# US Army Ranger School Questions



## Guzman (14 Nov 2002)

-how long must u serve to be eligible
-how do canadians get in
-can reserves get in
-if u pass,do u wear the ranger tab on the CDN uniform
-could u serve on a ranger mission
-do u have to train with them at any time after the school is over

anyother info about this is appreciated,ty


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## combat_medic (15 Nov 2002)

I‘m only answering based on the people I know who‘ve done the ranger course

-how long must u serve to be eligible
>>A while. There isn‘t any set time, but you should have a few courses behind you, probably at least your first contract done, and your basic para at minimum (it‘s pretty competitive, so the more time in, goot PT and courses you have, the better your chances). I‘ve also heard that they want you to have your Canadian Pathfinder course too.

-how do canadians get in
>>Join a reg force infantry battalion, mention your interest, try to get basic para, try to get pathfinder, wait out

-can reserves get in
>>Not in a million years (that I‘ve ever heard of). The spots are too few and far between to give out to reservists.

-if u pass,do u wear the ranger tab on the CDN uniform
>>Yes, unless they plan on changing it

-could u serve on a ranger mission
>>doubt it

-do u have to train with them at any time after the school is over
>>There isn‘t any requirement to work with or for them, but your unit may do an ex or training with them afterwards.

If you‘re so keen on getting a Ranger tab, why not just go to the States and join the Rangers? Besides, by all accounts (including the Americans) the Canadian Pathfinder course is much more difficult than the Ranger course. It‘s about twice the length, I think, and the guys I‘ve met who‘ve completed Pathfinder will usually top the Ranger course.

Again, anyone feel free to add or correct me on this one.


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## Guzman (15 Nov 2002)

i thought already about going to the states.but thats a big hassel.ive asked ppl i know and they told me i would have to live in the states for 6 months befor i could get a citizenship then apply for the army.is that correrct,i would have assumed they would by-pass the waiting time since im canadian.

oh yea,can anyone explian this pathfinder thing to me plz.


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## Korus (15 Nov 2002)

To go to the US Army, you‘ll probably need a green card, which takes a while to get. Once you get landed imigrant/permanent resident status, you can apply to the US army reserves. Serving in the reserves will shave a couple years off the requirment for time you have to live in the states before they grant you citizenship... It was different during the Vietnam war, where they wanted people and many Canadians got into the US army PDQ....

As for pathfinder, from the DND website:


> Pathfinders are trained to penetrate behind enemy lines using a variety of insertion techniques ranging from high-altitude parachuting to off-shore submarine insertion


Here‘s some links;
 http://www.forces.gc.ca/menu/Feature_Story/2001/sep01/13sept01_f_e.htm 

 http://www.forces.gc.ca/menu/Feature_Story/2001/sep01/28sept01/Gallery_f_e.htm


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## Guzman (16 Nov 2002)

wow! iv heard patherfinder used b4,but i didnt know what it was,wow.this is very contradicting tho..we dont have enuf to sustain a mission to afghanistan at the same time they want to expand jtf2 for green ops when the forces was created for black ops,but now they also have pathfinders   @_@! whats really going on here??


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## Recce41 (16 Nov 2002)

Guzman
 How old are you? Not since BHD, BoB, SPR, etc. Every kid thinks they can be a SF,Ranger, JTF, SAS. 
 Before you think of this think of joining just the Army first then rethink it out. 
 To be a member of a team means alot of dedication, time, and sweat. And at times no family life.  :skull:


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## riddleofsteel (16 Nov 2002)

"-could u serve on a ranger mission"

I doubt it very much. Remember that the Rangers are part of the US Army, not ours. The only way I could see a Canadian being on a mission with rangers is either as part of a coalitian and being in an unit that is on a mission that the Rangers are also a part of, or as an observer of some kind.

The reason that foreign military students are included on courses like Ranger training are so that the students can take the experience back to their home countries and pass along the experience and training. A lot of countries do not have the resources and expertise that the Western nations have. It‘s also a good way for nations to build a rapport with each other. 

Most of the elite/special operations units in the US military require citizenship, however enlistment itself doesn‘t. I think the only exceptions are the conventional units that have some special operations capablitiy, an example of which is the 82nd Airborne Battalion. The USMC requires citizenship as well. You would also not be eligible for a commission. What you need to get into the US Army as an enlisted member is a green card. When you are in, there is a special fast track to citizenship as an incentive. You can get citizenship (I think it‘s the naturalization process) in three years, instead of the usual five or so. Once you‘re a citizen, as opposed to an immigrant, you would probably be eligible - unless there‘s some kind of extra regs about that that I don‘t know about. If you‘re young, it would be a feasable route. It would give you a chance to get some good experience (11 Bravo - Infantry - would be a good choice)and training to establish a good base to work from. If you‘re able to, see if you can get into the Airborne and put up 110% effort. Try the US Army recruiting website and ask some questions there if that‘s what you really want as a career.

Oh yeah, one more thing, since you didn‘t say anything about this. The US military still has sex restrictions on the combat trades - men only.


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## sgt.shmedly102 (16 Nov 2002)

It‘s been said before (and it keeps coming up on other websites) so I‘ll say it again: *YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE A CITIZEN TO JOIN THE U.S. ARMY!!!*  You do need to be a citizen to get a security clearance (though it may be waiverable, I don‘t know), but you do not need one of those to be a grunt. Nor to be in the 82d Airborne Division. (special operations capable?? someone‘s been reading too many Tom Clancy books.) Nor is there any point to joining the Reserves first; the enlistment requirements are the same, so if you want to join, you might as well just join the Active army. And as for the USMC‘s enlistment requirments: who gives a f-.  Other than that, I can‘t tell you anything about the naturalization process, but we have several non-citizens in my unit. Contact the nearest US embassy or consulate for info. Tell them you want to join the US Army and maybe they can give you specific information. If you do want to become a US citizen, there is a fast track by serving in the military, otherwise you can serve up to seven (7) years as a resident alien in the armed forces.

If you really want to get into the fight (remember, there is a war on, this ain‘t the boy scouts) then by all means, come on down. We‘re always looking for quality people, and as long as you‘re willing to fight for us, we really don‘t care where you came from. The Army is a challenge in and of itself (just wait till combat), but if you really think you have what it takes to go the extra mile, go for Airborne in your contract, and go to the 82nd. If you‘re in any Infantry unit long enough, you‘ll get your chance to go to Ranger school.


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## Harry (16 Nov 2002)

If you are part serious, and close to the border.  Drive over, find a recruiter and see what happens.

Whatever you do, don‘t show up at the border and tell them.  Just tell them you are going shopping...

And if you are really serious, go down and tell them you are there to join and you aren‘t leaving until you sign the dotted line.

Bet you get in and off to basic right away.  :warstory:


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## logistik (16 Nov 2002)

I emailed a recruiter a while back about this here I‘ll post the email:
Hi,

Thank you for interest in the United States Army.  In order to be able to
enlist into the US Army as a non-US citizen, you must be a legal resident.
To become a legal resident you must go through the US INS and obtain an
I-551 card.  To contact them go to,
 http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/services/residency/index.htm 
<http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/services/residency/index.htm>  or
1-800-375-5283 or 1-800-767-1833 for TTY.  The US Army can not act as a
sponsor for immigration purposes.  A student visa does not count for these
purposes.  If you have a desire to be an officer in the US Army then you
must be a US citizen first.  Please feel free to email me with any other
concerns or questions you may have.  Also if you know anyone who is
interested in the Army or the Army Reserves please feel free to give them my
email.  Thank you again.


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## fortuncookie5084 (16 Nov 2002)

That form is what they used to call the Green Card. Don‘t bother asking (begging?) recruiters over there...concentrate on the immigration issues first.  With green card in hand you‘ll be able to join the same day---with most of the sign-on bonuses and guaranteed courses they offer for signing on. Apply for the proper immigration permit first and on the paperwork state why you‘re considering coming to the USA.  Then wait...and wait...and wait....they‘ll probably approve you eventually.


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## Doug VT (17 Nov 2002)

To be eligible you must be a min rank of Mcpl (cdn rules)

-If your unit gets a posn, you apply to get in.

-You do not have to be a Pathfinder.

-You must be basic para qualified.

-You can wear the tab on DEU only.

-Why would you want to do a mission with the Rangers??!  They‘re not that spectacular, you‘d probable just end up getting killed!


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## riddleofsteel (17 Nov 2002)

For the record, I am  _not_ a big Tom Clancy fan, nor have I read many of his works. What‘s the deal?

Back to the topic...

This is something I looked into doing some time ago. The US Army can not be your sponsor for immigration. It is illegal for them to do so. Your best bet would be through any immediate family (mother, father or siblings are best - not aunts or uncles) members that you may have in the United States. Other routes would place you on a much lower level of priority for immigration, if at all. Once the ball is rolling, it is largely a waiting game. If you‘re successful at doing this, and assuming you were successful at enlisting, make sure to look into the details of the naturalization process and any fast tracks that may be available to you as soon as you can. That way any legal issues and paperwork won‘t end up being a big hassle. If you find a good message board with some US Army pers that have gone through the immigration and naturalization process themselves, you might be able to get a better idea of what‘s in store for you if you go for it.


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## Guzman (17 Nov 2002)

is it true that if i were to serve the CDN military i could not leave and join the US army?


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