Subscribe
FORT BLISS, TEXAS. – If you were dropped into an unfamiliar situation, with adversity and challenges all around you would you stay and fight or would you run and hide? What if circumstances forced you to stay and fight, using all of your cunning to succeed, do you think you could do it? And if this was a situation you volunteered for, could you stay with it?
Twenty-four Airmen from around the US Air Force have volunteered to take that challenge. They have chosen to endure a gauntlet of tasks, over a 15-day period, that will test them both physically and mentally. All of this in hopes that they can earn a coveted slot at the US Army Ranger School at Fort Benning, Georgia.
“This is the one-stop screening process for all Airmen who want to go to Ranger School,” said Air Force Capt. Ralph Johnson, the officer-in-charge. All Airmen attending Army Ranger School must be a graduate of the Air Force’s pre-Ranger course.
The Air Force Security Forces Center at Lackland Air Force Base is in charge of the Air Force Pre-Ranger course. “The Air Force has been sending people to Ranger School since the early 1950s,” said Johnson. “We currently have 10 slots a year for Ranger School, so we want to make sure we send the very best, that is why we hold this course.” Over the past 60 years 286 Airmen have made it through Ranger School.
The course, which mirrors the first two-weeks of Ranger School, includes a Ranger physical assessment test, a water survival test, a 12-mile ruck march, land navigation, weapons maintenance and employment, small unit tactics and foot patrols.
While the course is conducted by the Air Force, cadre from the 1st Armored Division Pre-Ranger course are assisting them.
“Ranger School is an Army course,” said Air Force Master Sgt. Gabe Rodriguez, one of the Ranger Instructors. “1st AD has a very good Pre-Ranger course already established, so it made sense to ask for their assistance.”
Sgt. 1st Class Reag Wood, the non-commissioned officer in charge of the 1st AD Pre-Ranger course, shared Rodriguez’s enthusiasm for assisting the Air Force with their course. “While this is the first time we have been able to assist our sister service in conducting a pre-Ranger course, my cadre and I are looking forward to continuing this partnership in future courses to find the best Airmen to send to Ranger School.”
Airman 1st Class Jonathan Velazquez, who came from Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, is one of the hopeful candidates attending the course.
“I want to develop as a leader and test myself,” he said during a break on the second day of training. Velazquez said that even if he wasn’t successful in getting a slot to Ranger School the Pre-Ranger course would teach him new skills that he could bring back to his squadron. “It’s fun so far, but it is a lot faster than I expected,” he said with a smile.
| Date Taken: | 04.23.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 04.24.2016 23:07 |
| Story ID: | 196345 |
| Location: | EL PASO, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 339 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Airmen lead the way during Fort Bliss Pre-Ranger school, by Corinna Baltos, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
LEAVE A COMMENT