Hawk Mountain PT?

[cantthinkof1]

   I've always heard that HMRS has insanely demanding physical requirements.  It's ALWAYS talked about at my squadron of how fit you have to be to be a Ranger (do 50 pushups with a full 24-hour pack on, etc.)  But just how fit do you have to be to attend the school?  What is Hawk Mountain PT like?  Personal experiences encouraged!!!

[Майор Хаткевич]

Don't listed to everything you hear. These are not US Army Rangers, and I would wager to say most don't look the part either.

There's some PT, but if it ain't challenging for 40-something adults, you should be fine.

[Stonewall]

There's some PT, but if it ain't challenging for 40-something adults, you should be fine.

I'm a 40 something adult and I'll smoke that mountain like a cheap cigar.   

I've been up the Mountain, and I don't recall anyone doing any push-ups with packs on their backs.  And certainly not 50.  There will be PT, and sure, at some point maybe you'll have your 24hr gear on while doing them, but it isn't like a PT test and you absolutely won't "fail" the program if you can't do [insert exercise].

[Майор Хаткевич]

Sir, you're, by admission not your average SM physically.

[Thrashed]

Ranger 3rd class: 1 pull-up, 5 push-ups, 10 squat thrusts, and 1/2 mile in 6 minutes.
Ranger 1st class: 3 , 15, 20, 4 minutes.
Advanced ranger: 4, 15, 20, 1 mile in 8 minutes (9 for 40+ old)

Pretty easy.

[SarDragon]

Yeah, I could do that at 40. 

[cantthinkof1]

Ranger 3rd class: 1 pull-up, 5 push-ups, 10 squat thrusts, and 1/2 mile in 6 minutes.
Ranger 1st class: 3 , 15, 20, 4 minutes.
Advanced ranger: 4, 15, 20, 1 mile in 8 minutes (9 for 40+ old)

Pretty easy.

Is that really all that's required??? HAHAHA

[Thrashed]

That's the PT part, there's all the other stuff too. See the link for the testing sheet:
http://www.pawg.cap.gov/hawk_mountain

[LGM30GMCC]

I just became that much less impressed with the 'vaunted' Ranger program.

[sarmed1]

I just became that much less impressed with the 'vaunted' Ranger program.

In our society of everyone gets a trophy, you cant expect a whole lot; for shame someone might be offended that they cant be part of "the crowd" because they didnt want to work as hard or harder than the next guy......

(FYI not HMRS specific, just a general observation about how some of the things in todays CAP program seem to have gone over the years)

mk

[Eclipse]

If nothing else, you have to give them some credit for at least having a standard of some kind, though in the HMRS context,
it's only a gate towards their ratings, not CAP participation in ES.

[DJN245]

Okay first to answer cantthinkof1's question.

The PT at Hawk isn't to much to worry about, simple exercises like you should have at your squadrons, and then a run through the O.C. every day, which is much more about confidence, and following the techniques that you are shown at the beginning of the school, and then possible a short run (probably 1/2 mile, maybe 3/4 of a mile). Nothing to daunting at all. I would say that the hardest part of the school physically will be the hike, over 2-3 days while carrying your own gear. No PT is ever done with packs, not that I have ever seen.

Now for those of you who posted the PT Requirements for R1-R3, that is not what we do every day for pt. Those are simply the minimum requirements for anyone, a young cadet, or an old senior.

I just became that much less impressed with the 'vaunted' Ranger program.

I believe that it is a requirement (along with the R-2 and R-3 Hike requirements) to show that the person working towards the achievement can operate in the field with out a problem. The Ranger program is not a  PT based program, nor has anyone ever called it that, it is a SAR and Leadership program.

[Thrashed]

I've been to Hawk Mountain. I'm from California where there are real mountains. Hawk "mountain" is 1533' above sea level. A huge climb of 200'+ from the parking lot. Sorry, but there are no mountains East of Denver. 

[Eclipse]

((*ring*))

Hello?

Thrashed!  Appalachians on line 1 for you!

With that said...1500ft?  In my wing we call that a building.

[LGM30GMCC]

I didn't just mean the PT. I looked over the testing sheets. The fact that you don't hit IS-100 or IS-700 until Ranger First Class. That means that a 'fully qualified' R3 or R2 who has only focused on that is not qualified to be a GTM3. Additionally, the R3 and R2 are also missing other necessary tasks to be a GTM 3.

Unless they are otherwise qualified from outside. You can have 100 R2 and R3 rangers....and 0 GTMs.

If R3 or R2 requirements included and exceeded  GTM 3 and above then I would be more impressed. The PT is a nice standard...but it's pointless in the context that an R2 and R3 are not qualified to do even the most basic GTM work in CAP.


Essentially from what I see on those testing sheets: Hawk is above wilderness navigation, ES orientation, hiking, and some type of HAA leadership, but not really well focused on the ES training outlined in the NESCP.

[DJN245]

I didn't just mean the PT. I looked over the testing sheets. The fact that you don't hit IS-100 or IS-700 until Ranger First Class. That means that a 'fully qualified' R3 or R2 who has only focused on that is not qualified to be a GTM3. Additionally, the R3 and R2 are also missing other necessary tasks to be a GTM 3.

Unless they are otherwise qualified from outside. You can have 100 R2 and R3 rangers....and 0 GTMs.

If R3 or R2 requirements included and exceeded  GTM 3 and above then I would be more impressed. The PT is a nice standard...but it's pointless in the context that an R2 and R3 are not qualified to do even the most basic GTM work in CAP.


Essentially from what I see on those testing sheets: Hawk is above wilderness navigation, ES orientation, hiking, and some type of HAA leadership, but not really well focused on the ES training outlined in the NESCP.

I know it doesn't mean much at this moment, but, in the near future  the testing sheets will be changing, in that a prerequisite to earning  R-3 will be GTM3, and to earn R-2 you need to be GTM2, and so forth. The ranger grade will be an augment to your GTM grade.  I expect the change within the next year.

[spaatzmom]

I've been to Hawk Mountain. I'm from California where there are real mountains. Hawk "mountain" is 1533' above sea level. A huge climb of 200'+ from the parking lot. Sorry, but there are no mountains East of Denver. 

Wait. Mt Rushmore, the Badlands, Great Smokies, Blue Ridge, Adirondack,  Berkshires, White, and Mt. Washington aren't mountains?  Well Rand McNally really has some explaining to do along with numerous textbooks.

[Thrashed]

Just putting Mt. infront of a word doesn't make it a real mountain. Besides, didn't you notice the " " after my post?

I loved the people with the bumper sticker, "this car climbed Mt. Washington". Come on! If a car can drive up it, its not a mountain. Again, its all perspective. I climbed Mt. Shasta at 14,200' and that's not considered a very high mountain for climbers. It's actually considered an easy climb.

Hawk: 1533'
Rushmore: 5725'
Washington: 6288'

Hood: 11,250'
Rainier: 14,409'
Whitney: 14,505'
McKinley: 20,328'

Everest: 29,029'

From my perspective the mountains of the east are speed bumps compared to my native west. I'd call them "hills".

[Майор Хаткевич]

I grew up in a country that was just slightly higher above the sea than Netherlands. I now live in the midwest, where garbage dump "hills" are the tallest all around.

[a2capt]

..and on the right, we're passing Mt. Trashmore..