RASP (Ranger Assessment & Selection Program)

Do you have what it takes to become a U.S. Army Ranger? To become a member of the U.S. Army's 75th Ranger Regiment, candidates must first graduate RASP (Ranger Assessment & Selection Program). The 8-week course features a variety of physical and mental challenges. The second and fourth week of RASP, the class is sent to "Cole Range"; a remote training area of Fort Benning, GA designed to push candidates to their breaking point both physically and mentally; Candidates forego day and night land navigation, challenging team exercises, sleep deprivation, fitness tests, and more. There are two separate phases of RASP: Phase 1 primarily consists of day to day, week to week physical and mental toughness training, and includes rigorous "smoke" sessions (blocks of time specifically geared toward using physical training as a tool for corrective training and instruction) that are used to train the group if a particular task, condition, or standard is not met, and also incorporate a necessary environment of the unknown to each soldier. Phase 2 training includes marksmanship and baseline breaching abilities. Ranger history is also the subject of training. RASP is broken down into two levels of training: RASP 1 for Junior Noncommissioned Officers and Enlisted Soldiers (pay grades E-1 through E-5) and RASP 2 for Senior Noncommissioned Officers, Officers and Warrant Officers. Candidates will train on physical fitness, marksmanship, small unit tactics, medical proficiency and mobility. Training is fast-paced and intense, ensuring 75th Ranger Regiment candidates are prepared to employ their skills in both continued training and worldwide operations upon reaching their assigned Ranger unit. Throughout the course all candidates will be screened to ensure that only the best Soldiers are chosen for service in the Ranger Regiment. Regardless of the course, all candidates must meet the course requirements in order to serve in the Ranger Regiment. Upon successful completion of RASP, the new Rangers graduate at the Ranger Memorial, or in the event of inclement weather, Freedom Hall where they will don the tan Ranger beret and will have the scroll of the battalion they will be assigned to put on their shoulder.