Arw selection/training

twinytwo

Ii decided to post this to stop all the trolls aka Pathfinder and all the others who seem to have nothing better to do than bad mouth the Irish Army and The Army Ranger Wing,

Firstly for all ye plebs who seem to think that it takes only four weeks to become a ranger the selection is basically broken into 2 parts.

1)Intial Selection- This part is 4 weeks in duration. It consists of assessments in weapons handling ,Physical training,Mountain Navigation ,Confidence Training and survival skills The 3rd and 4th weeks consist of long range reconnaissance patrolling which incorporates training as well as testing of personnel. Candidates are taught special forces tactics, reconnaissance and surveillance, intelligence gathering and searching for enemy forces teams and the organisation of ambushes. The course culminates in a 45 Km march within a time limit... this timelimit depends on what route is selected

Upon completing the first part the remaining candidates then progress to the second part which is a 6 MONTH!! Basic Skills Course.. this consists of Long Range Patrolling,Advanced Shooting and Markmanship,Survival Training and Navigation,Physical Training and Hostage Rescue Tactics.. at anytime during these 7 months any candidate that fails to complete the excersise or for any reason not thought to be fit to become a ranger he/she will be returned to unit..... It is only after these 7 months that any of the remaining candidates are classified as Rangers... they then procced to do Specialist Training in areas such as Parachuting,Boat Handling,Combat Diving,Advanced Navigation,Explosive Intervention,Medical Proficiency and Sniping.... This clearly puts them on the same playing field as all other so called "SF's" in the world as their selection/training is as long if longer than most others they are also equipped and trained to handle any situation that may arise... So for all you newbs and trolls go and try to start a fight over something else:D

minidazzler

I am not 100% sure of all this but it seems to fit right to the Irish Army's SOP's so I will take your word for it!

NoQuarter

mostly right, just initial selection is 3 weeks now!

eroo

No offense OP,but all of that was already said throughout various posts and the trollins/attacks continued.No point in starting a thread for it,tbh.
Good post nonetheless I suppose!

Running Bing

twinytwo wrote: »

Ii decided to post this to stop all the trolls aka Pathfinder and all the others who seem to have nothing better to do than bad mouth the Irish Army and The Army Ranger Wing,

Firstly for all ye plebs who seem to think that it takes only four weeks to become a ranger the selection is basically broken into 2 parts.

1)Intial Selection- This part is 4 weeks in duration. It consists of assessments in weapons handling ,Physical training,Mountain Navigation ,Confidence Training and survival skills The 3rd and 4th weeks consist of long range reconnaissance patrolling which incorporates training as well as testing of personnel. Candidates are taught special forces tactics, reconnaissance and surveillance, intelligence gathering and searching for enemy forces teams and the organisation of ambushes. The course culminates in a 45 Km march within a time limit... this timelimit depends on what route is selected

Upon completing the first part the remaining candidates then progress to the second part which is a 6 MONTH!! Basic Skills Course.. this consists of Long Range Patrolling,Advanced Shooting and Markmanship,Survival Training and Navigation,Physical Training and Hostage Rescue Tactics.. at anytime during these 7 months any candidate that fails to complete the excersise or for any reason not thought to be fit to become a ranger he/she will be returned to unit..... It is only after these 7 months that any of the remaining candidates are classified as Rangers... they then procced to do Specialist Training in areas such as Parachuting,Boat Handling,Combat Diving,Advanced Navigation,Explosive Intervention,Medical Proficiency and Sniping.... This clearly puts them on the same playing field as all other so called "SF's" in the world as their selection/training is as long if longer than most others they are also equipped and trained to handle any situation that may arise... So for all you newbs and trolls go and try to start a fight over something else:D

Good stuff. Anyone any idea what routes they use for the marches and navigation or even where it is done?

twinytwo

Babybing wrote: »

Good stuff. Anyone any idea what routes they use for the marches and navigation or even where it is done?

I take it that its all done on military land... so i doubt you would have anyway of finding out.. not that anyone who knew would be up for sharing. Also i would think that there is no fixed route. Again i could be wrong on this.

Riddle101

What weapons do the ARW fire? I heard they don't fire the Styer, and are the others

minidazzler

twinytwo wrote: »

I take it that its all done on military land... so i doubt you would have anyway of finding out.. not that anyone who knew would be up for sharing. Also i would think that there is no fixed route. Again i could be wrong on this.

No there are is no Military Land here for that Big.
I guess they do it over the Glen.

What weapons do the ARW fire? I heard they don't fire the Styer, and are the others

They Fire Loads of different Weapons. Steyr included. Of course Some of them get the A3 version of the Steyr AUG.

I have seen official Pics as well where the Minimi was being used.

They have many different Weapons. And as Far as I remember the Use the Sig Sauer P226 for the standard side arm.


(This post makes me feel like a walt even though I dont think I am.)

twinytwo

Riddle101 wrote: »

What weapons do the ARW fire? I heard they don't fire the Styer, and are the others

Sidearms: Walther PPK
SIG P226
SIG P228

Machine Guns: FN Minimi-Para
FN Mag

Semi Auto: Heckler&Koch MP-5 A3
Heckler&Koch MP-5 SD3
Heckler&Koch MP-5K
Heckler&Koch 53

They do use the Steyr Aug as it is the standard assault weapon for the armed forces. They also use Steyr A3 Carbine.
The Snipers use the Accuracy International .338

Quis Separabit

twinytwo wrote: »

Ii decided to post this to stop all the trolls aka Pathfinder and all the others who seem to have nothing better to do than bad mouth the Irish Army and The Army Ranger Wing,

Firstly for all ye plebs who seem to think that it takes only four weeks to become a ranger the selection is basically broken into 2 parts.

1)Intial Selection- This part is 4 weeks in duration. It consists of assessments in weapons handling ,Physical training,Mountain Navigation ,Confidence Training and survival skills The 3rd and 4th weeks consist of long range reconnaissance patrolling which incorporates training as well as testing of personnel. Candidates are taught special forces tactics, reconnaissance and surveillance, intelligence gathering and searching for enemy forces teams and the organisation of ambushes. The course culminates in a 45 Km march within a time limit... this timelimit depends on what route is selected
any candidate that fails to complete the excersise or for any reason not thought to be fit to become a ranger he/she will be returned to unit..... It is only after these 7 months that any of the remaining candidates are classified as Rangers... they then procced to do Specialist Training in areas such as Parachuting,Boat Handling,Combat Diving,Advanced Navigation,Explosive Intervention,Medical Proficiency and Sniping.... This clearly puts them on the same playing field as all other so called "SF's" in the world as their selection/training is as long if longer than most others they are also equipped and trained to handle any situation that may arise... So for all you newbs and trolls go and try to start a fight over something else:D

Where did anyone claim it takes 4 weeks to become a ranger ?

Got the post ?

Its impossible that a unit the size of a company with such limited logistical support and equipment, can be expert in all of the above. Especially when the apart from CRW the main role of the unit is to raise standards in the army and rangers later return to their units.

I am simply stating reality. I am not claiming they are not a special forces unit, just your claim their selection and test week and training is on par with the SAS and Delta etc, which is your claim, infact you stated their selection and training went beyond that of those units.


Post the rest of the cut and paste.

Riddle101

twinytwo wrote: »

Sidearms: Walther PPK
SIG P226
SIG P228

Machine Guns: FN Minimi-Para
FN Mag

Semi Auto: Heckler&Koch MP-5 A3
Heckler&Koch MP-5 SD3
Heckler&Koch MP-5K
Heckler&Koch 53

They do use the Steyr Aug as it is the standard assault weapon for the armed forces. They also use Steyr A3 Carbine.
The Snipers use the Accuracy International .338

Thanks for that, i remember seeing one of them with a Hecklar&Kock actually, he was doing guard duty in The Curragh when i was doing my annual camp in the summer but i never thought much of it. I believe the Navy use the MP-5 as well

twinytwo

Quis Separabit wrote: »

Where did anyone claim it takes 4 weeks to become a ranger ?

Got the post ?

Its impossible that a unit the size of a company with such limited logistical support and equipment, can be expert in all of the above. Especially when the apart from CRW the main role of the unit is to raise standards in the army and rangers later return to their units.

I am simply stating reality. I am not claiming they are not a special forces unit, just your claim their selection and test week and training is on par with the SAS and Delta etc, which is your claim, infact you stated their selection and training went beyond that of those units.


Post the rest of the cut and paste.

Go away troll.. U have no way of knowing what they do and do not have..If ur going to quote me u might aswell try to get it right.. I said it puts them on the same playing field.. And i said was longer than some units. Not that it is better or more effective in anyway. Im also willing to bet ur pathfinder

eroo

here we go again,another bitchy thread packed full of Waltyness(Pathfinder etc)...anyone else think this thread should be shut/moved to Walter Mitty forum?
The military forum used to be somewhat good but things are going downhill...fast!

twinytwo

eroo wrote: »

here we go again,another bitchy thread packed full of Waltyness(Pathfinder etc)...anyone else think this thread should be shut/moved to Walter Mitty forum?
The military forum used to be somewhat good but things are going downhill...fast!

Would it not be better to just remove the trouble makers.. i would prefer not to have this thread closed.. i have pmd one of the mods

Quis Separabit

twinytwo wrote: »

Go away troll.. U have no way of knowing what they do and do not have..If ur going to quote me u might aswell try to get it right.. I said it puts them on the same playing field.. And i said was longer than some units. Not that it is better or more effective in anyway. Im also willing to bet ur pathfinder

Asking you to back up your claims and post the rest of the copy and paste is a perfectly reasonable request.

Manic Moran

Six months? Piffle.

I'm going to Ft Knox next week for a six month course. At the end of this time, I will be a paper pusher and desk jockey the likes of which makes the ARW pale to insignificance in comparison.

NTM

Hagar

The muppet factor is increasing around here. I don't know why.

I would strongly advise certain posters to review their activities on this forum or they will have posting privileges revoked.

Dub13

Yes there have been a lot of 'My army dick is bigger than your army dick..' type of posts over the last while.

Lets all agree that we all have big dicks and move on.Or else the mods will enter with there big mod dicks and start banning people.

Quis Separabit

Well lets stick to facts then.



http://www.fianoglach.ie/selection.htm

ARW Selection

There is no age limit for prospective rangers who must undergo a Ranger selection course which takes place annually. According to the Commander age does not count, only physical condition makes the difference. The oldest is 44 and average age is 31. In Timor they mixed the old with the new in a way that made the unit very cohesive. Every year between 40 and 80 candidates arrive and after 4 weeks of a selection course less than 15% remain. These 4 weeks are organised into 2 distinct phases. In phase 1 everybody starts at zero - the instructors showing the basic requirements to become a Ranger, that is to say a special forces soldier. Candidates must also pass a number of physical tests, water confidence training, assault courses training, individual navigation tests as well as an 8 Km combat run test. On average they will get 4/5 hours sleep per night and are put under constant pressure from instructors and the course alike. If a candidate fails more than 3 out of the 9 basic tests he is returned to his home unit. A selection course may only be attempted 3 times by any candidate. The 3rd and 4th weeks consist of long range reconnaissance patrolling which incorporates training as well as testing of personnel. Candidates are taught special forces tactics, reconnaissance and surveillance, intelligence gathering and the achievements such as the search for enemy forces teams and the organisation of ambushes. The course culminates in a 45 Km march which must be completed in a set time. All candidates who successfully complete the Ranger course are presented with the Fianóglach shoulder flash. When it comes to selection the Officers and NCO's meet to assess the candidates. The best are retained according to the number of places available. On average, Officers spend between 3 and 4 years in the unit.





As above states Rangers must can only fail 3 out of 9 of these tests, selection can be attempted 3 times only. Only 15% are successful.

• Abseiling - Assesses a student's confidence when working at height
• Bridge jump - Tests a student’s confidence in water
• River crossing - Evaluates a student’s ability to work in a team
• Claustrophobia - Tests a student’s ability to work with his equipment in confined spaces
• Gym tests - Tests a students muscular endurance and strength while performing a set number of exercises
• 10km run - Tests a students cardio-vascular endurance over a set distance and time
• Mountain walk - Tests a student’s endurance over a set uphill march, while carrying a medium load
• Hill circuit - Tests a students stamina and strength over a set cross-country course, while carrying a light load
• Forced march “cross-country” - Tests a student’s stamina and strength over a set cross-country course and time while carrying a medium load
• Forced march "road" - A group test to assess the student’s tolerance of pressure over a set course and time, while carrying a medium load
• Route march - A group test to assess the students overall stamina, endurance and strength during a forced march over the mountains while carrying a medium load

If a student passes selection they go on to a six month ranger basic skills course where they learn the skills required to be a ranger. The course includes long range recce, unarmed combat in Krav Maga, anti-terrorist and CQB skills, advanced first aid, advanced combat shooting and static line parachuting.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Army_Rangers

twinytwo

?

uptherebels

Quis Separabit wrote: »

Well lets stick to facts then.



http://www.fianoglach.ie/selection.htm

ARW Selection

There is no age limit for prospective rangers who must undergo a Ranger selection course which takes place annually. According to the Commander age does not count, only physical condition makes the difference. The oldest is 44 and average age is 31. In Timor they mixed the old with the new in a way that made the unit very cohesive. Every year between 40 and 80 candidates arrive and after 4 weeks of a selection course less than 15% remain. These 4 weeks are organised into 2 distinct phases. In phase 1 everybody starts at zero - the instructors showing the basic requirements to become a Ranger, that is to say a special forces soldier. Candidates must also pass a number of physical tests, water confidence training, assault courses training, individual navigation tests as well as an 8 Km combat run test. On average they will get 4/5 hours sleep per night and are put under constant pressure from instructors and the course alike. If a candidate fails more than 3 out of the 9 basic tests he is returned to his home unit. A selection course may only be attempted 3 times by any candidate. The 3rd and 4th weeks consist of long range reconnaissance patrolling which incorporates training as well as testing of personnel. Candidates are taught special forces tactics, reconnaissance and surveillance, intelligence gathering and the achievements such as the search for enemy forces teams and the organisation of ambushes. The course culminates in a 45 Km march which must be completed in a set time. All candidates who successfully complete the Ranger course are presented with the Fianóglach shoulder flash. When it comes to selection the Officers and NCO's meet to assess the candidates. The best are retained according to the number of places available. On average, Officers spend between 3 and 4 years in the unit.





As above states Rangers must can only fail 3 out of 9 of these tests, selection can be attempted 3 times only. Only 15% are successful.

• Abseiling - Assesses a student's confidence when working at height
• Bridge jump - Tests a student’s confidence in water
• River crossing - Evaluates a student’s ability to work in a team
• Claustrophobia - Tests a student’s ability to work with his equipment in confined spaces
• Gym tests - Tests a students muscular endurance and strength while performing a set number of exercises
• 10km run - Tests a students cardio-vascular endurance over a set distance and time
• Mountain walk - Tests a student’s endurance over a set uphill march, while carrying a medium load
• Hill circuit - Tests a students stamina and strength over a set cross-country course, while carrying a light load
• Forced march “cross-country” - Tests a student’s stamina and strength over a set cross-country course and time while carrying a medium load
• Forced march "road" - A group test to assess the student’s tolerance of pressure over a set course and time, while carrying a medium load
• Route march - A group test to assess the students overall stamina, endurance and strength during a forced march over the mountains while carrying a medium load

If a student passes selection they go on to a six month ranger basic skills course where they learn the skills required to be a ranger. The course includes long range recce, unarmed combat in Krav Maga, anti-terrorist and CQB skills, advanced first aid, advanced combat shooting and static line parachuting.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Army_Rangers

Please not all this crap again and Quis Separabit I wouldnt put to much faith in the "facts"that you find from wikipedia and other unoffical sites

Hagar

As far as I can see Quis Seperabit has quoted directly from official sites and pretty well written Wiki entries. So that look like a pretty solid post.

Uptherebels wrote:

Please not all this crap again

That comment earns a weeks holiday for not paying attention to the warnings.

eroo

Tbh,this subject has been done to death!Quis/Pathfinder don't take everything you read on the internet as fact,it's like depending on the Star for news!:D

Btw,fianoglach.ie is NOT an official site..and wiki is the bare minimum.With all respect I think everyone is tired of ARW threads..because it makes the forum look walty imo.
Mods,PLEASE shut this thread!It will save you wearing out your banning sticks!!:D

Hagar

eroo wrote: »

Btw,fianoglach.ie is NOT an official site..and wiki is the bare minimum.

You cannot get an IE domain without documentary proof of your claim to it. Registrations of Irish domains are very strict.

How do you know it's not an official site? Can you tell me who does own it?

eroo

No but it isn't an official DEFENCE FORCES website and as of yet they provide no links to it on their site.

Hagar

I've found a name David Hogan connected to the site:does that ring any bells for anybody?

eroo

Sorry but I don't know it..

minidazzler

Hagar wrote: »

You cannot get an IE domain without documentary proof of your claim to it. Registrations of Irish domains are very strict.

How do you know it's not an official site? Can you tell me who does own it?

As far as I have heard your site only needs a good link to Ireland. as in saying it is a website Dedicated to the Irish DF is enough.

It isnt official.
a) AFAIK the Rangers dont advertise like that.
b) It is not of high enough quality to be official. The DF are good at websites. and this is not a good website.

twinytwo

Rangers now gone to chad... 600 miles in the middle of no where..

Covenline

heres a dumb question...

can you apply for the ARW from the RDF?:)

Dub13

Covenline wrote: »

heres a dumb question...

can you apply for the ARW from the RDF?:)

No.

Rew

minidazzler wrote: »

b) It is not of high enough quality to be official. The DF are good at websites. and this is not a good website.

From an information and pictures point of view its far better then military.ie. From design and profesional product its not great then again neither is military.ie

The word on that site is that its the unofficial offical site i'd belive the info on it alot quicker then 99% of whats gone up here... :rolleyes:

twinytwo

Covenline wrote: »

heres a dumb question...

can you apply for the ARW from the RDF?:)

Wouldnt be much point if you could.. Rdf wouldnt have the fitness, knowledge or weapon handling.

twinytwo

eroo wrote: »

Tbh,this subject has been done to death!Quis/Pathfinder don't take everything you read on the internet as fact,it's like depending on the Star for news!:D

Btw,fianoglach.ie is NOT an official site..and wiki is the bare minimum.With all respect I think everyone is tired of ARW threads..because it makes the forum look walty imo.
Mods,PLEASE shut this thread!It will save you wearing out your banning sticks!!:D

if u want this thread closed.. y do u keep posting here?

twinytwo

Im sure everyone knows by now that Quis and pathfinder are one in the same

Rew

twinytwo wrote: »

Wouldnt be much point if you could.. Rdf wouldnt have the fitness, knowledge or weapon handling.

Really thats not what the ARW have to say wehn the work with the RDF, but im sure you know better...

twinytwo

Rew wrote: »

Really thats not what the ARW have to say wehn the work with the RDF, but im sure you know better...

Lets be serious for a min.... You think that a person in the reserves who train one/two night(s) a week would be able to pass selection... Which full time members of the pdf would find extremely hard to do... its called common sence

Manic Moran

Honestly, I don't see why they can't. US and UK have reserve Special Forces units. Obviously successful candidates would be incredibly few and far between, but a lot of the 'trick' to passing these high-dropout courses is determination and will.

NTM

Bam Bam

Personal conviction and commitment maketh the ranger.

RDF do have a special unit the "combat badgers"

minidazzler

twinytwo wrote: »

Lets be serious for a min.... You think that a person in the reserves who train one/two night(s) a week would be able to pass selection... Which full time members of the pdf would find extremely hard to do... its called common sence

I know at least two reservists who if they actually wanted to could go on Most SF selection courses and pass (physical aspects). Their only problem is they dont have the mind for it.

Rew

twinytwo wrote: »

Lets be serious for a min.... You think that a person in the reserves who train one/two night(s) a week would be able to pass selection... Which full time members of the pdf would find extremely hard to do... its called common sence

You would be surprised, one thing the the ARW look for which the RDF cann't atain is over seas experience. Anyone can achive the fitness level required with time, effort and training. The wing lads more and more look for RDF bods to help out on selection and skills courses because they get a group of willing and able troops who will do exactly whats required of them.

twinytwo

minidazzler wrote: »

I know at least two reservists who if they actually wanted to could go on Most SF selection courses and pass (physical aspects). Their only problem is they dont have the mind for it.

Eh ok... the hardest part of any sf selection is the Mentality aspect of it..And exactly do u no they would pass .. im assuming they have never tried?

twinytwo

Rew wrote: »

You would be surprised, one thing the the ARW look for which the RDF cann't atain is over seas experience. Anyone can achive the fitness level required with time, effort and training. The wing lads more and more look for RDF bods to help out on selection and skills courses because they get a group of willing and able troops who will do exactly whats required of them.

Im not saying they couldnt but the most guys in the reserves have full time jobs or are in college etc etc.. the time needed to train to a level to be able to pass selection cannot easily be found... I mean you would propbally want to run at least 40 miles a week as well as swimming ,circuits, hill walking/running.. the list goes on..

jim2008

twinytwo wrote: »

Im not saying they couldnt but the most guys in the reserves have full time jobs or are in college etc etc.. the time needed to train to a level to be able to pass selection cannot easily be found... I mean you would propbally want to run at least 40 miles a week as well as swimming ,circuits, hill walking/running.. the list goes on..

You must not be in the army mate! People with 9 to 5 jobs 5 days a week have lots off time to train, they have every night and weekends, a young soldier will have 24hr duties(which can take a few days to recover) plus cash escorts and other duties all which include long days doing nothing.Yes some units go mad on pts once in a while which is great for fittness levels but these usually dont last.

Running Bing

twinytwo wrote: »

Im not saying they couldnt but the most guys in the reserves have full time jobs or are in college etc etc.. the time needed to train to a level to be able to pass selection cannot easily be found... I mean you would propbally want to run at least 40 miles a week as well as swimming ,circuits, hill walking/running.. the list goes on..

Have a read of this book twiny



It was a real eye opener for me. About a guy who joins 21 sas which is basically a reserve force that trains one night a week and every second weekend.

I never even knew such a thing existed(I bought it thinking it was about the regular SAS). Really good read and the level these guys are at is quite amazing. Its got to be fvcking tough because by its nature your obviouusly gonna get plenty of walts showing up for something like that.

Running Bing

Sorry heres the link for the book.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Quiet-Soldier-Adam-Ballinger/dp/1857971582/ref=cm_lmf_tit_8_rsrsrs0

Ronan Raver77

Here is a story from Thursdays Evening Herald...

BOOM!!!! .. The whole truck shuddered as the explosion detonated.
A second later the rattle of automatic fire deafened me as we all dived from the vehicle and frantically returned fire in the general direction of the enemy ambush while we looked for cover in an attempt to form a fire base.

BOOM!!! .. I felt the shockwave of the next explosion through my chest, followed seconds later by a wave of heat. With my head spinning I dived for cover and let off a blast of automatic.
By this stage one of my fellow students had taken control of the situation and had a baseline formed. Straight away we all knew what to do and like clockwork our contact drills kicked in. My heart was pounding as we went into all-round cover and I roared for more ammo.

I was cold, wet, tired and hungry and all I had to look forward to was an all night forced march over some of the worst mountains in Wicklow with the weight of a small person on my back. Yet, to tell the truth, I wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else in the world as I knew I was within days of passing Army Ranger Wing (ARW) Selection.

I’m known as “Mono” and I’m 26 years old. I’ve been in the Defence Forces for five years and come from an infantry background. In March last year I passed selection course “Oscar One”, a small part of which I described at the start of this article. Selection was followed immediately by a five-month skills course. Since September, I have served as an assault team member and I’m currently forming up for deployment to Chad with the Rangers.

My interest in the Rangers started in my teens, when I first heard about the unit and has grown ever since. In my four years in the infantry I researched and acquired as much information as I could from people who were on selection and from the unit itself.
I was very fortunate in the fact that my previous unit was very encouraging when it comes to soldiering and also my section commander in recruit training was an ex-Ranger.

These, and many other factors, fuelled my determination to join. After failing at my first attempt to pass selection, due to injury. I started training straight away for my second shot at it. I had learned from the first course and I concentrated mostly on running, wearing kit of varying weights and spending time in the hills carrying heavy backpacks, starting off at low intensity, as my priority was to stay injury free.

There is an excellent training programme available from the Rangers before the course that can easily be adapted to suit the individual. Sleeping, resting and especially, eating, are very important during this phase of intense training and although it can be difficult to put on body weight, I achieved it through eating huge amounts of proteins, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats, which was important as I lost almost a stone during the course.

The night before selection began I was as nervous as hell and I remember frantically checking over every piece of my kit, no matter how small. I dragged everything out of my pack and renumbered everything, down to socks and the brushes in my rifle cleaning kit. I double-checked that all my spare warm gear and clothes, especially my sleeping bag, were sealed in waterproof bags.

I knew from previous courses that if your sleeping bag gets wet, you’ll find yourself in an unfortunate situation, to say the least! Although it may sound “soft” to some, one of the most valuable items I bought was Neutrogena hand cream which I used anytime I got a second, because when your hands are constantly wet and cold they can crack and are prone to cuts and infections, which can make the simplest of tasks very difficult.

As far as mental training and attitude are concerned, everybody has their own reasons for wanting to be a Ranger. One of the main reasons for me, the second time round, was that I had failed on my first attempt and it wasn’t going to happen again. No matter what your reason is, it should be rock solid in your head and something you can fall back on when you are cold, wet and tired.

Forty nervous looking soldiers turned up for “Oscar One” on a Friday night and exchanged small talk before the main event kicked off. I’m sorry I didn’t get to know all of them as only 10 of us finished; three officers, four corporals and three privates. No matter how much I suffered on selection the feeling of marching through the gates, with the whole unit clapping and cheering, was worth it a million times over. I passed the course.

The successful officers returned to their units proudly displaying the coveted “Fiannoglach flash”, while the remaining seven of us, joined by another guy remained to face the great unknown, the skills course. The skills course was a definite eye-opener, containing some of the hardest, yet most rewarding things I’d ever been part of. At the end of the course in September only four remained to receive the precious “Green Beret”.

Since I became a fully fledged member of the Rangers, things have been intense. The first week involved parachute packing and jump training, where we learned the techniques and mechanics of being flung out of a helicopter, and prepared ourselves to do our five mandatory unit jumps. By the end of that week the Chad mission was confirmed and, on my second week, the unit went straight into overseas training. Language training, combat PT and weapon skills were the flavour of the day for the rest of the unit, while the new guys were involved in driving courses and weapons courses. Tactical training was also a priority and we did a week of live fire training in the Glen of Imaal. This gave me a chance to work with my new team and learn all the new techniques I’d need to adapt to work in this new environment.

Now I can’t wait to deploy to Chad with my new unit.Since I’ve joined the Rangers I’ve been constantly busy and constantly learning, but the rewards are endless. No matter how tough and challenging the training, the end result is worth a thousandtimes over.

This article appears in the current edition of An Cosantoir, the Defence Forces Magazine.

I had to type it out myself so theres probably mistakes:)

Hagar

Thanks for that Ronan. Some of us* have no access to the Herald or An Cosantoir.





*Me.

Running Bing

Ronan Devitt wrote: »

Here is a story from Thursdays Evening Herald...

BOOM!!!! .. The whole truck shuddered as the explosion detonated.
A second later the rattle of automatic fire deafened me as we all dived from the vehicle and frantically returned fire in the general direction of the enemy ambush while we looked for cover in an attempt to form a fire base.

BOOM!!! .. I felt the shockwave of the next explosion through my chest, followed seconds later by a wave of heat. With my head spinning I dived for cover and let off a blast of automatic.
By this stage one of my fellow students had taken control of the situation and had a baseline formed. Straight away we all knew what to do and like clockwork our contact drills kicked in. My heart was pounding as we went into all-round cover and I roared for more ammo.

I was cold, wet, tired and hungry and all I had to look forward to was an all night forced march over some of the worst mountains in Wicklow with the weight of a small person on my back. Yet, to tell the truth, I wouldn’t have wanted to be anywhere else in the world as I knew I was within days of passing Army Ranger Wing (ARW) Selection.

I’m known as “Mono” and I’m 26 years old. I’ve been in the Defence Forces for five years and come from an infantry background. In March last year I passed selection course “Oscar One”, a small part of which I described at the start of this article. Selection was followed immediately by a five-month skills course. Since September, I have served as an assault team member and I’m currently forming up for deployment to Chad with the Rangers.

My interest in the Rangers started in my teens, when I first heard about the unit and has grown ever since. In my four years in the infantry I researched and acquired as much information as I could from people who were on selection and from the unit itself.
I was very fortunate in the fact that my previous unit was very encouraging when it comes to soldiering and also my section commander in recruit training was an ex-Ranger.

These, and many other factors, fuelled my determination to join. After failing at my first attempt to pass selection, due to injury. I started training straight away for my second shot at it. I had learned from the first course and I concentrated mostly on running, wearing kit of varying weights and spending time in the hills carrying heavy backpacks, starting off at low intensity, as my priority was to stay injury free.

There is an excellent training programme available from the Rangers before the course that can easily be adapted to suit the individual. Sleeping, resting and especially, eating, are very important during this phase of intense training and although it can be difficult to put on body weight, I achieved it through eating huge amounts of proteins, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats, which was important as I lost almost a stone during the course.

The night before selection began I was as nervous as hell and I remember frantically checking over every piece of my kit, no matter how small. I dragged everything out of my pack and renumbered everything, down to socks and the brushes in my rifle cleaning kit. I double-checked that all my spare warm gear and clothes, especially my sleeping bag, were sealed in waterproof bags.

I knew from previous courses that if your sleeping bag gets wet, you’ll find yourself in an unfortunate situation, to say the least! Although it may sound “soft” to some, one of the most valuable items I bought was Neutrogena hand cream which I used anytime I got a second, because when your hands are constantly wet and cold they can crack and are prone to cuts and infections, which can make the simplest of tasks very difficult.

As far as mental training and attitude are concerned, everybody has their own reasons for wanting to be a Ranger. One of the main reasons for me, the second time round, was that I had failed on my first attempt and it wasn’t going to happen again. No matter what your reason is, it should be rock solid in your head and something you can fall back on when you are cold, wet and tired.

Forty nervous looking soldiers turned up for “Oscar One” on a Friday night and exchanged small talk before the main event kicked off. I’m sorry I didn’t get to know all of them as only 10 of us finished; three officers, four corporals and three privates. No matter how much I suffered on selection the feeling of marching through the gates, with the whole unit clapping and cheering, was worth it a million times over. I passed the course.

The successful officers returned to their units proudly displaying the coveted “Fiannoglach flash”, while the remaining seven of us, joined by another guy remained to face the great unknown, the skills course. The skills course was a definite eye-opener, containing some of the hardest, yet most rewarding things I’d ever been part of. At the end of the course in September only four remained to receive the precious “Green Beret”.

Since I became a fully fledged member of the Rangers, things have been intense. The first week involved parachute packing and jump training, where we learned the techniques and mechanics of being flung out of a helicopter, and prepared ourselves to do our five mandatory unit jumps. By the end of that week the Chad mission was confirmed and, on my second week, the unit went straight into overseas training. Language training, combat PT and weapon skills were the flavour of the day for the rest of the unit, while the new guys were involved in driving courses and weapons courses. Tactical training was also a priority and we did a week of live fire training in the Glen of Imaal. This gave me a chance to work with my new team and learn all the new techniques I’d need to adapt to work in this new environment.

Now I can’t wait to deploy to Chad with my new unit.Since I’ve joined the Rangers I’ve been constantly busy and constantly learning, but the rewards are endless. No matter how tough and challenging the training, the end result is worth a thousandtimes over.

This article appears in the current edition of An Cosantoir, the Defence Forces Magazine.

I had to type it out myself so theres probably mistakes:)

Love to get a glimpse of that.


Really appreciate you typing that out Ronan, quality article.



Just a small silly question...what does PT stand for? I see it everywhere but I never knew what it meant (Im guessing physical training?)

Quis Separabit

Babybing wrote: »

Have a read of this book twiny



It was a real eye opener for me. About a guy who joins 21 sas which is basically a reserve force that trains one night a week and every second weekend.

I never even knew such a thing existed(I bought it thinking it was about the regular SAS). Really good read and the level these guys are at is quite amazing. Its got to be fvcking tough because by its nature your obviouusly gonna get plenty of walts showing up for something like that.

Three nights a week. You must also have served in the regulars, selection is the same as 22 and 23 SAS, but takes one year, the question is how many people can get months off work to go to or Brunei or Malaysia phase II initial continuation training, (even if they wanted to join) ?

21 SAS is also undermanned as its selection drop outrate is estimated at around 97 %.

Hence the possibility of it being amalgamated into of 4 Para (TA) in a pathfinder/ISTAR role.

With the SRR taking its role over in support of 22 and 23 SAS.

Unlike 22 SAS it has no CRW or CT role, only an ISTAR role, very similar to the Parachute Regiments Pathfinder platoon, there is talk of diabanding it and making it part of 4 Para in a Pathfinder role. 21 AND 23 SAS have Permanent 22 SAS Staff Instructors.

Running Bing

Quis Separabit wrote: »

Three nights a week. You must also have served in the regulars, selection is the same as 22 and 23 SAS, but takes one year, the question is how many people can get months off work to go to or Brunei or Malaysia phase II initial continuation training, (even if they wanted to join) ?

.

You dont have to have served in the regulars and 23 is a reserve force as well. 22 is the proper regiment. The SBS is different and you have to have served for that.

The official site is here http://www.army.mod.uk/uksf/special_forces_soldier_reserve_/sas/index.htm



As for time off work, I imagine that if you were dedicated enough to get to that stage it would be pretty high up on your priority list and you would manage somehow.