{"id":1466,"date":"2024-07-27T00:18:47","date_gmt":"2024-07-27T00:18:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/?p=1466"},"modified":"2024-07-27T00:18:47","modified_gmt":"2024-07-27T00:18:47","slug":"michigan-national-guard-soldier-earns-ranger-tab","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/?p=1466","title":{"rendered":"Michigan National Guard Soldier Earns Ranger Tab"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

LANSING, Mich. \u2013 Joining the Army is tough; you\u2019re immediately off to basic and individual training, facing drill sergeants, and learning the basics of soldiering. Going straight to Ranger School after that? That\u2019s an entirely new level of challenge and excellence.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

No Michigan Army National Guard Soldier accomplished all three schools through the Ranger Team Leader Initiative program \u2014 until now. On June 21st, 19-year-old Pfc. Chase Cammenga achieved this milestone, graduating from all three rigorous training programs.<\/p>\n

The RTLI is a specialized training program for enlisted Soldiers in the Army National Guard who aspire to attend Ranger School. This program transitions Soldiers from initial training to the Ranger Training Assessment Course (RTAC) and then directly to Ranger School. The program scouts for top National Guard Soldiers, selecting those with the highest potential to succeed in the challenging Ranger course.<\/p>\n

When Cammenga enlisted in the National Guard two years ago in November while still in high school, his ambition to pursue advanced military training was a driving force behind his decision.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to challenge myself and be in the best fighting force on the planet,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Cammenga was initially set on the active-duty route until a friend introduced him to the National Guard. He discovered the Guard offered a balance between military service and pursuing higher education, with educational benefits such as tuition assistance and the GI Bill.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of my buddies joined, and I figured this was a good way for me to do both. I could be in the National Guard and still serve while I\u2019m going to college,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Cammenga embarked on his initial training. The fear of the unknown was daunting, and his One Station Unit Training experience was no exception. OSUT consolidates Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training at one location.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was hard because it was the first time I was away from my family for that long. The training was different from anything I\u2019d ever done before,\u201d he recalled.<\/p>\n

Cammenga\u2019s determination to excel in training was driven by a desire to be a member of a team. He chose the infantry military occupational specialty of 11B.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always wanted to be the best, but more than that, I want to be able to help those around me,\u201d he said. This mindset was particularly evident during Ranger School.<\/p>\n

As his time at OSUT ended, he was identified as a standout candidate based on factors such as his PT score of 584 out of 600 points. He earned a spot in the RTLI program.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was pretty excited,\u201d he said. \u201cGoing to Ranger School wasn\u2019t always a dream, but once I heard more about it, I knew it was what I wanted to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cammenga\u2019s journey to earning the Ranger tab began with rigorous RTAC training. The 30-day course prepares enlisted Guard members for the Army National Guard \u201cpre-Ranger\u201d course, called the Ranger Training Assessment Course. RTAC lasts 17 days, and all Army National Guard members must complete it before heading to Ranger School.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn RTAC, the training was incredibly tough. It made us think, \u2018If this is hard, just imagine what Ranger School will be like.\u2019 But we always supported each other and lifted each other up,\u201d said Cammenga.<\/p>\n

Once RTAC was completed, Cammenga was ready for Ranger School. For more than two months, Ranger students train to exhaustion, pushing the limits of their minds and bodies.<\/p>\n

Reflecting on his journey, Cammenga emphasizes the importance of camaraderie and support. \u201cYou don\u2019t get your tab; your buddies get it for you. I learned that I had to lean on those around me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Recycling during training is a common challenge; for Cammenga, it was no different. Darby, the first phase of Ranger School, was a hyper-structured environment where attention to detail was paramount.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe instructors were different, with different criteria. It was all about doing everything by the book,\u201d said Cammenga.<\/p>\n

Feeling that sinking sensation in his stomach when he realized he had to do Darby again was tough, but he kept telling himself he wasn\u2019t a quitter.<\/p>\n

\u201cI felt like I couldn\u2019t go on, but I learned to dig deep and find that inner strength,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

With dedication and hard work, Cammenga passed Darby and moved to the next phase. For Cammenga, the training presented significant challenges, especially the lack of sleep and food for more than 62 days.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe lack of sleep was the most difficult part for me,\u201d said Cammenga. \u201cThere were times I found myself falling asleep while walking. On average, we got about an hour to an hour and a half of sleep a night.\u201d Despite these hardships, he stayed motivated by reminding himself, \u201cAt least I\u2019m not in Darby. I can get this done.\u201d<\/p>\n

During Ranger School, one mentor, a fellow Soldier in his platoon, had a profound impact on Cammenga.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe told me that people here will do anything for you; you just have to ask,\u201c Cammenga said. \u201cHis words inspired me to be more patient and to help others wherever I could.\u201c<\/p>\n

Cammenga pushed through 12-mile rucks, completed water survival training, navigated difficult terrain, and led battle drills.<\/p>\n

\u201cFailure was not an option. I pushed myself harder than I ever thought possible,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

His perseverance paid off when he completed Ranger School and earned the coveted Ranger tab.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was one of the proudest moments of my life. All the hard work and sacrifices had finally paid off,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

After Ranger School, he attended airborne school. The training further honed his skills and prepared him for future missions.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy parents always encouraged me to follow my dreams and never give up,\u201d he said. \u201cDuring training, they wrote me letters and offered incredible support. Their encouragement was a big part of what kept me going.\u201d<\/p>\n

By 2LT Paige Bodine, 126th Theater Public Affairs Support Element<\/em><\/p>\n

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LANSING, Mich. \u2013 Joining the Army is tough; you\u2019re immediately off to basic and individual training, facing drill sergeants, and learning the basics of soldiering. Going straight to Ranger School after that? That\u2019s an entirely new level of challenge and excellence. No Michigan Army National Guard Soldier accomplished all three schools through the Ranger Team […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1467,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1466","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-army"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1466","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1466"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1466\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1468,"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1466\/revisions\/1468"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1467"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1466"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1466"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1466"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}