Do you get a hard copy of the RI's OPORD in Ranger School? Or does he read it orally and you have to brief yours based on the notes you're able to get from his? I've only been through ROTC and will going to IBOLC and Ranger soon. For those who have been, could you briefly describe the process they use at Ranger? Thanks.

You get the Ranger handbook and a briefing one night at about 2300 during the first week.
 

you are going to make a great officer

We gave our guys a printed copy with weather light data, situation mission etc

IBOLC helps a little, just make sure to listen during the planning class and follow
The Ranger handbook to the letter.

Our ORs for planning mirror that of the Ranger handbook.

Good luck

RLTW!
 Free

I went through in summer 2012. The RI's gave us a hard copy of the OPORD, and then we would spend the next several hours passing around the pages during the planning phase. Had to give it back to the RI when he came down to listen to the OPORD.

good,IBOLC helps a little, just make sure to listen during the planning class and follow.thanks http://goo.gl/CvQRT0

If you think you can make it you will probably fail.
If you KNOW you can make it you might make it through.

I was never handed anything paper except my Ranger handbook when I went through (2007).  Hopefully the fact that OPORDs are your top concern is a good sign.  Just remember that real Rangers recycle because 2 months is too short

I had to go to Ranger school twice to graduate

Free

Doing mountains once is for pussies

<--- second time through was when Hurricane Sandy came up the coast. Fuck my life, that sucked.

As far as my street cred goes...

I did mountains twice when I went in 2010.

Dude don't stress about Ranger school yet.  You've got plenty of time to start worrying about that.  If you are really worried about it, pick up a ranger handbook and start looking through it.  All the answers are in the Ranger handbook, they don't just make shit up every class.  There is a standard and they hold stud to it.

Also, there's another little book called "so this is ranger school."  Written by a student who kept a journal.  Pretty good day by day of what to expect.

But...like I said earlier.  Don't stress it yet.  It will come soon enough and you'll have wished you ate all your favorite foods and got drunk more haha.

IBOLC will help you prepare physically.

the mental part (THE MOST IMPORTANT PART) is all up to you.

EDIT- As far as your original question you get a typed hardcopy version of the order.  If you are in charge of the patrol you immediately break up your squad into different groups to tackle the OPORD.  So some guys will break off and go build the terrain model, other guys will knock out terrain analysis and light/weather data, other guys will knock out ENY SITEMP...etc.   As the leader of the patrol, you need to focus on paragraph 3 (Execution).  Pretty much you need to talk the fight and how you plan to execute actions at the objective.  So if you are doing a raid you need to talk the establishment of security, support by fire, and where your assault element is going to go.  THen you need to talk about direct fire control measures, ie when/how you plant to shift fire as you assault through the objective.  Once everyone is done w/ there little piece of the pie, they will usually give you what they came up with on notecards.  Then you put all the notecards in order and about that time the RI comes walking back to hear your brief.  You are on a serious time crunch, so there is no way you can tackle the OPORD all by yourself.  When you are in charge, let others help you.  When you are not in a leadership role, don't be that buddy fu*ker who shams and keeps falling asleep while everyone is trying to help out on the order. That's where peers come in...

Everyone I've ever met who failed Ranger school had an excuse.  I have no sympathy for quitters as I sat in mountains recycling while my unit was deployed. How do you think I felt?  

If you are going to be an officer, don't show up to my unit as an infantry LT without his tab, period.

I firmly believe Ranger school is the best small unit leadership school the military has to offer.

Excellent advice Ranger

Free

What be said. On the other hand, if you're stupid and strong, learn do tie downs and load mags like boss.

Just don't quit. You'll graduate eventually.

Don't let Ranger School consume you. While great for a new 2LT there are things just as important, f not more so than, Ranger School.

With that said, get your shit.

This thread is interesting.

I do not recall ever being given anything in writing at Ranger School (1991).

We had to take copious notes and of course use the Ranger Handbook.  I do recall chalkboards in the planning bays that we would use for our initial operation into the field.  From then on, iirc we would just recieve oral opords / fragos that we would plan with and disseminate.

Would love to see the current POI.  Does the Desert Phase still exist?  

I did not graduate but learned a ton about TTPS and about myself.  I never quit.  Had 4 'go,' and 3 'no go' patrols.  Went through Florida twice in the winter.

I loved it when the RIs would stop the patrol randomly and say 'PL show me where we are on the map!' you try to use your finger and he isnt having any of that !   Picks up a pine needle or super skinny stick and says "EXACTLY WHERE !?".

The experience had a profound effect on me but I had no desire to go back to get my tab.  The piece of cloth didnt mean that much and once I saw how many squared away soldiers did NOT have a tab, it just reinforced the decision.  There are some other personal reasons that came into play also.

Needless to say i do have tremendous respect for graduates of the course or anyone who attempts it.

4073

Desert phase went away in the 90s.