Quote:
Originally Posted by pmulcahy11b
You're right, there weren't -- and the Rangers were quite pissed about it, the rumor mill said. The closest you're going to get are the NCOs and officers of the 82nd and 101st -- you're required to go to Ranger School within a year of becoming an infantry squad leader or arriving as an infantry officer at the 82nd (barring lack of available slots), and I believe the 101st has (or had at the time I was in) a similar policy.
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Not entirely true. B Co 1/75 was there, but they were sitting on their hands due to Schwarzkopf wanting them for a PSD and SOCCENT said, "Nope, not how Rangers are used." So Schwarzkopf benched them for six months until there was really nothing but already destroyed tanks to shoot at.
The Ranger Tab "requirement" in the 82nd and 101st has gone away since the OPTEMPO of the GWOT picked up. My experiences with personnel from the 82nd and 101st was/is a little different. "Requirement" was always a bit misleading as it was just a slotted position from the MTOEs. Now the practice, and expectation, was yes, you will have a Tab or you won't be a leader in the 82nd or 101st (so in effect it was a requirement). The attrition rate in RS is and was so high that they wouldn't be fired for not earning it and NCOs needed time in leadership positions to get promoted, so they'd pay their dues and eventually get a leadership position. Usually not in a line platoon though. Exceptions were people that came back in casts.
Bottom line though, it is and always has been up to the Division and Brigade Commanders of who they would and would not allow in leadership positions by virture of their policy letters. Some are more lenient, some are more old school. IMHO, lots of good officers and NCOs get screwed over because of hype. My Tab didn't stop any bullets, RPGs (not the paper and dice kind), or IEDs during my time in Iraq.