The Ultimate Guide to Becoming an Army Ranger | Luke Ryan

The life of a Ranger can’t be rightly described in a short video, but we hope these building blocks clear things up for anyone hoping to take a dive into the 75th Ranger Regiment (or any Ranger family members out there wondering what their loved one is doing all day).
Luke Ryan went on four deployments to Afghanistan as an Army Ranger. He left as a sergeant/team leader and he is a Purple Heart recipient. Find more info on him below.
Some common questions:
✅ Yes, you become a Ranger when you are assigned to a Ranger Battalion, even before Ranger School. Graduates of Ranger School aren't necessarily Rangers, rather, "Ranger Qualified."
✅ RASP 2 is a program built for officers and higher-ranking NCOs, and that pipeline is different from this one.
✅ Other jobs (medics, forward operators, cooks, etc.) have different pipelines.
✅ Nuances change over time (like the name of Fort Benning, or in the past when exactly during the pipeline you go to Airborne School, or what they’re specifically teaching in RASP these days) but the building blocks have stayed the same for a long time.
Read more about what it takes to become a Ranger here: www.sandboxx.us/blog/how-to-b...
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📱 Follow Luke Ryan on Instagram: / lesgingerables
Find his books of war poetry:
The Gun and the Scythe: www.amazon.com/Gun-Scythe-Poe...
A Moment of Violence: www.amazon.com/Moment-Violenc...
Or his post-apocalyptic novel, The First Marauder: www.amazon.com/First-Marauder...
Video Chapters:
0:00 - Introduction
0:19 - Basic Training
01:25 - Airborne School
02:35 - RASP
04:26 - Life as a Ranger
06:59 - Ranger School
09:50 - Deployments (to Afghanistan)
11:51 - Personal Impact of being a Ranger

[@Hew.Jarsol]

America's first special forces. The US Rangers were created, trained and advised by the British Army Commandos in 1942 Achnacarry Scotland. The 1st and 29th Rangers were born. Direct copies of the Commandos. These later used their new Commando skills to create the 2nd and 5th US Ranger Battalions in 1943 who participated in D day. "Ranger" was selected because of the British colonial Rogers Queens Rangers (Scottish border Rangers). 8 British advisors accompanied the US Rangers at Point Du Hoc aswell as 3 SWANS. The later US Green berets, Marine Raiders, US Seals/OG all trace their heritage back to the Commandos. US DELTA force was later modelled on the SAS 🇺🇸

[@carlosshelbyjr.6704]

Actually the US Army Ranger lineage is traced back before the founding of the United States. Major Robert Rogers, to be exact. There have been Army Ranger variations that have fought in every single American war ☀️⚡️⭐️

[@orbitalrocketmechaniccain3150]

I’m so glad that you’re branching out with these other series. This one particularly is so important. The technology and the ability to have a country that can make things like F-35’s needs the people first. The lessons learned on the ground are what shapes our future

[@realdreamerschangetheworld7470]

Absolutely! Manpower (Social Infrastructure) and technological prowess must be held in equal regard 👍

[@earlyriser8998]

thank you for your service and describing the 'short version' of the process

[@mzuniga_74]

Great breakdown and explanations. Thanks for the video!

[@jimcabezola3051]

Thank you for you service, Luke Ryan.

[@richardguerra3155]

Very much appreciated. My respect and appreciation are not enough expression of your service. Thank you.

[@Davethreshold]

(I never served.) Luke Ryan, when I hit about 40, I noticed the older I got, the younger my heroes got. Now at 71, THANK YOU for being one of them! ❤🤍💙

[@erasmus_locke]

I'm really liking this new segment! Keep up the good work Sandbox

[@IndigoSeirra]

Love these videos! Looking forward to the next one.

[@nocturnekinetics]

Great breakdown brother

[@tanjongmalim6869]

Great video. I especially like the part you described the "new guy" feeling in the Ranger battalion. So true....

[@mocafrost]

Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to future videos.

[@jeffreycarpp4743]

Excellent and look forward to more new content

[@fdangleshadang-a-lang7149]

Alex! THANK YOU for posting this. I’ve always wanted you to do a dive into the world of SOCOM

[@davidcerullo7976]

Excellent presentation, Luke Ryan! I got the general idea of the training requirements to be an Army Ranger. God bless you sir and I hope and pray 🙏 you are prospering as a civilian.

[@ghostindamachine]

Luke Ryan is a great story teller. I was unaware that even getting to Range School is such a journey.

[@holton345]

Outstanding video!

[@DTex.45ACP]

Great start! I'm looking forward to new content and the direction y'all take this sub-channel, for lack of a better term. There are some really great authors putting out a stream of novels and stories that are Ranger-focused, and they often publish podcasts and interviews with the Rangers with whom they consult. It's fascinating - I hope these segments get to the same level of awesome!

[@mikebrown9997]

Thank you Ranger for your service to our country. God bless you.

[@TheGravitywerks]

Thanks for the video! My son was 2/75th.....nice to see the pathway. I know he worked his a** off.

[@jaylarsen3647]

A much clearer chronology than a number of other depictions I’ve watched.

[@dobrzpe]

i heard they actually changed it to going to Airborne AFTER (if you complete) RASP now b/c recruits were wanting to go airborne and the only way was with an Option 40 contract (Ranger contract) - so they were quitting after Airborne and before going to RASP... thou, it'll *always* be RIP to me! RLTW 1/75

[@1anre]

Are you serious? Why were they doing that?

[@michaelinsc9724]

Really enjoyed this!

[@thedude8543]

Great video please make more!

[@klonkimo]

I was really looking forward to this content, and it's really good to meet you over the camera. Do you have to say that I'm hoping for more for the series. I want to hear stories, I want to hear critical thinking breakdowns of specific situations. The whole " this is what this MOS is like" content has been done for decades. A lot of it by recruiters themselves. I think there's so many stories that are worth exploring, hopefully with guests, but you can take a metal citation and run with it. Ward Carroll does this fantastically on his channel, when he brings on a friend of his who turns out to be an admiral or somebody who shot down a mig, and they just chit chat for 30 minutes and it's fantastic content. I hope you take this constructively, I really want this to be awesome content that I can't wait to open up every time I see the thumbnail. Good luck!

[@robertandrew880]

Absolutely spot on

[@1anre]

Basic -> OSUT -> RASP I/II -> Airborne-> Platoon Specialty Training -> Deployment work-up Training -> Advanced Specialty Training

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

A wonderful introducing video about the US Army Ranger ..

[@bebox2495]

Wonderful video.

[@johndavis6482]

Thx for your service 🙏

[@rhinotv3646]

This was a amazing video

[@Rjisawake]

Great video

[@1anre]

Simply a good run through of infantry ranger life. Would like to see what other specializations in ranger regiment's career path looked like too(medic, recce, intelligence, etc)

[@KNBody]

Great work

[@RogierYou]

Excellent

[@MattGlandorf]

Thank you Sir !

[@ConspiracyVoid4]

Thank you for your service, suberb video kind sir.

[@buddhistbeer4409]

great video

[@jeffreyholdeman3042]

I’m a few years before the presenter (RIP not RASP) but spot on overview for folks. Well done.

[@northwestgaming4049]

Ok I was like what happened to rip. Went through sand hill in 2000

[@jeffreyholdeman3042]

@@northwestgaming4049Jesus I’m old…..

[@kaiserluch9322]

How hard is RASP? I personally want to be a ranger so bad

[@jakemitchell4678]

@@kaiserluch9322it’s hard but your mentality needs to be that you will never quit, no matter what. I am going to RASP in a few months and carrying that mentality with me.

[@kaiserluch9322]

@@jakemitchell4678 fuck yeah man, It's hard for me to even wait

[@patgiblinsongs5]

Excellent account of life as a Ranger. I really enjoyed this video. I was in 3rd Batt from 1984-1987, and these 21st Century Rangers are way more badass than we were! RLTW

[@SaundersE5]

1st Battalion 81-83, different but not better.

[@ngilbert100]

That was freakin great!

[@jarink1]

Respect to those guys, but the only time I ever said "I want to be an airborne ranger" was singing cadence while running. My year and a half training as a Russian-language radio intercept operator was not physically challenging, but was both fun and rewarding.

[@realdreamerschangetheworld7470]

🔥🔥🔥

[@mitchwagner2693]

You have to love any & all extra Sandboxx content.

[@nerdwatch1017]

I believe in how hard they need to push you to see if you can make it through still in one piece why’ll your still at home. So they know as well as yourself knows you have what it takes to handle yourself on deployment.

[@kingpat2948]

This man said they showed up, fuck them up, and took them😭😭 fire fight less than 20 sec lmaoooo

[@axelpintor3384]

Thanks

[@anacrane2050]

If I am not mistaken I think they changed it around where you do not go to airborne until after RASP. If you fail RASP you immediately get sent to the “Big Army” loose your contract and Airborne is taking off the table. 11X with option 40. Please correct me if I am wrong. My son is in the process now. We thought the steps were the way this video listed the process but realized the switch.

[@TiffanyValencia-wj1hj]

They switched it because a lot of guys were signing option 40's just to go to airborne then quitting as soon as they got to RASP and wasting time and money on training so they swapped the order

[@RiffeLivingLife]

ManPower Great Stuff. Army Rangers Lead The Way 🇺🇸

[@D2C3R5]

Great presentation and breakdown. My son graduates high school in 2025 and is going to enlist, hoping to get an option 40 contract. RLTW!

[@Alej0731]

31 Male here. Shipping out to basic first week of May. Selected 74D CBRN Specialist and picked Airborne school as my option. Starting off as a PFC. Will do my best to get a recommendation from leadership for Ranger school.

[@elcohetejpr]

Sounds mostly the same from when I went through RIP (oct/ Nov '92). Though in RIP day 1 you are broken into three large platoons, one for each battalion, and you got to decide which one. Once through RIP and arriving at battalion, 3rd for me, you were really pushed hard during that first training cycle as they wanted everyone ready for Ranger School as fast as possible. I was an e-4 in less than a year, basically awarded as soon as you returned from Ranger School, and e-5 in less than a year and a half in service, at 19yo, which was the average age of a Ranger when I was in. I expected after 30 years there would have been much more of a difference - but I guess if it works, it works. Rangers Lead the Way! o7

[@inbubbawetrust1577]

Did you know a guy named Bubba Moore when you were in 3/75?

[@elcohetejpr]

@@inbubbawetrust1577 not off the top of my head, which company (it was a long time ago...lol)? I was Bravo.

[@1anre]

Damn E1-E5 within 1yr? That's really cool. Does this only apply to folks in Ranger Regiment or other military members promote this fast as well?

[@elcohetejpr]

@@1anre Went in as an E-2, and then 18 months to E-5. I was lucky and went through pre-ranger and ranger school as soon as I arrived at battalion and you were promoted to E-4 as soon as you finished ranger school. Ranger tab gives an automatic 100 pts, so that plus expert marksman, max PT test, you just need the board and PLDC and you are maxed out on points for E-5, just need an open slot. Same for E-6 pretty much. My last year in the Army I did at Ft. Bragg in the 82nd, I met another guy there that pretty much had done the same thing, e-5 in 18 months, e-6 at 5 1/2 years and he did it there in the 82nd. So it can be done outside battalion, just requires lots of motivation and a little bit of luck on the school slots.

[@1anre]

@elcohetejpr oh ok. Makes sense. Once you reached E5 that early(18 months), did you get bored and didn't really have any motivation to keep remaining in the army as you've seen almost everything within those ranks? Did you try out for any SMUs or you left at E6 and just went into the corporate world ro work?

[@jamespope2840]

God bless and protect our service peroneal from those who wish to do Us harm. God bless you ( little Avie) hope you are well, and all who are in the service. 10/25/2023 I haven't talked to my dodder for years now. All I can think of somedays is I pray for you.

[@jmanj3917]

12:54 I'm glad you're well, Brother.

[@lorenrogers9269]

School names/training names have changed, but alot hasn’t. I went to Ranger school in 1976, then to 1st battalion, then at Fort Stewart, Georgia. We had one vehicle, the Colonels jeep. No Strykers or other kit.

[@jste363]

LOL...Is that Sgt. Rogers of C CO? RIP? RASP? Back when I served in C CO, 1st Battalion (77-79) they just threw you in with the hard-core. Basic/AIT/jump school/Ranger Battalion. You swam or sunk. If they thought you were ready, and that took awhile, they sent you to Ranger School. Good video for today's recruits. Comparing 70's to today's Rangers is pointless. 2 different missions and loads more technology. PT is the same, apparently 😂. Rangers do lead the way...make it and you'll never face anything more mentally challenging or rewarding. Sua Sponte!

[@way75mit9]

Yep, Black Berets and OD fatigues with jungle boots, in those old red brick barracks 700 block, back when Stewart was almost empty, just us and those Nat Guard punks every weekend, Hinesville was a lonely po dunk town then, big move to Hunter was what we all were happy about, Sua Sponte then & now RLTW!!!

[@jste363]

@way75mit9 Remember half the buildings on main post were still wooden relics from WW2? 🤣 The in process was on the other side of the post in those cinderblock buildings. The start of deployments by truck up to Hunter to load C141's. Those were the days.

[@RS33743]

Really great content I appreciate the alternate type of content! I have one question for you and that is, "do you think it would be possible to include the position of being CCT"? (sorry my writing and punctuation skills truly suck). Possibly also include different positions within the SEALs without giving away classified info? First let me say that I would really like to hear some of the experiences both individuals have gone through and possibly where they are in life today. These experiences I truly believe make a individual a truly unique individual and someone to aspire to be one day. I don't know of any better recruitment material that is presented truthfully with all the dangers and what-if's! I think that compiling all these together would truly show the immense valor that our troops aspire to each and every day even when they become civilians... God bless all those who have safe-guarded our freedom and our rights as U. S. citizens

[@texoutlaw1732]

Even more in depth would be great.

[@jedidiahgatei1532]

RASP comes before airborne school because people were getting RASP contracts just for the airborne

[@JtstepLive]

Yea they started that in 18 I think. I went to osut in 16 and it was still airborne first.

[@1anre]

How has that shaped the pipeline of people going into airborne school now, as other units send people to airborne school without sending them to an equivalent of RASP first. Seems one-sided

[@lildrousey9047]

don’t they have an option 4 to prevent that?

[@angiehorn9417]

Now they go to RASP before airborne if they have option 40.. 👍🏼

[@nmelkhunter1]

Great video. When you went through RASP, did you notice if there was a higher rate of success among those who went to Ranger School before RASP versus those who did not?

[@anthonydowns9632]

I went 88N woo..😂 BUT! No joke in 2007 when I went in the way and who the D.S. were a lot of buddies including my self should have been going down the pipeline. I did get airborne offered right after ait so a little backwards. If I knew the 75th had 88s maan..I would have said whoa whoa that's where I'm going! Much love brother!

[@gearheadgaming1537]

A green beret I know says rangers are like the training course/pre-req to the higher teirs such at GB.

[@fragout9575]

That sounds like someone who is blowing smoke up your ass. Rangers (Regimental) literally run two separate courses, with some similarities to earn the scroll AND the Tab. It is the only SOF Unit that has Tier 1 & 2 units. Our Tier 1 RRC (RRD) had a completely separate pipeline as well and selection within Battalions is extremely rigorous as well. Each SOF units selection and pipeline is different and for very specific reasons. No one unit is a pre-req to the other. I've seen my fair share of guys washout of Q course who's ego thought they were better than everyone else. And I've seen GB and Delta Force Operators not make time on our two obstacle courses, Darby Queen and Malvesti...

[@Bamx3]

Hey ,for starters , thank you for your service . Also , I’ll be 30 next year and plan on joining the regiment as 25B or 68W.. my question is , how much training will be available to non combat MOS? Can I still go to ranger school? Can I still get some field training ??

[@Nick-bu2kp]

RASP is now before airborne school

[@NOM-X]

Thanks for giving those civilian's a slight taste of how it is. Nobody understands until the shit hits the fan. Take care brother, and try and do one on Pathfinder, or JFO life. Shit is fun, hard, scary at no time, just thirsts for more. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast!. Rangers Lead The Way! - NOM

[@PapaPerk360]

A shit ton of infantry officers go to Ranger School right after IBOLC.

[@leonardofelchnervii7905]

RIP was the real (1st) selection. Staying in Bat is the marathon

[@sebastiancubillos5962]

So was it in your contract to become a Ranger? What made you choose that and not SF? And how would you compare the two? Was your body wore down by the end or are you okay? How old were you?

[@stephenfinn3937]

Can you explain when you joined the army did you tell the recruiter that you wanted to go to 75th regiment before u joined the army and no other regiment or do you apply for ranger regiment after you did basic training thanks

[@isaacphillips8543]

So i am currently a 31B and a SGT. Currently in the process of switching to 11B. How would this process work with me being an NCO already? Or is it too late for me to pursue?

[@TheTribeOnly]

Would it be a good idea to go through ranger school first then go over to RASP?

[@wedgeantilles8575]

I am not sure if this is a general rule, but I have read a few books about people in special forces (e.g. Inside DeltaForce). What those books had all in common: The authors said they never doubted they would get into whatever special United they wanted to get in. They always knew they would make it. So I'd say: If your mindset is "Do I have what it takes to be a Green Beret / Seal / whatever?" - you probably don't. Your mindseht should be: "Of course I have what it takes, no question about that" I'd love to hear thoughts of people who are in this kind of units. Am I correct?

[@davidh77844]

The people I knew who “knew they would get in” were the first ones to quit. I think a common feeling is that you don’t feel like you are good enough and need to prove that you deserve to be there everyday. So while you don’t necessarily doubt yourself, you are acutely aware that if you don’t perform at 100% everyday you are jeopardizing your position.

[@ivanichiro7894]

RANGERS lead the way. Respect!

[@user-McGiver]

MANPOWER!....

[@davidelias7439]

Infirmative

[@KevinNguyen-md5ve]

Enlisting this August. 68W with an Opt. 40 attached. Is Airborne still before RASP? I thought they changed it to after RASP.

[@tg-dg1zr]

When I went thru osut back in 2018 the op40 guys went straight to RASP

[@dfdemt]

Could you add a chapter about RRC?

[@christopherhoppe7508]

Did you ever have USAF TACP/JTAC's with you?

[@WinkelmanSM-3]

sounds awsome, although this wont be my path

[@chubss808]

Just checking out these videos because one of my boys that I know from my gym is a former ranger, smoking big weed now that we out tho. I was just artillery, fat and strong

[@GODISPOWER777]

I felt like I was the new guy for a while. When I say a while, it feels like 2 years.

[@joelpierce3940]

Same path for 18X.

[@telepurt_]

Were you an 11X or an 11B before going into bootcamp? Asking because IM wondering if you did the option 40 contract in 11X or u just became an 11B and went into airborne im confused

[@fragout9575]

11X means you are still infantry when you enter Basic Training, but will get your designation when you go down range to your OSUT training unit. You can be "B, C" or whatever the current designation are these days. Regardless of "X", if Option 40 is on your contract, once you graduate basic training and AIT, you'll continue on to RASP.

[@SnakePliskin762]

Do many do the full 20 years or do say 4 and get out to be a civvy?

[@JakJam-fw4zo]

Iwas attached to a ranger regiment.......you young man aren't a sliver of the Rangers I walked with.... Not even close......

[@theblackboxpodcastshow1791]

How many Rangers you knew was RFS ed ? Just a little curious about the mindset of kids today .

[@elafayettestone1799]

Agreed

[@johnmoriarty6158]

This video is Ranger-iffic!

[@NoName-ds5uq]

That bit near the end. I served in the Royal Australian Navy and we were told in recruit school 35 years ago, “Once a Pusser, always a Pusser.” Pusser is a nickname for sailor. This stuff never leaves you. I spoke to a much older veteran not too long ago and told him I was ex-navy, and his reply was, “There’s no such thing as ex!”🤣

[@unclemoe6043]

True, ur never an Ex, always a former. Nvr 4get !!! "Sua Sponte" 74-78

[@NoName-ds5uq]

@@unclemoe6043 you are correct. It never leaves us. 88-92.

[@Stoney_AKA_James]

Ranger Class 11/75, 2/75 Rangers Lead The Way!

[@BadMuther]

I know that guy!

[@eliasmai6170]

so what are the differences between Ranger, Green Beret and Delta force?

[@elcohetejpr]

The further along the special operations pipeline, the more specialized the training and mission focus. Rangers excel at raids, lightning seizures, and long range recon, search and destroy - almost all behind enemy lines and at night. Special Forces train foreign indigenous forces in guerilla warfare tactics and fight along side them. Delta Force is primarily an anti-terrorism response team but also use Rangers as support forces for other specialized missions. And Delta recruits from the top 1% of all armed services. All 3 fall under SOCOM, Special Operations Command, along with the Navy Seals, Marine Corp Force Recon and Air Force Special Operations Group (AFSOC). This is an over simplification, but covers the basics.

[@O.Shawabkeh]

​@@elcohetejpr thank you so much for the summary

[@Kevan808]

I didn't know they got their berets after RASP. I've always thought it was after completing Ranger school. Has it always been like that?

[@angiehorn9417]

Get Ranger tab after Ranger School..

[@94JesseRay]

The school has nothing to do with the beret or even Rangers at all, actually. Not since the 50s has Ranger school produced an Army Ranger.

[@LeftHandedWords]

Is that C3PO playing a bass?

[@t27radio45]

How are Rangers different than Seals? Is it just Army vs Navy?

[@SaundersE5]

2 different animals, 2 different force structures and missions. Together they are a big can of whoop ass. And that doesn’t include Delta.

[@rmerlin733]

Interesting video. 11B from late Vietnam era. Ft Polk Basic & AIT, Ft Benning next for Jump school and right into Ranger school. As Vietnam closed was assigned to 1/75 at Ft Stewart then accepted reassign to 2/75 in 1975 as 1/75 was over strength with returning troops from Vietnam. Early 2/75 days on the old Ft Lewis WW2 location then switching over to main post was interesting times. Early days besides training was figuring out role for such light infantry battalions as the 1/75 & 2/75. RIP or RASP back then didn't exist. One key point was to go Airborne before Ranger school. 58 days of Ranger school physically demanding. Knew bunch of guys who couldn't pass ground week PT and had to recycle or drop out. As always - "Rangers Lead The Way" - Sua Sponte BTW - pissed the Rangers lost their coveted Black Beret. The rest of the Army pukes should have gotten the Tan Beret!! 82nd didnt give their Red Beret. Tan would have been better for all the "legs" anyway (ground pounders)

[@JeffSpehar-ov1cn]

Troops left Vietnam in March 1973 except for advisors and Marine Security Det at Embassy.

[@noahlyons4800]

How long is all the training and schools usually take?

[@jonahproctor1385]

OSUT-22weeks. rasp-8weeks. Airborne-3weeks.

[@teshner]

One question. You keep mentioning Ranger "career." You appear young, how long were you a Ranger? Why did you discharge.

[@somtaysadabseng2874]

2/75 RLTW.

[@leslieclanton348]

All I know is that this was the greatest experience of my lifetime, 1969!!!!If you listen and do your job,it will come to you ,I am saying that this is no picnic by a long shot ,right in the day ,or maybe at night ,you will ask yourself, what am I doing here ! But if you want it bad enough, that to shall pass !!!!

[@madkabal]

it takes disiprine