How Do I Become An Army Ranger Medic?
Hello, I am 17 years old and a Senior in High School. After High School I want to join the Army as a 68W – Health Care Specialist, also known as a Combat Medic. I also want to go to Ranger School to become on of the elite Army Rangers. I was told that if I go in as a 68W, go to Airborne School, then Ranger school I will be considered a Ranger Medic and “go where the Rangers go.” And be an Army Ranger first, and then a Medic for my fellow rangers second. Is this true? And how would I go about getting Jump School (airborne) and Ranger School in my contract so I can get a sure spot in Ranger school? And will being a Ranger Medic increase my chances of getting deployed to Combat and working on the front lines more? I want to be a true Combat Medic.
Thank you.
You enlist as a 68W with an option 40 contract.
Or you enlist as a 68W, then after a year, fill out a DA Form 4187 and request airborne school and RASP.
Start running now! First join army under 68whiskey combat medic n after basic get it medic school done apply for airborne school first u got to pass that then u got to apply for ranger school and LUCKILY pass that!
To get the best answers try to find a recruiter. My only caution would be this, DO NOT get caught up in recruiter jive. See if you can find a person who has actually served to help you see through the BS.
you go to RASP, not ranger school. ranger school is later on in the game, they wont send you there until you’ve been at your unit for a while. its realy just a gut check check and title thing anyway, they wont teach you anything there that you wont already know from regiment…or from being in any good unit for a while.
anway you want to signt on as a 68W with option 40. option 40 is ranger recruit, youll go to basic, ait, airborne school, then RASP which is the try outs for ranger regiment.
also a combat medic is a medic thats already seen combat and earned his CMB. just dont call yourself a “combat medic” around a medic that has earned that badge, he’ll tear you a new asshole.
anyway in the better units (light infantry and above) medics are infantrymen first. your expected to act and shoot like one, maybe take up 8 seconds of your time during a firefight to slap on a tourniquet if needed, then you do your medical job after the bullets stop flying. until then another gun shooting means that your side will take less casualties.
rangers have a faster deployment rate than the regular army so there you go.
btw being a medic isnt all glory or whatever. when soemoen gets hurt its not a blank face your treating, its a close friend. and when you have to pick up body parts, its not someone you never met: its someone whos family you spent thanksgiving with. not to mention theres always the possability that you have to triage and choose who lives and who dies… if you cant let a close friend go in a pretty shitty way just so you could save 2 others, then its probably not the job for you… on the up side though, “doc” is treated like gold if he’s good at what he does; and i dont know of any other MOS that can say to someone who out ranks him “hey sir, nab that litter i’m busy” when you’re doing your job