I got 25P w/ Option 40 in my contract. Leaving for basic in January 2020. What are some tips I should apply throughout BCT, AIT, and RASP?

Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 05 Dec 2019 20:35:18 -0500

I know that I should just focus on one task at a time but I want to avoid any pitfalls and maximize every opportunity in front of me. Being 28 years old, I'm thinking long term and want to make the most out of every opportunity because I don't have much room for error at this point. I don’t want to treat my time in the Army the way I treated college. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into and I ended up with a bunch of student loan debt and a degree with not too many good paying job prospects.

Frankly, the Army is gonna get theirs so I want to get mine as well. My goal is to get deployments with the Ranger Regiment, earn IT certifications, and eventually transition to the civilian world into a well paying job in cybersecurity. I’m pretty sure 25 series have the opportunity to get certain IT certifications but I’m not sure about deployments. Is this realistic? Can any of you 25 series guys give me a framework I should follow throughout BCT, AIT, and RASP in order to make the most of this experience? Your tips would be greatly appreciated.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 5 at 2019 8:51 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 05 Dec 2019 20:51:00 -0500

If you're 28 then there's no advice you need to pass BCT and AIT. Frankly, they are easy and meant to be passed by 18 year old kids who spent their adolescent years playing video games. If you find them difficult, you won't make it through RASP. Concentrate on what you need to do to pass RASP, namely get in the beat shape of your life. Take all the spare time you can in IET to hit the gym, run, and ruck. Even then your chance of passing is still very low. Expect to lose two thirds of your RASP class at least.
As for IT certs, 25P isn't an IT job. Not that you can't get them, but it's a communication system like a satellite dish is. You work on that portion and maintain it, you're not the one who runs the internal part of the network.

Response by SPC Stewart Smith made Dec 5 at 2019 8:56 PM

SPC Stewart Smith — Thu, 05 Dec 2019 20:56:51 -0500

Start working out now. Do plenty of cardio. You're not going to get much sleep.
I went through basic in 2004. It was the second easiest part of the army. First easiest was AIT.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 5 at 2019 9:45 PM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 05 Dec 2019 21:45:48 -0500

As a 25P you will be able to get IT certs, well any 25 series. Once you arrived to Fort Gordon for AIT reach out to the Ranger Liason SFC P has a great RASP mentorship program and PT program for Option 40s and RASP volunteers. You have a 33% chance of making it, so PT and Ruck a lot during your spare time.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 5 at 2019 9:57 PM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 05 Dec 2019 21:57:02 -0500

I am a 25P, that had an Option 40 contract. Dropped my contract when I was in AIT because after getting a taste of the military life, I realized that I was not cut out for that extra hooah hooah lifestyle. As well as wanted to spend more time with the wife. I have no regrets with deciding it wasn’t for me, but definitely wish you the best of luck!

There isn’t really anything that you must do to prepare for BCT/AIT, although there are things that can make your life easier. We can use myself as an example. My first APFT, I scored something like 11 pushups, 17 situps, and like a ~24 minute two mile. I walked out of BCT passing all three events, with only a week setback as I was sent to FTC aka fat camp (So spent 11 weeks as opposed to ten at BCT). Lost 71 pounds while at BCT as well. Did not know the enlisted rank structure, nor really anything else. And I still graduated, meeting all the requirements.

BCT/AIT is designed with the crawl/walk/run method and you will be taught everything you need to move onto the next event. All you have to do is put in that 1% work, and the Army will get you the rest of the way. The only way to fail is to quit. Like the other comments stated, BCT/AIT are going to be the easiest parts of the Army.

The things that can make your life easier in BCT is to be passing on your APFT before you go (it might be the ACFT in basic now, I am not sure which one they are doing). Knowing your Soldiers Creed, Army Song, Rank Structure, Army Values are all things that will make your life easier, but not required.

AIT is much the same as BCT. They don’t expect you to know anything, that is why they are training you. Everything is taught with the assumption that there is no prior knowledge. Day one of Papa training, we literally had a power-point presentation on how to turn on a computer. That’s how much they expect out of you right out the gate.

Things that you can study while at AIT is the SEC+ CompTIA Cert. There were a few A+, NET+ and SEC+ vouchers floating around, and if you show drive and motivation you might be able to scoop them up and get a cert or two while at AIT. SEC+ would be the most beneficial out in the civilian sector if you want to do Cyber Security, as well as it’s the cert that your unit will want you to get first. So I’d focus on SEC+.

Lastly, RASP. I have really no knowledge or authority to speak on about RASP, or anything afterwards if you pass RASP. But I’ll try to share what advice was given to me. The best recommendation would be to look up the PT standard for those in the 75th, and make sure that you are blowing it out of the water. Make sure you spend extra time learning land nav while at BCT, as I have heard that is a big thing that gets people at RASP. Get your feet very prepared for rucking long distances. Look up what weight requirements the rucks are and practice with 5-10 pounds more. The standard pace is a 15 minute pace for 12 miles. So I am sure that Rangers will spice that up and have higher standards than normal.
Make sure you have all your ducks in a row back home. Meaning that your family is all squared away, and able to access critical information like tax documents and the like (my wife couldn’t apply for fafsa while I was at BCT because she didn’t have power of attorney to access my tax info, which sucked a little for her as her plan was to knock out a semester of college while I was at BCT.) This will help keep you focused fully on RASP, instead of worrying about what problems the family might be facing back at home.
My wife had broken her leg a week before I left for basic, and the day I got to basic my wife was going into surgery where the doctor said there was a 2% chance of losing her foot. So pretty much guaranteed that she was going to be okay, but that shit was all I could think about until I got my first call home at the end of red phase, and it was the thing that kept making me almost quit as I wanted to be home taking care of her. So if there is marital problems, financial problems, or whatever the case might be, get it taken care of before you leave for RASP so as not to add more stress on something that is already going to be very physically and mentally tough.
Not to add pressure, but the Instructors at the School House had told us that there hadn't been a 25P from AIT that had made it through RASP in 3 years. AIT is more learning, and so if you don't spend your free time working out, you will probably not be good enough shape for RASP. I knew 8 (9 if you count me dropping before even leaving AIT) people while at AIT that went to RASP, and none were successful in passing.

Through BCT/AIT/RASP just know that everything is a mental game. Just remember that every smoke session ends at some point, that every day will end, every run/ruck has a finish point. And you should be fine.

For the 25P itself, as of last month, we will be merging with the 25S next October. Like SFC Boyd said, we deal with microwave systems and not networking. 25S deal with Satellite systems. Although I have done some networking for an exercise that I was on. But we don't really do anything that will transfer over to cyber all that well. It really just depends on the unit and your mission. Some Papa’s do paperwork at S1, some Papa’s do 25L work (we are short on Limas in my unit, and so two Papa’s are helping plug in gaps.) Our instructors at AIT all had different experiences from each other, and no two ever did the same job.

You can do what I am doing, and that is taking online classes to get my B.A. in cyber security while I am over here in Korea. As well as working on my SEC+ cert. I will be starting my packet for 17C soon. As realistically, that (or 25D) is the M.O.S. you want to be if you want to do Cyber Security after the Army.

Hopefully that wasn’t too confusing or rambling. If there is only one take away from this. Do more P.T. then you are already doing.

Response by SSG Mike Straub made Dec 5 at 2019 11:52 PM

SSG Mike Straub — Thu, 05 Dec 2019 23:52:37 -0500

Unless you already signed up for any of the following, and that's in your contract too, be sure, that you don't sign up for Airborne, Ranger, or Special Forces, unless they allow u to keep the mos you chose when u enlisted. if u sign up for any of the aforementioned, they usually void your contract!

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 8 at 2019 1:52 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 08 Dec 2019 01:52:47 -0500

Contact me direct through text [login to see] , I went to Ranger School three times and can give you great tips on how to be a Successful Future Ranger. I was also a Recruiter in the Army, a Drill Sergeant and am now a Heavy Weapons Company 1SG.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 8 at 2019 1:54 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 08 Dec 2019 01:54:54 -0500

Contact me directly through text, [login to see] , I was a prior Recruiter, Drill Sergeant, am an Airborne Ranger and made 1SG within 15 years.

Response by SPC Michael Dehn made Dec 13 at 2019 11:39 AM

SPC Michael Dehn — Fri, 13 Dec 2019 11:39:43 -0500

Take any schooling that is offered. Build your portfolio.

As a civilian, you should join a gym and do plenty of road work.

I went in after high school and was still in good shape from running track.

Get yourself a smart book if they are still around. Ask your recruiter for one. Memories your general orders and ranks.

But mostly, get in shape.