Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Zane Craig | Pennsylvania National Guard soldiers enrolled in the Ranger and Sapper assessment...... read more read more
FT. INDIANTOWN GAP, PA- The Pennsylvania Army National Guard conducted its first ever ranger and sapper assessment course at Fort Indiantown Gap Sept. 9 – 11.
The course, administered by the Pennsylvania Army National Guard Joint Forces Headquarters Individual Training Branch, is designed to assess the physical, mental and technical abilities of Soldiers that are selected by their commanders as potential candidates for either sapper or ranger schools.
Forty-eight Soldiers from the Pennsylvania Army National Guard attended and 38 of those graduated this iteration of the course.
The course is modeled after the ranger assessment phase week of ranger school. Some of the events included are: the ranger Army physical fitness test; combat water survival test; night into day land navigation evaluation; a two-mile equipment run; a 12-mile road march; and a written exam.
Sergeant 1st Class Zachary Rendin, the ranger sapper assessment course manager with the Joint Forces Headquarters Individual Training Branch, said the intent is to continue to run the course.
“The idea is that as a state we’re not sending Soldiers forward that are not prepared,” said Rendin.
“It’s not about preventing anyone from going to ranger school,” said Rendin, “it’s about selecting the most qualified individuals that have already been recommended by the command, assessing them, and then training them.”
“I can definitely tell you that it was an eye-opener for some of the students, that’s for sure and they openly admitted that,” said Rendin. “They didn’t think about the capacity or the level of endurance that’s required to have success with something like this. And that just goes to lack of knowledge and that’s the other intent,” he continued.
Sgt. Alberto Batista, a cavalry scout with the 2nd Squadron, 104th Regiment, attended the course.
After two days of training, Batista said that it was a lot harder than he thought it would be with the constant movement and little sleep the course demands, but he has gained a lot of experience that he is excited to take back to his unit.
“I’ve been doing great here,” said Batista, “I’m approaching with the attitude that I don’t know it all.”
“I really think I have what it takes to be a ranger, so I’m excited to have this opportunity,” said Batista.
An Army Ranger is a Soldier who has graduated from the elite U.S. Army Ranger School. These Soldiers are authorized to wear the Army Ranger Tab on their uniform. The U.S. Army Ranger School is considered one of the most challenging courses in the Armed Forces. The approximately two-month school trains Soldiers in combat arms skills.
An Army Sapper is a combat engineer or other personnel who support the front-line infantry. To wear the Sapper Tab the Soldier must graduate from the Sapper Leader Course. This two-phased 28-day course trains Soldiers on leadership and tactics of a combined arms team.
| Date Taken: | 09.19.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 09.20.2016 10:38 |
| Story ID: | 210080 |
| Location: | FORT INDIANTOWN GAP, PA, US |
| Web Views: | 3,882 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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