Posted on Jan 18, 2015
What is the difference between Marine Corps Boot Camp and Ranger School?
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From what I have been reading on posts about Ranger School, it sounds equivalent to Marine Corps Boot Camp. Can any prior Marines that have been to Ranger School explain the difference?
Ranger
Boot Camp
Ranger School
Posted 11 y ago
Responses: 16
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I haven't been to the other, but from what I've been told, there is a lot more patrolling and tactical thought in Ranger school than in USMC boot camp. The more tactical side of Marine training comes later in SOI or MCT.
The comparison I always heard was between Ranger School and Infantry Officers' Course: loads of field time, tons of hiking, field authority (for training) matters over rank, lots of patrolling, limited food and sleep and it pays to be a winner.
The comparison I always heard was between Ranger School and Infantry Officers' Course: loads of field time, tons of hiking, field authority (for training) matters over rank, lots of patrolling, limited food and sleep and it pays to be a winner.
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This is a very random question. So what is the difference between flying a jet and race car?
Now I have completed Ranger school. We had several Marines at the start. Only one made it. So the Marines select only the best to go, from their Recon elements. Ranger is an advanced school. You are graded on leadership. If you don't pass your patrols you fail out. In Marine Boot Camp it isn't that demanding. The Rangers are experts in small unit tactics and are the best of the combat arms in the Army. Boot camp is just the initial school for Marines.
It may be as challenging for a new marine to complete Boot as it is a experienced soldier to complete Ranger but the graduation rates don't add up. Ranger has a much lower graduation. The ones that fail out of Ranger are among the best of their units also.
Now I have completed Ranger school. We had several Marines at the start. Only one made it. So the Marines select only the best to go, from their Recon elements. Ranger is an advanced school. You are graded on leadership. If you don't pass your patrols you fail out. In Marine Boot Camp it isn't that demanding. The Rangers are experts in small unit tactics and are the best of the combat arms in the Army. Boot camp is just the initial school for Marines.
It may be as challenging for a new marine to complete Boot as it is a experienced soldier to complete Ranger but the graduation rates don't add up. Ranger has a much lower graduation. The ones that fail out of Ranger are among the best of their units also.
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SMSgt (Join to see)
Since I have not been through Marine Boot Camp, I have no real basis for comparison, however, I will venture to say that at least 50% of those who finished Marine Boot Camp would not successfully complete Ranger School. It is really comparing apples and oranges.
As others have stated, I have known many Marines, Navy Seals and others who have completed Ranger School and would verify that it is somewhat akin to Seal training with all the stress, sleep and food deprivations, constant pressure, etc. etc. Although it may be blasphemy in some circles to say so, I believe that Seal training is the only training that is more difficult than Ranger School and I think most people will agree with me. I don't believe any Marine would equate Marine Boot Camp with Seal training, nor should they with Ranger School.
Since I have not been through Marine Boot Camp, I have no real basis for comparison, however, I will venture to say that at least 50% of those who finished Marine Boot Camp would not successfully complete Ranger School. It is really comparing apples and oranges.
As others have stated, I have known many Marines, Navy Seals and others who have completed Ranger School and would verify that it is somewhat akin to Seal training with all the stress, sleep and food deprivations, constant pressure, etc. etc. Although it may be blasphemy in some circles to say so, I believe that Seal training is the only training that is more difficult than Ranger School and I think most people will agree with me. I don't believe any Marine would equate Marine Boot Camp with Seal training, nor should they with Ranger School.
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Cpl Kevin John
Women can pass Ranger school yet not a single female Marine has passed BASIC infantry training in the Corps. Sorry to burst your bubble. Who was called on to take Fallujah? The Rangers? No the Grunts of the Usmc.
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COL Jean (John) F. B.
Cpl Kevin John - Obviously, you are not aware of the respective missions of Ranger/Special Operations units as compared to typical Army or Marine units. Your attempt to compare them or ask about where they were in battles like Fallujah and others have no real relevance/comparison.
The female officers who graduated from Ranger School were selected out of hundreds who had gone through intensive testing and training prior to being selected for the course. Even then, they struggled and had to be recycled in order to graduate. Again, your attempt to compare these two officers to typical/regular females who attempted Marine basic is off-base and flawed.
I have no doubt that the typical Marine would have about a 50% pass rate in Ranger School, just like the Army.
The female officers who graduated from Ranger School were selected out of hundreds who had gone through intensive testing and training prior to being selected for the course. Even then, they struggled and had to be recycled in order to graduate. Again, your attempt to compare these two officers to typical/regular females who attempted Marine basic is off-base and flawed.
I have no doubt that the typical Marine would have about a 50% pass rate in Ranger School, just like the Army.
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LTC Paul Labrador
Reason why Marines were tasked to take Fallujah is very simple: It was in their AO....had Fallujah been in an Army AO, the Army would have been tasked to take it. BTW you may want to look at the order of battle for both Fallujah 1 and 2. Marines had Army units attached for both operations to fill capability gaps (particularly in armor).
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I obviously not a prior Marine, but I went to MP OSUT with Marines (and they were nothing special in a regular Army school, aside from really cool uniforms), and I went to Ranger School with several Marine (Force Recon Guys) and they struggled and graduated at the same rate as the Army guys. The Army guys there were a select group.
Marine Boot Camp is Marine Basic Training, similar to Army Basic Combat Training, etc... Army Ranger School is a grueling course designed to train and test NCO and Officer Leaders in essential small unit combat leadership skills. The vehicle is combat patrolling.
The students come from two parts of the Army. About half are Officers and NCOs are from various combat units in the Army "Ranger Qualified" slots, like Light Infantry Units and units that directly support light units. As an example, when I was a MP Company Commander in 10th Mountain, my PL slots were coded Ranger Slots. The other half, or so, are junior enlisted Soldiers from the 75th Ranger Regiment, who are on their final phase of becoming a full fledged Army Ranger. Finally, you also see various Special Operations troopers from all branches and other countries at Ranger School, to learn invaluable small unit combat leadership skills. If I was CSA, I would make every Army Officer go.
You have lots or Ranger Qualified Officers and NCOs in the Army, but only a small portion are actually U.S. Army Rangers serving in the 75th Ranger Regiment.
It would be interesting to see every Marine that graduated from Boot Camp go to Ranger School, and see what their attrition would be.
http://www.army.mil/ranger/
Marine Boot Camp is Marine Basic Training, similar to Army Basic Combat Training, etc... Army Ranger School is a grueling course designed to train and test NCO and Officer Leaders in essential small unit combat leadership skills. The vehicle is combat patrolling.
The students come from two parts of the Army. About half are Officers and NCOs are from various combat units in the Army "Ranger Qualified" slots, like Light Infantry Units and units that directly support light units. As an example, when I was a MP Company Commander in 10th Mountain, my PL slots were coded Ranger Slots. The other half, or so, are junior enlisted Soldiers from the 75th Ranger Regiment, who are on their final phase of becoming a full fledged Army Ranger. Finally, you also see various Special Operations troopers from all branches and other countries at Ranger School, to learn invaluable small unit combat leadership skills. If I was CSA, I would make every Army Officer go.
You have lots or Ranger Qualified Officers and NCOs in the Army, but only a small portion are actually U.S. Army Rangers serving in the 75th Ranger Regiment.
It would be interesting to see every Marine that graduated from Boot Camp go to Ranger School, and see what their attrition would be.
http://www.army.mil/ranger/
United States Army Rangers - The United States Army
The United States Army Rangers are the best-trained Soldiers in the world, and the Best Ranger Competition is held every year at Fort Benning to find the best of the best. Rangers lead the way!
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Having watched various programs about Ranger school and having been to and graduated Parris Island. I would have to say ranger school would be harder, it also focuses more on in the field leadership and obstacles, USMC basic is that a basic school, its a hard basic but that is what it is. We learned about history and how to be marines and how to shoot and hump and use gas masks etc... Ranger school assumes one knows this I think and it takes ranger candidates into the field to see just how they can leader others and hold out under simulated battle conditions. I could be completely wrong but I think I'm at least somewhat accurate in this.
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Be sure to wear EYE PROTECTION before viewing this MIND-BLOWING, FACE-MELTING, BALL-BUSTING EXPERIENCE!!!!! RANGER SCHOOL PROMO 2!!!! And be sure to check ou...
Part 2 or 3
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Prepare to be blown out of your mind by the awesomeness that is the ARMY RANGER!
Here is part one of a pretty accurate video series about Ranger school.
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CPT (Join to see)
SFC Greg K. I am so glad I will never have to live through that again. I did hear just about all of that while in the school house.
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Capt Mark Strobl
Nope. The Army-Navy game is a rivalry. Ranger school is professional development course where one eats a can of worms.
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I have not been to either but boot camp is initial training where the civilian become the recruit hopefully become a Marine and where Ranger school, everyone is expected to know the fundamentals of being a Soldier and leader. This does not mean the Ranger school is better that boot camp because both are in classes of their own league.
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