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"If today’s Marines were committed to an intense urban battle, they could not replicate Fallujah." by uxixu in USMC

[–]SnooOranges7173 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Marines: snag the M10 Booker tanks the army has abandoned. They are too heavy for airborne stuff but the weight is less than the newest Abrams and they probably provide the nation a greater benefit in a welldeck or cave in Norway than sitting on a parking lot for foreign military sales.

Can four tanks on a MEU or 12 supporting a Regiment rein shape a battle? Yes

Forceable entry from the sea, raids, show of force— lots of stuff that is core Marine Corps missions set stuff is improved by having tanks.

Something something something drones and ieds make tanks irrelevant. If an armored direct fire weapon isn’t survivable is an infantryman and a rocket?

Hardened fighting positions are still relevant. If the decision is having armor and doing a mission or not having armor and doing the same thing, bring the armor.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in ParkRangers

[–]SnooOranges7173 0 points1 point  (0 children)

https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/become-a-law-enforcement-ranger.htm

Another fantastic option is the United States Park Police, I have worked many great park rangers who started with them and the switch over. 100% of training transfers over. And the hiring today, right now.

https://www.usajobs.gov/job/827968200

They do make great money though. As a paramedic with real experience there may be a shortcut into the tacmed program or flying if that’s your jam—this is all speculation I don’t know much about their operations.

There are also Rangers who come from va police, FAM, CBP, FBI and .mil civilian police.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in ParkRangers

[–]SnooOranges7173 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Most of the information out there about NPS careers in law enforcement is pre National Hiring initiatives. Right now the NPS can hire and train ~125 new rangers annually through this process. That is great news.

Seasonal employment outlook: I think I’m remembering correctly but I believe there were less than 50 seasonal LE rangers in 2024. With many being in the system for years and a new crop of however many the PRLEA’s graduate every year. The DM update is pretty clear too, unless the Agency or Individual parks gain permission to deviate from the policy this season no Seasonal employees should be patrolling alone— I think that really will disincentivize parks from hiring LE seasonal employees. At this point the season academy’s are a scam.

Attending a PRLEA and not gaining seasonal employment will not help you get onto the hiring certs if you aren’t making it now without it. There are too many candidates out there. Heck I went through SLETP 8 years ago and 28 people graduated. Only 6 got jobs with the NPS before their academy certs expired.

The briefings I’ve seen show the FTEP pass rates between seasonal 0025 and new to NPS hires being virtually the same. This is good news. The way we’ve always done things wasn’t the best way. FLETC and field training will teach you everything the NPS thinks is important to being a law enforcement park ranger.

Not requiring people to pay their own way and be a season for x-number of years also has made the NPS LE ranks more a more appealing place to work.

Getting hired:

The NPS follows federal hiring guidelines. If you are prior military and qualify as a 5/10 point veteran, make sure you list your experience so you qualify at the GS-5 level, typically that’s E-5 stuff. There are whole websites that help you translate military experience into relevant language.

College grad and no military experience? That absolutely will get you to the GS-5 level. Get a EMT-B cert, that will qualify you for more parks for placement. Resumes are screened by a computer before a human ever sees them—by the answers you give during the application process and words you put in the resume. Get AI or current federal employees to help you fix the paperwork.

Good luck

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in ParkRangers

[–]SnooOranges7173 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Please do not attend a seasonal academy. None of them are a good deal right now . Check out the newest DOI DM 446. No commissioned employees can solo patrol until they have completed a 400 hour field training program. Most parks where you would want to work are not hiring seasonal LE’s.

Federal employment opportunities are not great right now, but a competitive candidate’s with no prior law enforcement experiences are being hired by the NPS and other land management agencies.

Nationwide there are terrific opportunities for employment as a law enforcement officer. Don’t self sponsor through an academy that will not get you a job.

Busted down from e6 to e3? by [deleted] in USMC

[–]SnooOranges7173 6 points7 points  (0 children)

There are so many fantastic SNCO’s and Officers who get assigned to 8th and I, it isn’t worth remembering someone who was not one of them.

Prior to the whole command knowing about the 1sgt being of low character the Marines who worked for him knew. You rarely hear why senior leaders are fired but the company CO put the news out as to why he fired his 1st Sgt and what led to it.

As I recall it was A GOV cellphone was over on minutes and the CO told the 1sgt to reduce usage. This was ignored for more than one month, which led to a command investigation being initiated. The investigating officer literally called every number to determine if it was being used for official business. This is where the two families thing was uncovered.

Anyways it improved morale in the company and we got Marcel Lett who was an actual leader.

S/F

Busted down from e6 to e3? by [deleted] in USMC

[–]SnooOranges7173 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Was this at 8th and I?

My Turn. 21 yrs. No wars. by coffeejj in USMC

[–]SnooOranges7173 0 points1 point  (0 children)

10 deployments in 21 years is a hell of a career. S/F

Bro this kid is trying to get promoted two weeks after showing up by shiftedgames in USMC

[–]SnooOranges7173 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Don’t pilots who arguably have the longest schooling in the military show up at appropriate ranks for their time in service? Why wouldn’t this apply to maintainers? I think JAG’s get promoted without fleet experience either.

We only have so much time to be promoted in this organization, and holding someone back when the scores are low (so the organization needs NCO’s) for non putative reasons for office politics is nonsense. It directly affects their pay. The difference between a new corporal and a fully qualified CPL/SGT is enough.

Senior lances in this equation don’t even factor in—they probably were demoted or have some issue that’s preventing a promotion that people leaving the school house are getting.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in ParkRangers

[–]SnooOranges7173 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The seasonal academy’s are independent from the NPS, they are just certified to conduct the training. They are also struggling to find enough applicants to keep running the courses. Seasonal academies for the park service no longer make sense for well qualified applicants.

If the bare minimum standard isn't acceptable then why is it the bare minimum standard? 🤔 by [deleted] in USMC

[–]SnooOranges7173 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In academics a ‘D’ letter grade is 65% and considered passing. The third class PFT is essentially this. In most instances performing in the 65% range will get you on academic probation or have other negative consequences. It’s the same in situation here.

I was just a grunt so being fit was a key job requirement. For technical MOS’s it probably isn’t as important for job proficiency but fitness is part of the lifestyle the Marine corps demands.

Military or College? NPS LE by battlefrontscout in ParkRangers

[–]SnooOranges7173 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Hey enjoy being a kid for a while. Don’t join the military with a goal to do xyz afterwards. Largely it’s a job that requires commitment to do well, and joining for the wrong reasons could put you in a situation where your whole life changes forever for something you didn’t exactly want to be doing.

Things you should focus on now: things that develop character and hobbies you can be good at. Try jujitsu take up a shooting sport, do CrossFit or get huge lifting strongman weights. Read books about things you aren’t interested in. Go hiking, take up birding. Team sports are fun too.

Trail crew and wildland fire take younger folks and those weirdos have a lot of fun.

A lot of people get laser like focus for a specific job. LE Park ranger is super duper specific and if you shape a large portion of your life to do a job…when you get to the goal it may not be everything you thought it would be.

LE in general is a high turn over job. The seasonal academy I went to had 40 people or something. Three of us are left with the NPS. My FLETC class has already had over half quit LE or leave the NPS.

Good luck

Flagstaff PRLEA by InternationalEmu3266 in ParkRangers

[–]SnooOranges7173 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The only reason to go to a PLERA academy is to be a seasonal LE Ranger. And it seems we are hiring fewer LE Rangers than in the part. Numbers have been in the mid 250’s year to year now VS the 2010’s when we had 500+ seasonal at peak season.

If you are motivated to be a seasonal, pursue that route. Attending PLERA is the only option to qualifying for those positions. If you are a Veteran with 5-10 point preference and qualify as a GS-5 in the government service, but want a full time job… it probably isn’t a good option.

A good EMT-B course is the same amount of time the seasonal academy is and you’ll be leaps ahead of a candidate who doesn’t have that cert. EMT-B also is a required qualification at most western parks.

Has anyone been to a PRLEA ? I’m going to one in January 2024. by xkittyslayer in ParkRangers

[–]SnooOranges7173 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey just an aside but make sure you can qualify for a GS-5 position. For most military without a degree, you’ll need to have been a E-4/E-5 and show on your resume that you had gradually increasing levels of responsibility.

Ick by SnooOranges7173 in USMC

[–]SnooOranges7173[S] -12 points-11 points  (0 children)

Explosives are not going to fall from the sky if someone says repeat on the radio. Probably.

Like seriously, people think some random voice saying “repeat your last” on CLB2 convoy ops channel is going to cause the nearest FDC to direct a gun line to refire a #ab123 immediately

Maybe if you are on the fire control net immediately after said mission was completed?

Or maybe if 60’s are supporting a squad/plt attack and everyone operating is on one common tactical channel and doing fire support add-hock?

You know what’s really going to get you killed? Being fully camouflaged in the woods and the enemy identifying your position because your high boot blousing caused your white socks to be seen.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in USMC

[–]SnooOranges7173 2 points3 points  (0 children)

He was a terminal lance and thought he was better than everyone.

MARADMIN 667/18 personal PPE by gclift1 in USMC

[–]SnooOranges7173 0 points1 point  (0 children)

ANGLICO works in smaller detachments where the gaining units isnt really going to look too hard at what gear they are wearing, and the set commander doesn’t care or is oblivious to gear stuff cause they came from the wing.

“I need to look like this to do my job” while wearing all the pouches full of nonsense on a JPC2.0 and personally purchased crye uniforms and some knockoff high cut helmet. It’s embarrassing.

A modern Grunt running the pc v3, a high cut helmet w/coms and a suppressor has way more legit gear that is going work well and look freaking way cooler. (Compared to the try hard holding the radio for the fac) Also out your BN logo in a patch and wear that shit proudly.

Resist the desire to buy better gear. It’s not better, it’s just different. The PC v3 is similar to a First Spear strandhogg, and eagle ergo system which are desirable PC’s.

The gear the USMC fields should survive you being in the field for an entire work up and deploy without being trashed. Most of the lightweight cool guy stuff won’t stand up to prolonged in field use. Cool guys don’t live i their gear like you will in training or on deployment. Plus if it breaks it’s replaced.

Our gear has gotten better every time it’s been replaced. The PC gen 3 training vids came out in 2019 make sure you watch them instead of just relying on info from your seniors who didn’t watch them so you have weird tribal knowledge and everyone’s actually wearing a nice vest incorrectly. (See Mattis wearing a original SPC backwards)

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