Florida/Swamp Phase at Ranger School | Episode 4 of Ranger School: Everything You Need to Know

Everything you need to know to be prepared for Florida/Swamp Phase at Ranger School! A comprehensive breakdown on what you can expect and some advice to help you be successful and ultimately get that Ranger Tab! Bonus episode for Graduation and Post-Ranger School coming soon! If you have any other questions just let me know in the comments!
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[@danielmatthews4262]

FL native here. Yes, it gets VERY cold in Florida, and the humidity is always high. It just doesn't stay that way for long. Everything in the swamp is trying to kill or hurt you. Have fun.

[@jamesallen3799]

This is excellent: 9-74. It is all about attitude and applying yourself. It is no joke and not easy, but it is beneficial. It brings back some memories. If you can read the map in a swamp, you do not get so wet! But after the mountains, the contour lines are quite different on the map. If you carry the machine gun, you are likely in a good place for a tab.

[@SwampRanger]

You will make 2 major swamp movements, the Boiler and the Weaver. I believe they were days 6 and 8. Expect to be in chest deep water with your boots sunk into the mud the entire time… Our platoon got the motors for the Santa Rosa mission. We were the Decisive Operation and had the best overall rated platoon. From my understanding, that is why we got the motors. I remember looking at the Santa Rosa sound at the million dollar houses, passing by the guys on the boats paddling who SP’d 2 hours before us. Great times… My best advise for land navigation due to the terrain being extremely flat and hard to terrain associate: -Everyone in the squad keeps a pace count -Every 50-100m pull out your compass and make sure your still on the right azimuth. -make sure everyone in the platoon is communicating the pace count and azimuth, because when you get hit with IDF, you all need to make sure your headed in the right direction. Saw a lot of no go’s because leaders didn’t account for pace count / azimuth when reacting to indirect

[@sugewhitejacoby8654]

Great advice! Where were you in 1981? I could have used this advice. But we got it together.

[@thomasloveless4800]

I remember when we mounted the Zodiaks before Santa Rosa watching everyone in the hotels drinking and partying as we were about to freeze our asses off. Good times.

[@ghamm219]

About 2 weeks ago I was approached by my new CO and asked if I wanted to go to ranger school in January... like 2 weeks from now. I of course said yes and have been scrounging to get everything off my packing list together. I was just about to get a rangerpack and I saw that you had uploaded this video, I watched it when it was newly posted "1 hour ago" and thought to myself. Nah I shouldn't comment, probably won't win. But my wife is pushing me to, thankfully I have her. Hoping to knock out ranger school then middle of next year go to SFRE then on to SFAS. Best wishes, thanks for all the tips.

[@torieharris3830]

Are you going to the January 9th class ?

[@jonathanbell8887]

How did it go?

[@wyzurd]

Updates?

[@Dr_J_623]

If you got everything you wanted, you should just about be finishing up the Q course right now. I hope that is the case!

[@fredrickdavis5746]

Tip one always be prepared because when other trainees drop in front of you you just need to survive

[@Li8eralsarescum69]

I listen to your videos while I drive man. Awesome. Heading to meps in a few weeks!

[@cecil5152]

Florida Phase in Spring/Summer make sure you stay hydrated. Sounds easy, but it still happens. Multiple medical drops in my class due to them not drinking enough water. Also, don't over hydrate, you'll end up pissing out all your Electrolytes and you'll become a medical drop as a heat casualty. Not sure, but if you're a medical drop through being a heat casualty you won't get to immediately recycle that phase....you go home.

[@jonathandavenport2500]

Great lesson on how to check on the group and fix a possible problem.

[@msfkmsfk]

Another great video. I really appreciate the info Gritty Soldier. One thing I would ask of you though is that can you make a video about combat dive school for rangers. I'm a pretty decent swimmer and being a combat diver is one thing that really interests me about Special Forces. If you could make a video that explains that I will be really extra grateful. Thanks again for all the great content.

[@calebpedersen2169]

Have lived in central Florida my whole life. I do this for fun all the time 😂. Probably won’t be easy, but definitely wont be as challenging as for the rest of the class.

[@Daytonian17]

I study every one of your ranger instruction videos thoroughly sir, mental and physical notes. I truly want this shit so bad and I really appreciate your service on and off KZbin. Hopefully I catch up to you someday my guy! #RLTW 🇺🇸🏆

[@GrittySoldier]

💪

[@psotos]

If you need Swamp terrain near Bragg, just head over to old Swamp Mackall! That's what we called it anyway. I did a few Robin Sage Aggressor missions there. Some serious swamps at Mackall.

[@GrittySoldier]

💪

[@shadowswimmer8361]

During the 10-day FTX, they’d give us 6 MREs (3 day supply) at a time. Unlike Darby, grazing was authorized. Some guys really played themselves by crushing three days worth of food in 1.5 days. If things are still the same, recommend students figure out a way to stay disciplined with their food supply. Personally, I had specific times of day/phases of the mission where I’d eat something to help keep me honest. Agreed on the lack of leadership opportunities. We ended up graduating only about half of our company due to patrol failures.

[@tbjtbj4786]

That part of Fl. Is fun. Been through there hunting from the 70's through the 90's. Hog.bear when leagle, deer, coon and bobcat. I would rather be there in the winter. I allergic to yellow flys. They put me in the hospital as a kid. Counted 200 bites

[@sugewhitejacoby8654]

All I can say about swamp is swampass and prepare for more suck! I don't know how much it's changed in 30 yrs but Im sure it still sucks and I'm from Florida and raised around the swamps. #RLTW 🇺🇸 🇺🇸

[@NedWasHere94]

I’m going to be swamped with gear when I win this Ranger pack.

[@xArtoriasTheAbysswalker]

30 min of sleep a night for 10 days straight, while getting beaten down sounds like a night full of hallucinations.

[@GrittySoldier]

Yep lol

[@xArtoriasTheAbysswalker]

@@GrittySoldier What’s your most vivid hallucination, if you can remember one specifically?

[@russream3732]

Dugway, UT was final phase after Florida in 1989. (14-89)

[@denigma68rltw]

They should reinstate that phase or something cold weather phase in my opinion.

[@russream3732]

@@denigma68rltw I just looked, Ranger School with 3 phases is currently 61-62 days. When I went it was 72 (10 more days of stress, *not that it was a monster Course but,…I’ll just stop there). “So much for not dumbing down the course, or changing the standards or whatever it’s called to help people get through”.

[@pararanger1388]

Dugway, same for 13-88.

[@UnusualWarrior]

Did you guys get to go to the Gator Lounge at Rudder after finishing up? They let us go one night and grab beers. I had one Sam Adams and I was buzzing hard, probably cuz I weighed 145 lbs at the end. 8-96

[@GrittySoldier]

The gator lounge is still there!

[@downranger69]

1989, Camp Rudder, attached to the School of the Americas. Buen entrenamiento.

[@jordanmcneill3201]

Worst phase EVER for me. Ate the gatorade packets like they were candy, dehydrated myself, and then literally shit myself on Santa Rosa just to recycle and do Florida all over again🙃

[@GrittySoldier]

Sad face…

[@merk8628]

i shouldnt have laughed as hard as i did LOOOL

[@jordanmcneill3201]

@@merk8628 I look back at it and laugh myself lol shitty times but hey I never have to go back and do it again

[@michaelreed9805]

The capstone phase

[@johnlindsey285]

They still have blueberry pancakes at the end?

[@xxkrnplaysxx1683]

Gritty Soldier, what is the 10 day exercise about.

[@ernestpennysworth5145]

One thing everyone seems to forget about when they graduate is the ANXIETY you feel every damn day

[@ernestpennysworth5145]

My anxiety peaked on day 10 of the Florida FTX

[@GrittySoldier]

Agreed 😂

[@duncanidaho0175]

SUA SPONTE RANGERS LEAD THE WAY

[@GrittySoldier]

RLTW!

[@duncanidaho0175]

@@GrittySoldier ATW

[@GeorgeJansen]

12:58. Which makes wonder how do seals, rangers, spec ops etc, maintain concealment when a giant horse fly just took a chunk out of you. 🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴😂😂😂

[@GrittySoldier]

😝

[@chrisfarrell9131]

At any time during ranger school do you have to do the Combat Swimmer Stroke and how much swimming is there

[@GrittySoldier]

Not a lot of swimming at all, really only during RAP week with the CWST. After that, you’ll do rope bridges but you’re strapped to the rope for that.

[@JoseLopez-ej5wf]

Can you recycle on every phase? Or do you only get 1 recycle?

[@GeorgeJansen]

Is that near Eglin afb? I did phase 1 us army eod school there (July 90). Thxs

[@GrittySoldier]

Yea it’s located there.

[@chrisfarrell9131]

Is It just the 50 Metter Swim with gear in 4 minutes does that include a rifle? Also how to prevent tigh chaffing during ranger school?

[@GrittySoldier]

Yes if I remember correctly. And chaffing will become a fact of life in school. Make sure your pants arnt sagging and that you wear your kit/gear in a way that is not too tight, so it limits the rubbing. Besides that, there isn’t much you can do, just suck up the pain 😆

[@GeorgeJansen]

12:58. We had those gotdam sand fleas that would bite us like that at hunter aaf Georgia. It made trying to maintain the position of attention a bitch..lol 😂😂😂😂

[@motivatedhustlers590]

How do you deal with alligators or even snakes crossing through the water.

[@GrittySoldier]

You hope not to come across them 😉. Actually you do get a class on the swamp wildlife, and the dangers of coming into contact with them. More or less, you are taught to just stay away from the wildlife. You don’t mess with them, they don’t mess with you.

[@fredrickdavis5746]

Oh yeah they let us down during class 3/95 4 people died in this class

[@juansantos1336]

Hey I’m going to class 1-22. In the packing list doesn’t say anything about the cold weather jacket layer 6, is that issued by CIF as part of the ta50 gear or should I bring mine?

[@GrittySoldier]

Im not sure which layer that is but if it’s the marshmallow jacket they won’t let you wear it anyway. You’ll really just need the waffle top and a really good smokers jacket.

[@juansantos1336]

@@GrittySoldier thanks! That’s the wet weather jacket.

[@richm9189]

How did you do bud ?

[@gradysanders48]

RLTW 2/75 BN

[@karlebrus6095]

you think there's a lot more pressure to get the tab if you already went through rasp

[@GrittySoldier]

Absolutely, you don’t make SGT without a tab (typically)

[@karlebrus6095]

@@GrittySoldier is it possible that they could drop you all together if you fail ranger school or are they more leniant knowing you already did rasp

[@GrittySoldier]

@@karlebrus6095 you’ll usually get a second chance through regiment if you fail Ranger once. After that, RFS (released for standards)

[@UnusualWarrior]

Interesting you said you got less sleep in Florida; we went from 33% security at all times in Mountains and Darby to 25% in Florida. Was that your experience as well?

[@GrittySoldier]

No I remember it staying more around 33%. Security never became less for us, only ever more lol

[@UnusualWarrior]

@@GrittySoldier Now that I think about it it was likely due to the Ranger students dying in 95. I was there in 96.

[@kazama850]

Raised in pensacola,FL

[@cheeseman7453]

How many ladies in your ranger class?

[@GrittySoldier]

I had 2 in my class.

[@lukaspedroza9102]

I want a pack sir! Sorry for spamming you!

[@JohnWilliams-wz9vk]

12-90..seamp was 3rd phase..there were 4 phases..then..last..hard class..