10 Years Later: Reflecting on my Experience at Ranger School
Why You Should Hire Ranger-Qualified Veterans as Leaders
It is Never about You
Leadership is about bringing those around you up. It has nothing to do with individual success. If you think it does, you will fail Ranger School and leadership efforts in life. I failed my first attempt at Ranger School; no excuse. I will share my Experience over a decade ago in this brief article. I hope future leaders and those aspiring to attend the Army's premier leadership school will read it and use our lessons learned. I hope hiring managers read this and consider hiring a veteran. They do not know it all, but they will learn it all. They are leaders and team players. Let me share some examples of why they make great hires.
Kicked off the Island
I earned my first pick out of ROTC to be stationed in Hawaii. It was a dream of mine to live there, and I had a beautiful house, family, and comfortable lifestyle. I showed up at my new job to be a rifle platoon leader without a Ranger Tab. My new boss politely told me and my "ranger buddy" (the gentlemen in the photo at the top), "I think you forgot something at Fort Benning," after looking at our left shoulder. He let us know we could attend Pre Ranger Program (PRP) Monday at 0500 hours or look for a new job. There was no way I was not going, but my mistake was I wanted it for me. I did not want to lose my job or position. I should have been more concerned about my Platoon and getting my Ranger buddy through. I went and passed the run uphill, got my seat at Ranger School, and left paradise behind. The lesson here is never to take a leadership position for the wrong reasons.
The Ruck; Individual Effort
The Ruck was an event that pushed most folks; my legs were huge from training it! The problem was I was just focused on my event as an individual. It was mid-July in southern Georgia, and I recall cramping up on the run and being asked to get in the truck. We refused to quit but did not make the individual time hack. I still recall yelling Ranger in protest of the Ranger Instructors' commands to get in the truck! I did not quit the event but did not make the time hack. It was 3 hours back then, and we had to go about 12 miles with some weight on our backs. The lesson is to rely on something other than the individual skills you think you have but on how you can work as a team to ensure mission success. There are no individual events, even in coding; if you think you're done after your build passes, you're not; document it. Help by ensuring your secrets are secure and don't push things off on security. Go the extra mile for your team no matter the profession!
Running Up Curahee
After failing the Ruck and getting a later class date with my ranger buddy, who had family close to the real Currahee near the museum, we decided to go at it together. We stayed with his family and ran up hills like the famous Curahee to ensure no individual weakness was left. It was not physical, sure it was tough, but the real strength required was mental toughness and team mentality. More importantly, we reflected on why we left Hawaii to attend this school. It was not about me. It was about my Platoon and those I would get to lead. This was life-changing for me. We quit worrying about ourselves, comfort, fear of failure, etc., and made it a mission to get it done for our future Platoons, who would depend on us. The final lesson, be authentic. Please find what you think will significantly impact those you want to help, and go for it! Veterans are genuine. We follow through and get stuff done!
RLTW!
It would be best if you looked into the History of the Army Rangers; awe-inspiring. Also, check out the Ranger Creed to learn more about what it takes to get through the Army's premier leadership program. Thanks for reading my article on leadership lessons learned in the U.S. Army. If you enjoyed this article, consider subscribing for more leadership articles.