right Way, as a Former 88m Both NG and Active it can be a great Job, You Will have A Job That Every Combat MOS Depends on , You Will Be Hauling Everything From Food and Water To Ammo and if you get assigned to a HET unit Tanks and Other Wheeled Vehicles, You Could Also Be Driving Wounded and Dead Back To The Rear Area
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CPT Consultant
CPT (Join to see)
2 y
Eeba3f4
Well said! If you can’t truck it...
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SPC James Neidig
SPC James Neidig
2 y
CPT (Join to see) I Love Driving Wheeled Vehicle’s, Everything From a Hummve up to The HET It Gives Me a Sense of Freedom.
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CPT Consultant
CPT (Join to see)
2 y
Eeafac7
SPC James Neidig BTO that! And for sure —> the trucker *can do* mindset = hard to beat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4UScsnxvPw
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SGT Jared Lopez
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I'm pretty sure that your chances are slim, being a mechanic...and not active duty. Those open slots for Ranger School are very few. When I was an 11B E-5 in active duty, it still wasn't a guarantee. Our unit used to only get a handful of openings for the whole Batallion.
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