Does having a Ranger tab make a difference when being looked at for promotion from O-6 to O-7?

Sir you couldn't be more right. I could have the best leadership skills by that point in my life. But still get looked over by someone else who could have the same ORB as me. But have ranger school and he get selected.

SGT (Join to see) - what I'm saying is no, it just doesn't work that way. The wickets you go through to get to that stage (like excelling at battalion and brigade command) are so demanding and so selective that no tab on your orb is going to mean a thing. It is your performance in the highest responsibility jobs that matter. It's not like you get promotion points as an officer for a ranger tab.

All your energy and effort should be focused on being the best platoon leader you can be. That's what your soldiers deserve. There are so many variables that will determine how far down the road you will end up that it is not worth a second of thought.

The real question you should be asking yourself is will Ranger School help you to be a better platoon leader, and IMO the answer is a resounding yes. So get your 2LT ass to Ranger School because it will make you a better 2LT. It won't make you a general.

Oh no doubt, I set the bar high for myself. I'm in for the long haul. And I want a goal that is out of the way, but yet a small percentage to achieve it.

SGT (Join to see) - I'm sure the Ranger Tab will be nice to have throughout your career, but it certainly won't set you apart as by the time you get to that stage, there will be others you will compete against that will probably have the Tab, too. Instead, focus on assignments and education. Start researching (if you haven't done so already), all current and past GO's and see what kinds of assignments and education they have in common. In regards to assignments, as an example, every Colonel that I ever saw command both the 11th ACR and Landstuhl Regional Medical Center....everyone of them received a Star on their shoulder somewhere down the road.