Freshmen on AROTC Ranger Team

Future2LtMom

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Is ONLY one freshman allowed on the Ranger Challenge Team or is it AT LEAST one freshman?
 
Is ONLY one freshman allowed on the Ranger Challenge Team or is it AT LEAST one freshman?

DS was on the team as the only freshman. It is my understanding there are 9 team members in which at least one must be a freshman. So they can take more than one but usually don't.
 
DS was on the team as the only freshman. It is my understanding there are 9 team members in which at least one must be a freshman.

OK, that's what I'm hoping (that it's AT LEAST one). My son is a freshman in AROTC. So far, he's qualified to do the Ranger Team PT in preparation for the tryouts in a few weeks. There are 3 or 4 other freshman also preparing for the tryouts. He said that all of the freshman seem very focused and driven, so the competition for a slot on the team is going to be pretty high. Therefore, it makes a difference whether the cadre can only pick one freshman, or if they have the latitude to pick more than one.

Thanks for your input!
 
OK, that's what I'm hoping (that it's AT LEAST one). My son is a freshman in AROTC. So far, he's qualified to do the Ranger Team PT in preparation for the tryouts in a few weeks. There are 3 or 4 other freshman also preparing for the tryouts. He said that all of the freshman seem very focused and driven, so the competition for a slot on the team is going to be pretty high. Therefore, it makes a difference whether the cadre can only pick one freshman, or if they have the latitude to pick more than one.

Thanks for your input!

I am second guessing myself now! I just sent a message to DS to find out for sure!! Good luck to your DS. As they say do your best and don't worry about the rest!
 
I am second guessing myself now! I just sent a message to DS to find out for sure!! Good luck to your DS. As they say do your best and don't worry about the rest!

Too funny! If you get a chance, let me know what your DS says if he responds back to you.
 
DS (Freshman/MS1) has been wanting to make the RC since finding out he was awarded his scholarship. (adding extra workouts and rucking)

As soon as he arrived to school he began working out with the RC team every morning. His first official APFT (for MS1s only to be contracted) he got a 340. The next official one for the entire battalion he got a 370.

However, when I asked him if that will catapult him onto the RC team because they need an MS1 he said he never heard of any rule requiring an MS1 and maybe that was for other battalions.

He said even if he didn't make the team he could help out/be a part of the team by working out with them and that he really enjoyed that part of it.
 
@ Future2LtMom
I keep reading conflicting info. Is it a requirement for one MS1 on your DS team?
 
This is a general statement that applies to all.

Something to keep mind, ROTC is a very competitive environment. There are times when your student may not be selected to participate in a training opportunity. You need to trust the Cadre because often they are making decisions with data you may not have.
 
@ Future2LtMom---Good luck to your DS!

Same to yours! Even though I know my DS has been working very hard, he's part of a large battalion with a lot of focused, high achieving, hard driving kids. He said the PT for those who want to try out for the team started with 30 cadets on Day 1 and was down to 20 cadets on Day 2. If it keeps up at that rate, it might not be too bad! :biggrin:

I know he'll be disappointed if he doesn't make the team, but I think the experience will be wonderful for him, nonetheless.
 
My son was the Commander of the Ranger Team at his school last year. Figured I would ask him the question.
His answer.... In order to be ranked, you have to follow the officially have to have AT LEAST one MSI on the team. He also said that it's left up to the person leading the team and/or cadre to decide how the breakdown goes, at least at his school. He was left to chose as long as they could be ranked. Out of everyone who tried out, he took the best 20 but spread it out among all the MS classes.
 
My son was the Commander of the Ranger Team at his school last year. Figured I would ask him the question.
His answer.... In order to be ranked, you have to follow the officially have to have AT LEAST one MSI on the team. He also said that it's left up to the person leading the team and/or cadre to decide how the breakdown goes, at least at his school. He was left to chose as long as they could be ranked. Out of everyone who tried out, he took the best 20 but spread it out among all the MS classes.

Thanks for checking into that for me. DS said the other day there were only 13 cadets that showed up for the PT that prepares them for the team tryout. The cadre originally wanted to have two teams, but at the rate they're going they're going to be lucky to have enough cadets to create one team!
 
Thanks for checking into that for me. DS said the other day there were only 13 cadets that showed up for the PT that prepares them for the team tryout. The cadre originally wanted to have two teams, but at the rate they're going they're going to be lucky to have enough cadets to create one team!

There were 27 last year at my son's school.

Good luck to your son! Hope he really enjoys this year at school!
 
Thanks for checking into that for me. DS said the other day there were only 13 cadets that showed up for the PT that prepares them for the team tryout. The cadre originally wanted to have two teams, but at the rate they're going they're going to be lucky to have enough cadets to create one team!

Good for your son. It's a big commitment (usually for only a portion of the school year) with a lot of benefits. He'll learn new skills, improve his physical condition and get exposure to many of the higher-performing cadets in his battalion.

If he's not used to rope climbing, he better get himself some gloves. The first time my son had to climb a rope in Ranger Challenge practice was the first time he'd ever climbed a rope, and he lacked technique. He reached the top purely on adrenaline and slid down leaving the skin of his palms and fingers on the rope.
 
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Good for your son. It's a big commitment (usually for only a portion of the school year) with a lot of benefits. He'll learn new skills, improve his physical condition and get exposure to many of the higher-performing cadets in his battalion.

If he's not used to rope climbing, he better get himself some gloves. The first time my son had to climb a rope in Ranger Challenge practice was the first time he'd ever climbed a rope, and he lacked technique. He reached the top purely on adrenaline and slid down leaving the skin of his palms and fingers on the rope.

If I were to be honest, I would have preferred that he not have done this his freshman year because of the time commitment, along with all of the other adjustments he's going through his freshman year. However, it's not my decision. Plus, he didn't ask for my input on the issue, anyway! He's really excited, so we'll see how it goes. They started with the workouts about two weeks ago with 30 cadets participating. Now they're down to 13. They're dropping like flies. Each new cadet in his battalion is assigned a cadet-mentor. My son's mentor is an MSIII that has been on the Ranger Challenge team in the past, so he's been a great resource for my DS. He told him that no matter how bad the workouts get and how much they try to mess with him mentally, to NOT give up -- that it won't be like that forever.

Thanks for the heads up on the gloves -- I'll definitely let him know.
 
9 team members, with having at LEAST one from each class and a female. Since freshman are typically inexperienced with competition, land nav, and everything ROTC, typically only one is chosen in order to fulfill the requirement of having a freshman.

This doesn't mean more can't be picked, but to ensure the strongest team usually you only see one freshman since they are new to the scene.
 
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