Airman earns elite Army Ranger tab

Published Feb. 9, 2016
By Dave Smith
21st Space Wing Public Affairs staff writer

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- What started out as curiosity became a great responsibility then turned into a rare achievement.

"Knowing I was the sole representative of the Air Force, it was bigger than just me," said Senior Airman Aaron Inch, 13th Air Support Operations Squadron radio operator maintainer and driver, "I was there for the Air Force and for the 13th ASOS so there was a lot of weight on my shoulders to make a statement that we can do this too."
Inch graduated from the U.S. Army Ranger School in December. He is one of about 300 Airmen to ever complete the grueling 61-day training course and one of only a handful of senior airmen to graduate. He was accepted to the school as an airman first class, something even rarer.

When a chance to go to the Ranger Training Assessment Course, also known as Pre-Ranger, opened up, Inch took advantage. He started the two-week RTAC on July 31, 2015, fulfilling the stringent requirements Inch was recommended to Ranger School, which began on Aug. 16.

"It was a rare opportunity," Inch said. "The right time and the right place. That two weeks was crazy, I learned a lot in a short time." For him it was a chance to make huge strides toward progressing in his career field where he wants to be a Joint Tactical Air Controller with a Ranger battalion.

He had to brush up on the use of weapons, for example. He did not have experience with the M240B nor M249 machine guns so he spent a lot of time with personnel at the armory to pick up the required skills. In that same time frame he had to gather the items on the required packing list. It calls for an extensive mix of clothing, personal, navigational and survival items to assure students are prepared for the course.
"If you don't have it all when you get there you are done," Inch said.

The Ranger School is legendary for its physical challenges, but to Inch, the biggest challenges were the mental ones. The course breaks you down mentally multiple times each day.

"When it comes down to it you have to put on a 100-pound ruck when you don't want to. It comes down to your will," he said. "You have to have a reason to be there. When you are going through the course you have to have something you can look at, something to fall back on, something that drives you to keep going." For Inch that was a photo of his wife Kim and his dogs Mia and Myles.

Roughly half of the students who begin Ranger School do not graduate and about half of them fail during the initial Ranger Physical Assessment over the first four days. A five mile run and a 12-mile ruck march, and combat water survival are all crammed into the front end of the course. Then comes the mountain phase held at Camp Frank D. Merrill in the mountains of northern Georgia. In this phase students learn military mountaineering, mobility training and how to lead a platoon in a mountainous environment. The final phase takes place in Florida where there is a heavy emphasis on water-related training.

All of the phases are operated under high levels of stress, with little sleep and minimal food. During the patrols the students are tired, hungry and physically exhausted and may be asked to lead a group at any time. Army data shows that about one third of all students in the course recycle at least one phase. For Inch it was two phases.
One particular experience that stands out in his mind took place during his first time through the field training exercise during the Florida phase.

"It rained almost every single day of the 10 days. It was impossible to stay dry and it started to get cold as well. My feet were completely destroyed from constantly being soaked and rucking nonstop. I had about six different blisters covering the bottom of both feet," Inch said.

He recalled shivering for about three days straight at one point, finally huddling with two classmates under a two-poncho hooch just trying to stay warm. So many challenges were thrown at them Inch said each time things got worse he and his buddies would have to laugh just to keep some morale.

It was during the final phase in Florida where Inch faced his toughest challenge. He recycled once during the first phase and performed well in the mountain portion so his hopes were high in Florida. Inch said he thought he did well on his first leadership role in the swampy Florida field, then found out he did not receive the coveted "Go," signifying a student passed.

"Then I found out I wasn't graduating, wasn't going home, not going to see my wife, wear normal clothes, eat normal food," he said. "It was a real crusher."

Inch said it was the first time in the many days and months of the school that he doubted whether he could finish or not. But with the support of some Army friends he made along the way and a call to his wife, who encouraged him to finish, he got back on track making it to the Dec. 4 graduation where Kim pinned his Ranger tab onto his uniform. His chief, Chief Master Sgt. Steven Gandalski attended his graduation as well.

The tab gets him some looks at Fort Carson, where Inch is stationed. It also gives him some credibility with the people he wants to eventually work with in a Ranger battalion. Becoming a JTAC is his next step. He hopes to attend the JTAC qualification course soon.

"Ranger School definitely teaches stress management, time management and you learn a lot about yourself along the way. Knowing I can make it through Ranger School is a huge confidence builder," said Inch.

Airman Ranger

Airman Ranger

Airman earns elite Army Ranger tab