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This story is dedicated to United States Army Ranger Pat Tillman
who recently gave his life in Afghanistan  defending America.

"It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died.
Rather we should thank God that such men lived."
--General George S. Patton  
 

 
On Thursday morning I arose at about 5 AM, before the sun had the courage to show itself to the world.   The reason for my having gotten up at such an unnatural hour was to be able to meet up with Brigadier General Mike Ferguson, US Army, Retired, to go on an orientation trip to the Ranger School at Eglin Air Force Base, in South Okaloosa, County, Florida.  General Ferguson is the Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army for the State of Florida north of Orlando and as his personal representative had arranged for several local civic leaders to see what was being taught at the United States Army Ranger School at Eglin Air Force Base.  I stress the fact that I arose before the sun, however this was after receiving a full night's sleep in a comfortable bed.  I will return to this point in just a few moments.

The Pensacola group joined together in Gulf Breeze to save taking several cars on the trip.  The Pensacola party consisted of General Ferguson, George Atchison, (president of Phoenix Coatings) Jason Crawford, (a combat veteran of Iraq), Jerry Mistretta (owner of Jerry’s Cajun Cafe), Pensacola City Councilman Jack Nobles, Bill Smart (retired business executive) and yours truly.   We traveled approximately 45 minutes to the entrance of the Eglin reservation, where Okaloosa County Commissioners Paula Riggs and Jackie Burkett, OWCC officials Bob Schrader and Dean Dodd, joined us.

Major Mike Dugan, the command's Executive Officer, met us at the entrance to the reservation where we boarded a comfortable bus to precede the next several miles on to the Eglin reservation.  Everyone on the bus had enjoyed a good night’s sleep in their own bed the night before and were eager to see what was being taught to these young soldiers at the school. 

The 6^th Ranger Training Battalion, located here at Eglin, is responsible for the final 18 days of the 62 day long course. The Ranger Students know that if they can successfully complete this last phase that they will earn the right to wear the coveted Ranger Tab. This simple piece of cloth carries much more value than the 95 cents that it cost to buy. This Tab indicates that the bearer is among the best that the Army has to offer. The Ranger School on Eglin has a very unique mission. The mission and the Camp are known to very few local residents despite the fact that the school has been a tenant on the reservation for over fifty-three years. 

Every man must volunteer three times before he gets a chance to attend the school. First he must volunteer to join the military (Ranger school is not just for the Army; Marines, Air Force and Navy personnel also attend).  Second and he must volunteer for airborne training.  And third and he must volunteer to be a Ranger.  Major Dugan admitted that he was biased when he said that only the best of the best were allowed to wear the Ranger Tab. What we saw during the rest of the day proved that he was not bragging but merely stating a fact.

After a long and dusty ride we arrived at Camp James E. Rudder where we met Lieutenant Colonel Darcy Brewer, the 6^th’s Commanding Officer. After some brief introductions we boarded stake bodied trucks and proceeded further down another long and dusty road.  After about 15 minutes of bumping and bouncing we came to a swift flowing river, where we found a static display of some of the equipment that these young Rangers students were required to carry.  The staff spent several minutes explaining that because the training was so dangerous that the command places a tremendous emphasis on safety.  The training is high risk; however safety during training is never compromised.  Lieutenant Colonel Brewer is fully aware that he has been entrusted by the United States Army to train the best of the best, and he is going to do everything within his power to ensure nothing adversely happens to anyone under his command because of an accident or snake bite. 

During the few weeks that each man is at Eglin he is pushed past the breaking point of most ordinary people.  These young man survive on approximately two hours of sleep each night, two MRE's (meals ready to eat – combat rations) each day and lose anywhere from 25 to 30 pounds of weight during the school.  The school at Eglin is the culmination of over two months of extreme physical training and endurance.  During their visit they rarely see the inside of a building, but rather spend their days and nights on the swamps and rivers of the Eglin reservation.  These young men do not come to Northwest Florida to lie on the beach and frolic in the surf for spring break.

BG Ferguson, Maj. Dugan, and Commissioner Burkett watch as Commissioner Riggs "strains" with an average "ruck sack" that can weigh anywhere from 75 to 100 lbs.

The group of visitors  listens intently as some of the training and safety items are explained.

I, like any rational thinking individual in America, will be forever grateful that I can spend eight hours each evening in my soft and comfortable bed thanks to these young Army Rangers.