Growing up in 3rd Ranger Battalion, the Big Four were constantly stressed and evaluated throughout all phases of training. These skills were how the Regiment plied their trade and were the backbone of the unit’s training and mission execution.

If you couldn’t keep up physically you got smoked until you thought your eyes were going to bleed and then you were released for standards (RFS, AKA sent to the needs of the Army).

If you couldn’t form up with your team in a stack and clear a room properly, conduct battle drill 1A, or any of the other six battle drills without causing harm to yourself or another member of your team, no one would trust you and didn’t make it in Battalion.

If you couldn’t patch-up a buddy by properly applying a tourniquet, throw in a nasal cannula, or dress a wound with an Israeli bandage, then how were you ever going to save your ranger buddy’s life on the battlefield? What if you couldn’t shoot an E-type five meters to your front?

How can expert marksmanship take the pressure off the ability to perform infantry battle drills?

Read the rest here at TheArmsGuide.com.