# 75th Ranger Regiment‘s Vet Tech Graduates U.s. Army Ranger School



## Ravage (Dec 15, 2010)

http://news.soc.mil/releases/News Archive/2010/December/101215-03.html

FORT BENNING, Ga. (USASOC News Service, Dec. 15, 2010) - The very first U.S. Army veterinarian technician has earned the coveted Ranger Tab. 

Sgt. 1st Class Anthony Klagenberg , assigned to duty as the Regimental Veterinarian Technician, 75th Ranger Regiment, graduated Nov. 12 from the grueling U.S. Army Ranger Course.

“All in all Ranger School didn’t feel too physically demanding, it was just a 61-day suck-fest,” said Klagenberg. “Once you embrace that suck and understand that the men to your left and right are in the same boat, it’s a lot easier.”

With 61 days of minimal sleep, very little food, and rugged terrain is designed to induce the most amount of stress upon a Ranger candidate in the least amount of time. Once this condition is set, then the Ranger candidate must perform and be rated successful by Ranger Instructors conducting various missions under simulated combat conditions. 

“One of the hardest things to do was to try and motivate a platoon of Rangers to move quickly to our next objective,” said Klagenberg. “Especially when they are starved, have only slept for just a few hours over the last three or four days, and every part of their body is sore.”

Even though Ranger School is a “suck-fest,” there is an upside to attending this course.

“The best part was the mountaineering portion up on Mount Yona,” said Klagenberg. “The views were amazing and the adrenalin rush was crazy.”

Graduating Ranger School is not the only first for Klagenberg. He is also the first Vet Medical Tech to serve with the 75th Ranger Regiment.

“The Ranger Veterinarian at the time presented me with the opportunity to join the Regiment,” said Klagenberg. “It doesn’t get any better than the 75th Ranger Regiment.”

Klagenberg was recruited by then Regimental Veterinarian, Maj. Justin Schlanser for his experience and technical skills to be a mentor and subject matter expert for the dog handlers and future technicians at the battalions.

“Sgt. 1st Class Klagenberg truly required no on-the-job training and hit the ground running and ready,” said Schlanser. “He knew the standards and traditions of the unit he was getting into and never wanted anything but to meet those standards.”

Klagenberg obtained his Expert Field Medical Badge within a month of his arrival at Regiment and volunteered for the U.S. Army Ranger Course.

“It is truly remarkable to see an AMEDD NCO at this stage and level in his career,” said Schlanser. “This is another one of his traits; he is willing to humble himself to attain greatness, which is something all great leaders do.”

Klagenberg, a native of Natalia, Texas, has been with the Regiment for about a year and his job is to take care of the Regiment’s Military Working Dogs.

“I ensure that our dogs are healthy and ready for the next training cycle or the next deployment,” said Klagenberg. “Vaccinations, blood work, and physicals must be up-to-date, much like any Ranger, before our dogs can deploy.”

In addition, Klagenberg tends to minor sick call issues, conducts inspections and monitors the dogs living conditions to ensure they are properly housed and fed.

Klagenberg’s duties and responsibilities also include ensuring the dog handlers and medics are tactically and technically proficient in Canine First Responder skills. The use of canines on the battlefield by the U.S. Military is an invaluable combat multiplier and their care and well-being is paramount.

Rudyard Kipling once said, “The strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack.” 

“The strength of the Regiment is individual Rangers like Sgt. 1st Class Klagenberg, who even though they have what may seem to be a less “tactical” position, prove through their accomplishments that they are the best the army has to offer,” said Schlanser. “As every Ranger in the 75th Ranger Regiment is selected and assessed so too are the canines and only the best are chosen to serve.”


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## Boon (Dec 15, 2010)

Not sure why they felt the need to send a vet tech to Ranger School.  Hopefully it didn't kill a line guy's slot.


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## TLDR20 (Dec 15, 2010)

Does everyone in Batt not go to school?


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## DA SWO (Dec 15, 2010)

Boon said:


> Not sure why they felt the need to send a vet tech to Ranger School. Hopefully it didn't kill a line guy's slot.



No different then sending a JAG to the school.
I am willing to bet RS has more slots then takers, I also think this guy is going far, fast.


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## RustyShackleford (Dec 15, 2010)

Boon said:


> Not sure why they felt the need to send a vet tech to Ranger School. Hopefully it didn't kill a line guy's slot.



Hey, they always send cooks, mechanics, clerks, etc., why not the guy who takes care of the dogs?


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## policemedic (Dec 15, 2010)

SFC Klagenberg gave a talk at SOMA today. They're actually looking at placing 68Ts in every Ranger battalion.


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## Muppet (Dec 15, 2010)

Well done.

F.M.


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## Viper1 (Dec 16, 2010)

Most of the guys from Batt in my class were 11B's but there were many light wheeled vehicle mechanics, PAC clerks, and medics from 75th. Seeing the support guys go through the school was awesome, and just one more motivator for me to get it done as a brand new LT. I learned a lot of from those guys.

Well done to the SFC.


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## 275ANGER! (Dec 16, 2010)

cback0220 said:


> Does everyone in Batt not go to school?



Everyone has an opportunity but most "soft skills" will be retained because of need, if that makes sense.


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## TLDR20 (Dec 16, 2010)

Yeah, makes total sense, what I was saying was in regards to what Boon said.


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## Headshot (Dec 16, 2010)

When I was in 3rd, slots were thin at best, as well as a long ass waiting list for pre Ranger.


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## AlphaDoc275 (Dec 21, 2010)

> Everyone has an opportunity but most "soft skills" will be retained because of need, if that makes sense.


I believe the current BB standard is that *every* Ranger must attend Ranger School within the first 18 months of his assignment to the RGT. I agree that there are some "soft" individuals that are retained based on need but they are usually treated like ass until they get their tab. Most don't make it past E-5 without their shit unless they are imports.


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## 8'Duece (Dec 21, 2010)

Headshot said:


> When I was in 3rd, slots were thin at best, as well as a long ass waiting list for pre Ranger.



I might be out of my depth here but every damn Butter Bar Lt that came to the 82nd Airborne Division during the 80's had his Ranger Tab prior to assignment to the 82nd.

There's your slots. During that time period anyway.


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## Headshot (Dec 21, 2010)

8'Duece said:


> I might be out of my depth here but every damn Butter Bar Lt that came to the 82nd Airborne Division during the 80's had his Ranger Tab prior to assignment to the 82nd.
> 
> *There's your slots. During that time period anyway.*



You are correct.  I saw alot of what Ranger School was spitting out back then (late 80's/early 90's) and I'll choose not to say anything other than it caused lots of really good real Rangers to leave Batt after getting pissed on for a slot by a bunch of butter bars that were almost guaranteed a %100 pass rate without recycle.  A fresh tabbed E4 Ranger from Batt trumps a fresh tabbed, fresh from the churn butter bar any day, any time.  No, I wasn't in Batt for Ranger School; try advancing toward E-5 in Batt when nobody else can get there if they don't have a slot.


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## Viper1 (Dec 21, 2010)

Headshot said:


> You are correct. I saw alot of what Ranger School was spitting out back then (late 80's/early 90's) and I'll choose not to say anything other than it caused lots of really good real Rangers to leave Batt after *getting pissed on for a slot by a bunch of butter bars that were almost guaranteed a %100 pass rate without recycle. A fresh tabbed E4 Ranger from Batt trumps a fresh tabbed, fresh from the churn butter bar any day, any time*. No, I wasn't in Batt for Ranger School; try advancing toward E-5 in Batt when nobody else can get there if they don't have a slot.



1) In ref the post in bold and Italics..... officer's haven't been guaranteed a 100% pass rate for a long time.  Not when I went in 2006.  There was an O-4 thrown out for wearing contacts (rules are rules, I concur) and a lot of butter bars recycle.  Additionally, I think only the 173rd ABN requires all O's to have a tab anymore (for regular Army anyway)

2) In ref the second bolded sentence: As a guy who went through as a Butter bar, I agree.  Caveat is that it's all those E-4 batt boys (a responsibility almost) who taught me and the other 2LTs (all 5 in the squad) a metric ton of knowledge and fieldcraft before we graduated.  I'm forever thankful to those guys for being ruthless with me.  5 butters, 4 E-4's from batt, and an E-6 from SF.  Disfunctional family for sure but the best damn squad in the platoon as well.


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## Headshot (Dec 21, 2010)

No offense meant to you or any other Officer. Things were what they were, it just sucked being at the crap end of the stick as far as getting tabbed when you lived the life everyday.


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## Boon (Dec 21, 2010)

I went through with a class of IOBC.


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## Viper1 (Dec 23, 2010)

None taken HS.  I'm just glad it isn't that way anymore.


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## Ravage (Dec 23, 2010)

Boon said:


> I went through with a class of IOBC.



What is IOBC ?


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## Boon (Dec 23, 2010)

Ravage said:


> What is IOBC ?



Infantry Officers Basic Course


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## Ravage (Dec 23, 2010)

Roger that, thank You.


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