Dip at Ranger School

[jgj]

I've been hearing rumors for a while now and I've sort of blown them off over the past few years -- but now that my time for the school is drawing closer I really want to know. With the new PC Army, can you dip at Ranger School now? If not, im gonna have to find something to fill in my Cope lip pocket.

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~ jgj

A lion has gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations is on his way. He has gone forth from his place to make your land a desolate waste; and your cities shall be left in ruins without an inhabitant. JEREMIAH 4:7

[This message has been edited by jgj (edited 11-13-2001).]

[jgj]

?

[Doc]

Look at the middle of the page. If you notice it says that tobacco usage/possession are grounds for dismissal.

http://www.benning.army.mil/rtb/RANGER/equip.htm



[This message has been edited by Doc42 (edited 11-13-2001).]

[fish78]

Doc,
As a civilian, I am curious about the tobacco ban; is there an official reason? Most of the other items that were prohibited made sense to me, but unless it is for health reasons or maybe stealth reasons the tobacco thing escapes me.

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"If you are in a fair fight, your tactics suck."
Herschel Davis

[Doc]

Fish,

Good question. Tobacco lowers the immune response. The leadership at the course is most probably listening to it's Health Care providers.

I don't see this as a PC move, rather one that helps protect the students while their immune system takes a beating from other things.

[fish78]

Well now, that makes sense.
Thanks Doc

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"If you are in a fair fight, your tactics suck."
Herschel Davis

[jgj]

Doc and whoever may know,
I understand your saying its probably not a PC issue. Maybe I have been corrupted into believing it is. You seem to have a valid point. Only two years ago you could use dip or smoke just about anywhere in the Army. Now we can't dip in the barracks, at schools, or whereever. Do you think it is really valid to stop people from dipping at Ranger School for immune system reasons? (I know nothing about its effects) Just looking for a little more information on why the Army has banned tobacco from just about every building, school, etc etc. I just want to know a reason. It seems that a lot of times there are random new regulations that come down that seem completely bogus, but actually have a good reason behind them. Nobody gets that reason though, and that sparks a lot of cynicism.

[Doc]

I would suggest that you click on the web site posted below and make a phone call to the school for the official explanation.

http://www.benning.army.mil/rtb/rtbmain.htm

[Almighty Bones]

Would it also make sense that if your a dipper, then saying no you cant dip for the 50 sumodd days your here is going to play against you?

Withdrawl added on top of the rest of the hell your going thru might not seem like much but its just something else to make you think "why am i here?"
Also they like to keep ya awake for long hours. Would it be easier to keep yourself awake if your chewing... I am not saying like make a peppy awake superman, but Them just making it that much tougher by denieing you Chew, seems like a valid explanation to me.
You dont see them offering the guys beers after long hard days during Ranger school to numb the pain... Or do they? :p

[RLK]

Not to mention that shit smells aweful.

[MrPotatoHead]

Tobacco also increases your chances of suffering a cold weather injury due to vascular constriction.

[A51]

I didn't dip prior to school, but did take a log per cycle of CHERRY skoal, it was enough to keep me awake when I needed it (every couple of hours). And I had extra to go around for the hard cores that ran out day 8 or 9 of the field problem, yes they would dip cherry skoal when they ran out of cope. Sucks for the new guys that can't dip now. It saved me a time or two.

[commorgr]

I graduated 09-01 and no you can't dip in Ranger school now,its not worth it to try and sneak it either a buddy tried that and is RFSed and on his way to korea.

[Battboy From Hell]

RLK, your breath smells bad. You hear anyone bitching about that?

Get my name off you ID before you piss me off.

Weigel
RGR Class 02-99 (extended tour)
But I got to have my copenhagen.

[Battboy From Hell]

RLK, your breath smells bad. You hear anyone bitching about that?

Get my name off your ID before you piss me off.

Weigel
RGR Class 02-99 (extended tour)
But I got to have my copenhagen.

[jgj]

Just heard a rumor today that they are reallowing dip into Ranger School... I checked out the webpage and it still says its a NOGO but I was just wondering if anyone has heard anything about this? Thanks.

[stripe100]

jgj,


As of class 11-01(my class) and 2-02(one of my fellow PL's classes) there is no dip allowed at ranger school. Saw quite a few SOR's handed out because of this rule. Instead everyone now becomes a gum junkie at Ranger school. I couldn't stop chewing gum for at least a month after school.

Lt Stripe

[PS_11B10]

check this out:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/stuff/caffeine/35df.shtml

This should replace the kick that dip gave you - just a little.

[Reaper375]

Something I did while I was there, when I couldn't chew Kodiak (and yeah, I snuk it in) was dip Instant Coffee. Especially when you have to stay awake, you put a shitload of it in your lip, wait for the burning to go away, and off you roam... wired for sound.

I hid my chew in an old mRE bag, under my foot in my boot. I wore my buddy's boots HE had worn for Ranger School (with the soles almost totally smooth) because they were a size too big. You can hide the chew under your foot, and you're walking on it. It's weird at frst, 'cause you think you're sweating up the chew, but later on you just don't give a fuck. That sweet wintergreen flavor and foot oder is priceless when you are fiending for a dip. I also used to mix the Kodiak in with the coffee to throw the RI's off with the smell. You can probably get away with it further if you're using Copenhagen, as that shit smells like old feet anyway.

Good luck, don't get caught.

[andrew51]

that is truly rancid man.

[Dark Helmet]

Originally posted by andrew51
that is truly rancid man.

Welcome to our world.

[Reaper375]

Originally posted by andrew51
that is truly rancid man.


Maybe, but I was the one guy there who wasn't having the nicotene fits and doing my job on patrol, while other guys couldn't sleep even when they WANTED to.

Pretty soon I'd bum out TEENY dips to guys as favors, in exchange for them staying awaks and taking notes on patrol for me, or shit like that. NEVER ONCE did I ever trade dip for food. I saw guys try to do that, and they were slugs. You don't trade away something for someone's energy source. Besides, all you hadda do was threaten to tell the RI they were doing it, and they'd share half a tin with you. So I didn't run out of chew pretty much the whole time.

However, MANY times I recycled my chew. Just spit it back into the tin, shake it up, and you're good to go. You'd be surprised how many guys don't give a shit... me included. They'd come up "You got a dip man?"

"Yeah, but it's half recycled"

"SWEET!!! YOU GOT DIP!!!"

Rancid or not, it's the way we are.

[andrew51]

yea i guess thats the way it is once your in that position. I really cant say what id do since i probably have never been in a situation like that. Btw, isnt dip bad for you? cant you replace it with like caffein gum or something?

[Reaper375]

Originally posted by andrew51
Btw, isnt dip bad for you?


Yeah, but so is being a Ranger. Both can get you killed. Chew is just a way to stay awake when you want to sleep. Besides, it tastes great, and who have you ever heard of that died from Secondhand Spit?

[andrew51]

well for someone who hasnt been in those situations it sounds kinda nasty at first but like i said i dont know how i would act should i be in that kind of situation.

[jgj]

Thanks for the tip... but I think I'd rather chew dirt than get kicked out. And if everyone is sucking and tired...then everyone is. As long as I don't look up and see an RI with a lip in all will be good.

[Battboy From Hell]

Oh dont worry. They dip in front of you. In fact if they see you staring dont be surprised if they offer you a pinch at the cost of your tab.

Nope. Isnt fair, but hey, life sucks. I was allowed controlled use of copenhagen until florida phase where they took it away completely.... Yeah fucking right, I smuggled my fair share and dipped such small amounts at the wee hours of the night, I got away with it. Seen people get crucified when they got caught though, but hear me this:

If you ain't cheating, you ain't trying.
And if your dumbass gets caught, you
weren't trying hard enough.

I also once chewed a fucking peice of MRE gum for 24 hours straight when I was out of copenhagen. That god aweful gum got so hard it actually PULLED a filling out of my teeth, and I about broke another tooth on the filling stuck in my gum. It was at that point I finally decided I had chewed that gum as much as it needed to be chewed.


Weigel
Ranger Class 10-98 through 02-99

[Battboy From Hell]

Btw, isnt dip bad for you?

Oh ok. Dip is pretty bad.

Know what else is bad for your health?
7.62 X 39! Stings REALLY bad, definitely lowers
your life expectancy too!

BTW, Ranger school is said to shave 6 years off your life expectancy also.... Guess that makes it bad for you as well.

If you're worried about what's good and bad for you, you should consider a different line of work. Something...... more healthy less dangerous. Right?



Weigel

[Battboy From Hell]

What's even worse than seeing an RI with copenhagen is seeing an RI with chow.... Yep. Watching them sum bitches sit down with a pizza or sandwiches... or burger king. It's enough to make you break down into tears. Yeah yeah blah blah they arent supposed to do it, but they do. But hell, dude if I was an RI, I'd do the SAME THING.... hahahahahhaa..... just because it must be fucking hilarious to see the looks like I had on my face.

"What are you looking at Ranger, you already had your MRE today". hahahahahahhahaa....... Good thing I was never an RI. I'd been a real dick.


I remember SSG Ramon on a patrol in Cco. at 4th RTB Darby Phase.... "Ranger Weigel, I know you already been through this phase once, so you tell ALL the guys in your platoon..... there will be no sleep tonight because SSG Ramon is walking this patrol, you got that Ranger Weigel? You tell them all SSG Ramon is walking this patrol, and there will be NO SLEEP TONIGHT!" And he wasn't bullshitting either. Thank FUCKING GOD I wasn't in a leadership position that night. Not a single GO. No sleep either.

Damn those memories.

Weigel

[Battboy From Hell]

Gulag?
Gulag?
Gulag?
GULAG!!!!
I AM THE INCARNATION OF THE FUCKING GULAG!!!



hahahhahahahahahaha.......

Weigel

[Reaper375]

Hey everyone!! It's WEIGEL!! THE PROFESSIONAL LAWN CUTTER!!! See? I knew the Gulag would help folks with learning some valuable skill they could use on the outside.

Never heard sof someone spending SIX WEEKS there though... But hell, you got 3 sqares a day and plenty of sleep. I envy you...hahahahah

[rgrjoe175]

Damn I cant go more than an hour without my cope. I have quit a few times in life but always end up back on the cope. I love that shit. Nobody at work has any clue that I dip. They actually think I am drinking from that diet coke can in the meetings and if no can is available I just swallow it....sometimes gives me the hiccups though...hahahaha

Been dipping for 26 years and aint dead yet....

Joe
PV2 class 6-81

[Bravo Five Romeo]

The no dip and no smokes rule is not some recent pc thing. Shit... I remember in OSUT there was no smoking or dip allowed until half way through AIT. It gave alot of guys the chance to quit that shit. That wasn't some sensitive pc decision either. That was in 1985 during the very un-pc Reagan administration.
Why would Uncle Sam let you poison your body when they're trying to push it to its maximum. You could always spot the smokers after any good run.

[G8rRanger]

I've got a nasty spot of gum rot thanks to Copenhagen in college and Ranger school. We had serious quantity limitations on gum, tobacco, etc. We were allowed like 2 tobaccos per patrol, more or less. I took a pack of AAFES generic menthols for daytime tobacco fixes. To get around the limitation of one can of Copenhagen, I emptied out a Red Man pouch and stuffed it with Cope. I could put 5 cans of Cope in one Red Man pouch and still meet the quantity limitations. RIs never caught on.

I saw 2 guys from our class get re-cycled for having one too many packs of gum, and the problem was because they tried to hide it under a canteen cup or something. The RIs stopped us 50 meters out of the friendly wire, had the patrol line up and dump rucks. Those were 2 seriously bummed out guys.

Class 3-83 and 4-83

[BCoRanger]

it may fuck your immune syst, but fuck it sure keeps you awake. I chewed so much fucking gun in school, thank god i took the extended 6 month tour, i got to refit a new supply of gum everytime haha, was it worth it? fuck no haha