County, state officials tour Ranger training (with VIDEO)

EGLIN AFB - By the time soldiers complete the 60-day course to become Army Rangers, they've walked 200 miles on a restrictive diet and minimal sleep lugging a backpack that weighs more than the average 8-year-old.

"It's even better when it's wet," Lt. Col. Larry Perino, commander of the 6th Ranger Training Battalion at Camp James E. Rudder, told nearly a dozen county and state officials Wednesday.

The training facility opened its doors to give officials a better understanding of what the Army installation accomplishes.

"It was very interesting for me to know how rigorous the training is. It makes me appreciate what they go through," said Jeff Littrell, Okaloosa County's water and sewer director.

"I got a whole new appreciation for these guys when I lifted up that backpack," said Okaloosa County Administrator Jim Curry.

"There's nothing fancy going on here. It's all focused on developing combat leadership skills," Perino said in a morning briefing before the tour. "In reality, it teaches you about yourself, how far you can go."

The tour included a spin around the camp and a visit to the base's alligator pen.

Officials also got to see the latest batch of students who had just entered the third phase of the Ranger training program.

Last weekend, they parachuted into camp after more than 40 days of training in Georgia.

Wednesday, they were neck-deep in the Yellow River.

"What gets me is they're doing this on two to four hours of sleep and at the end of a long, arduous course, there's another one," said Elliot Kampert, the county's growth management director. "In quick bursts, fine, but to do this consistently ... that's stamina."

"I remember when I when I got out of Ranger school. I couldn't run down the block but I could walk forever," said Perino.

"I lost all ten toenails," said Ranger instructor Sgt. 1st Class Joey Smith.

"We play it like it's real and we grade them like it's real," said Perino.

Of the 1,906 students who landed in the Army camp last year, only 56 percent left with a Ranger patch.

The typical Ranger class includes members of all branches of the military. Most are second lieutenants preparing for their first experience leading a platoon.

Within six months of graduating, Perino said 90 percent of the new Rangers will be in Iraq or Afghanistan.

The program also is open to foreign troops.

"Two years ago, we actually had our first Iraqi soldier," Peroni said.

Although County Commissioner John Jannazo is a retired Air Force pilot, he said he learned something new from the tour: "It's a different world."

"I think every teenager ought to go through two weeks of this," said Curry.

Daily News Staff Writer Mona Moore can be reached at 863-1111, Ext. 1443.