Many of us who served had an inspirational moment as a kid that led us to military service as our first job after high school or college. As a parent, this can make you both proud of your children and nervous about their safety at the same time. How do you help them understand the process needed once they seriously start to prepare for the goal to become a reality? Here is such a question from one of our readers:
My 13-year-old son wants to go to the Ranger Regiment when he is old enough. I told him to focus on school, sports and clubs throughout now and high school. What should I focus on to help him prepare? Thanks, Roger
If your son is inspired to become an Army Ranger, it’s important to encourage a balanced approach to his preparation and to offer your support. Or be patient and neutral; he may change his mind four or five times before he is 18. Here are some practical options you can suggest:
- Focus on being a kid first. Encourage him to enjoy his childhood and pursue activities that make him happy. Playing sports that he genuinely likes will help him stay motivated and develop essential physical skills.
- Participate in teamwork activities. Team sports, school clubs and even part-time jobs can teach valuable lessons in leadership, cooperation and responsibility, all crucial for success in the military.
- Add basic workouts to his routine. Introduce calisthenics (pushups, situps, pullups) and cardio exercises (running, biking, swimming) to build strength and endurance. These help prepare him for both sports and future physical challenges.
- Explore orienteering courses. Orienteering combines running with map-and-compass navigation. It’s a fun, practical skill and directly relevant to military training.
- Get an Army-style workout program. Many types of workouts are available on the Military.com Fitness Section to help prepare for a wide variety of Army skills, including weightlifting, calisthenics, running and rucking. He should start with the basics: a calisthenics and running progression program. Ideally, his sports will aid in this, and he can train to both improve in sports and prepare for the Army.
- Read about Ranger history. Great books and movies showcase Army Rangers throughout our country’s history. A starting point for the selection process for Ranger training can be found in “Sua Sponte: The Forging of a Modern American Ranger” (2012) by Dick Couch.
Doing well in school and sports can open doors to college scholarships through the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) or service academies. This pathway allows him to pursue Ranger School and potentially join the Ranger Regiment as an officer. Encourage him to keep his grades up, stay active and develop a wide range of skills to maximize his opportunities. For great ideas on fitness training, check out the Military.com Fitness section for more information on the standards expected of the military service branches and special operations programs.
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