I was wondering if USMA offered a pre ranger course?
Usually, any rigorous summer training will have a USMA-run train-up. If you were to get a summer Ranger slot (should they still offer them) there would likely be a Pre-Ranger course at USMA during the Academic year. You would not go to a traditional Pre-Ranger course at Benning or a divisional schoolhouse.
That being said, would you say that the quality of these USMA-run courses are identical, if not more challenging than the ones in Benning? What would you speculate?
I remember seeing a USMA MIADs page somewhere in this forum, which shows the offered summer activities, and I remember seeing the Pre-Ranger course on the website. Hopefully it'll still be available for when we get in (if we do that is, good luck to everyone applying! )
Hard to say. I will say that, in my day, the train up for SFAS was insane. Most cadets who went assessed favorably. As for Pre-Ranger, I don't know.
Oh man! I also remember seeing SFAS on the website, but it was only shown on certain pages (ie. the link for it wasn't on the front page but with a little exploring it'll pop out) and I wasn't sure if they even offered it.
If you pass the SFAS as a cadet, does that mean you can continue SF training straight out of commissioning? I know that SF is offered at earliest to O-2s promotable to O-3, so how would that work out? Would the cadet-turned-officer have to retake the SFAS?
Sorry for all these questions, I'm very curious concerning these schools because I'm hoping to become one Thank you for your answers as well! They're valuable sources of information and experience.
Pre-Ranger is an option as well as SFAS for MIADs. However plebes can do neither. As yuks you are permitted to go through tryouts and interviews for slots to these schools. They are generally extremely difficult. For SFAS you can qualify but you still won't be able to train until later in your career, which at this point may put you out of your qualification time frame.
If you take and pass SFAS, you won't have to do it again and can go to SFQC.
http://www.usma.edu/uscc/ldb/xmdsx12.htm
If you complete Pre-Ranger School, I believe that'll give you a slot for being in Ranger School after you graduate.