What Is Army RASP? Requirements and How to Prepare

Army Ranger candidate rucking with a heavy pack up a forest trail at dawn

RASP is how you earn a spot in the 75th Ranger Regiment. Short for the Ranger Assessment and Selection Program, it is the gate every Ranger passes through. Here is what it involves, who goes to which version, and how to show up ready.

RASP 1 vs RASP 2

There are two tracks. RASP 1 is an eight-week course for junior enlisted soldiers, ranks E1 to E5. RASP 2 is a shorter course, roughly three weeks, for senior noncommissioned officers, warrant officers, and officers in the rank of E6 and above. Most candidates searching for RASP mean RASP 1.

How RASP 1 is structured

RASP 1 splits into two four-week phases.

Phase 1 is the assessment: intense physical testing, road marches, land navigation, combatives, medical scenarios, and Ranger history. This is where most candidates are cut.
Phase 2 shifts to the skills the Regiment runs on, including marksmanship, breaching and explosives, mobility, and airfield seizure tasks.

Many soldiers also attend a six-week pre-RASP train-up first, a crawl, walk, run program that prepares those who need to build their base before selection.

RASP physical requirements

There is no single magic number, but the candidates who succeed clear the entry bar comfortably: strong pull-ups, a high push-up and sit-up count, a fast two-mile run, and the ability to ruck long distances under load without falling apart. The Army screens with the current fitness test, but RASP itself demands far more than a passing score. Treat the minimums as the floor, not the goal. You can gauge where you stand with our RASP calculator.

How to prepare

Three things win at RASP: rucking, running, and durability. Build a heavy ruck base over months, not weeks, so your feet, hips, and shoulders adapt. Keep your run fast and your work capacity high. And train your grip and upper body for the pull-ups and load carriage that never stop. Our 16-week RASP ruck progression is built for exactly this.

RASP vs SFAS

RASP leads to the 75th Ranger Regiment. SFAS leads to the Special Forces. They are different pipelines with different cultures and demands. If you are weighing the two, read our SFAS vs RASP breakdown.