By MARK VAGELAKOS
Before graduating, most seniors are worried about getting into college or where they will rent an apartment, but few are concerned whether the career they have dreamed about will kill them. The possibility of death is always present for those choosing a path in the United States military, but especially with the Army Rangers.
“Really, the main driving force behind this is that I need to experience an extreme reality. By extreme reality I mean life in the world where there’s life and death every day and your own life is on the edge every day. I need to experience that reality and I need to experience how I react in life and death situations,” senior Stephen Ramsey said. “I don’t really know how to explain it, it’s crazy, but there are people in the world like me and I guess those are the guys who become these soldiers.”
The United States Army Rangers is a Special Operations light infantry force, which is widely considered to be the best of its kind in the world. They specialize in rapid deployment missions sometimes behind enemy lines that prepare for larger deployments or complete missions on their own.
To become a Ranger, applicants must pass the grueling, 61 day Ranger School that was called the “toughest combat course in the world” by Discovery Channel. To pass the leadership and combat program, soldiers perform extreme physical and mental tasks in forest, mountain and desert terrains.
“That’s part of the reason I want to be in the Rangers. I need to prove myself against something that is considered the toughest thing around. I need to see if it’s in me. I know it is, but I have to see if I can prepare for it,” Ramsey said.
Ramsey has already been preparing for the military for three years with strictly planned eating and training programs. Involved in martial arts for eight years, Ramsey is now a black belt in Matsubyashi-ryu. Additionally, Ramsey runs 22 miles a week along with a 10 mile rug march, where he hikes as fast as he can with 50 pounds of weight on his back.
However, even with the extreme training and early preparation, Ramsey has difficulty with committing to such an extreme program.
“Absolutely I’ve been unsure, and the closer it gets to going into it, the more unsure thoughts I have. However, I don’t shy away from that. It’s something I’m sure of but it’s something I have to mentally address and set my priorities for,” Ramsey said.
Now that Ramsey has honed his physical skills he must mentally prepare for conditions in active duty.
“The closer it gets the more issues I have to address like being away from my family and leaving friends and not being able to just hang out. I’ll be in a strict environment working hard five days a week in a secluded facility where you can’t foster outside friends. I’m going to have to get mentally prepared for that and prepared for extreme disciplines. I have to be ready to get serious and get serious quick,” Ramsey said.