As far as this Soldier "taking" a slot away from others - I dunno about that one for sure.  I haven't been to Ranger school and I don't know if all the slots get filled, but I do know this - The reason the NG units don't get the slots isn't because Active Duty CS/CSS troops are "taking" slots from them.  The NG budgets and forecasts slots each year, and they are assigned DEDICATED slots in Ranger school and other courses like it.

Having said that, there are ways to convert/transition AD slots to the Reserves/NG.  Unit training NCOs should look in to those options.

Congrats to this new Ranger!   

MIKE LANSAW        

"U.S. Paratroopers offer the enemy maximum opportunity to give his life for his country."

"This is H37 adjust fire over"

No one here bashed the x ray tech, just the policies that got him there. As far as an Infantry second lieutenant raking leaves for seven months waiting for a school slot, there is definitely something wrong with that, and it has nothing to do with some ordinance officers going to School or an X ray tech going to to school.

The system doesn't work to everyone's needs and it could definitely be better. Maybe they should only allow CS/CSS soldiers who are deploying within 12 months to attend. But to eliminate them totally is not the answer. One answer might be to incorporate the course as a part of IOBC, and if a candidate doesn't make through the Ranger phase, he goes to his BN. I am sure there is an innovative way to make it better.

I don't know the date when CS/CSS troops started going back to Ranger School, but for the good part of the last 8-10 years or so, it has been solely a combat arms school.  I'm assuming that with the changing mission and the need for the type of leadership training ranger school provides, it was deemed needed in the CS/CSS world.

Finally, several folks have assumed away the X-ray tech's chance of deploying, or being in a position of needing Ranger School.  What about the branch detailed LT, who starts out as infantry, gets tabbed, but then two years later gets transfered to, say Med Service or the Ordnance Corps?  Was that a wasted slot?  Hypothetical scenario, but it's a bit unfair to predict if he will use his training.  I think any of us could walk on a base and find tabbed guys with a bare right shoulder.

Blacksmith Six

OIF 09-10, 1st Cavalry Division

Non combat personnel, such as X-ray technicians... no matter how hooah they are mind and body, are not going to be firing shots in anger unless it's in a totally desperate situation and the higher ups have made a severe and critical error. Even in such a worse-case scenario, such personnel will not be conducting aggresive operations such as patrols, ambushes, and raids period.

There are more candidates then there are slots for Ranger school at the moment so the argument that people not getting slots because of perceived failures with their schools NCO is a moot and invalid... Men who would be utilizing the unique training and leadership skills learned there from the moment they graduate are waiting in line... which makes the idea of slots going to somebody who has no immediate use for the training... and microscopic potential use for it in the future to attend the school is absurd at best. During peace time and if classes were being cancelled because of lack of students, then I could see support MOS being allowed to attend but we are at war and the school is maxed out with applicants.

I am definately not being a tab protector here in case some of you might wish to label me as such. I was still in service when the argument to disallow non essential troops from attending was in full swing and I can say there were some damned good reasons Ranger school was made available to specific MOS only... now it seems it is going to become fair game by the badge finder and ticket punching crowd once more... which will once again open the gates to downgraded standards and curriculum. Remember Ranger stakes? They were cut out because too many support MOS types failed to pass them the last time the course was made available to the general military public. I could go on about other aspects of the course that changed in those days but that'll just piss some of you off so I won't bother.

 

"The degenerative and loony should never be denigrated but, rather, thanked. In their absence, the rest of you would be obliged to fill congressional seats... positions naturally unsavory to the sane and honorable."

Thorax

There are almost 300 students waiting to attend the basic interrogation school in Ft. Huachuca.  There are simply not enough instructors to give out quality training without watering it down.  There are even sources that say the Intelligence Center had some issues with the hiring of house-wives of soldiers (with no training or experience in HUMINT collection or management) in order to meet the training need so the Army could get HUMINT collectors on the ground.  Looking at this thread in that context, I would have to agree that we should save those RS slots for combat arms soldiers; at least for the forseeable future.  We cannot afford to cheapen this training to get the numbers of graduates up; ergo, we should send those that could use the skills NOW.  With long lines at both schools, it would seem to be a systematic problem that is Army wide. 

Just my .223 though....

Do you listen to yourself when you talk; or do you just fade in and out?