Any tips on phys/mental conditioning prior to enlistment in US Army and Ranger School?
Good Luck! It is tough, my son graduated from Ranger School May 25th class 15-501. There is a website on Army physical requirements check Army Ranger. Sprint - walk & sprint, walk &etc.- sprint for leg strength. Do push ups. Requires 6,8,10 mile road marches with full pack (40lbs) 5 mile run - 8 min a mile 40 mins +/-15 sec. 15 mins in water in gear including boots ( my son said they felt like they weighed 50 lbs alone) 49 push ups, 59 sit ups, 2 mile run - all under 15.2 mins. 6 pull ups Sometimes it is a trick & they say 60 push ups to get in Ranger school but they take that top numbers in my son's class the minmum accepted was 78 push ups. He says hang tough & you will be fine. Take care of your feet. Try to add extra weight in muscle as the weight loss is 20-40 lbs. Don't let the mental get to you - they are trying break you.
I do not feel physically fit enough to go into Basic yet, but recruiter does, what to do?
Here's the thing. You are likely, from your description, in better shape than i was when i went into basic 22 years ago. :) Basic will shape you up faster than you think. As far as running, when you run in basic, you will "run" in formation to what the Army calls an Airborne shuffle. Most people can walk faster. It's just the distance that gets you. When you run for time, by the time you do, you will be several weeks into basic and better able to do so. Push up and sit ups. You can already do them, as you shared. Some of the guys may not be able to. One of the guys in my BT unit could not complete one push up or sit up at the beginning of boot. by the end, he could do two and was awarded the certificate for Most Improved, 200%. You will run until you puke. Most everyone does. Let it happen and don't worry about it. Like nearly everyone else, you will rise to what you need to do. The DI's will make certain of it. You are ready, physically. Is there something else in the way and this is an out? No judgment. Enlistment is a big decision. If you have raised your hand, and I suspect you have, short of a major situation, you will be going to basic. Hold your head up. If you regret the decision later, don't worry. Every soldier I ever knew, including me, looked up one day in formation, saw everyone else standing around him in nice neat ranks and rows, dressed in the same green cloths, and asked himself, "What the h**l have I done?" It's a little campy, but--Stand Tall, Be Proud. Thank you for serving.
A recruiter said i have almost no chance of getting in to the marines?
Unless someone twisted his arm or held a gun to his head when he signed the contract then there is nothing he can do. He is young and he is not sure what he wants or what he can deal with. He is not forced to do 20yrs so all he has to do is make the best of his 4yr committment. Anything he does at this point to get out will turn out to be the biggest disaster ever and it will follow him for the rest of his life. It will affect any medical status with the VA. It will affect any jobs with state and federal jobs. He won't have the common benefits our country gives to its veterans. We all live on average to be 75yrs old. If he quits now then he might be happy now but he will soon regret it and that will follow him the rest of his life. You need to be more supportive and help him through it and help him keep the course. He will adjust to this life. The Marine Corps is not a job, its a way of life.
Help with MY ARMY RECRUITER please ???????????????????
Child? Girlfriend? -- Marry her first. Then you can even have a second child. The basic qualifications for enlistment in the U.S. Army include: • being from 17 to 34 years old • be a U.S. citizen or resident alien, (must have the I-551) • have a high school diploma or equivalent (such as a GED) • be single with no children or married with 2 or less children • pass the ASVAB test and • pass the physical You should also not be undergoing any civil actions; certain law violations will disqualify you.
Considering joining national guard?
You've got a lot of mostly rightish answers. I just wanted to add that the Reserves are similar to the Guard, except that the Guard is much larger and actually has combat arms MOS's instead of just support pukes. It's also important to note that while the Reserves are federal and the Guard is state funded, the state pays for it through MASSIVE federal subsidies, so really your federal tax dollars pay for both. It's a common misconception out there. The Reserves DEFINITELY do not get more college money. The Guard and Reserves get THE SAME education benefits unless your state (many do) offers EXTRA tuition assistance. In my state, the Guard pays for all of my tuition. The Reserves would only pay for the first $4500. Dude... the Reserves make the National Guard look like Special Forces. It's a completely different world. The kind of people who want to do "Army Stuff" and prior service combat arms guys ALWAYS go to the Guard because you can still do grunt work. Support pukes go to the Reserves without fail. Who do you want on patrol: a Reserve Quartermaster company or a Guard Cavalry Troop? Come on... I know this didn't answer your question exactly, but when people make postings that are completely WRONG about the Guard, I feel the need to intervene and correct.