FREEDOM OR ANARCHY,Campaign of Conscience,: Army Rangers

Army Rangers

I am Joseph F Barber former Ranger and citizen & Patriot to and for we the people I will tell you about the finest group of people I have ever had the pleasure to be associated with The United States Army Rangers I served some 14.5 years and have served in two armed conflicts,and “Serving my country was a life-changing experience for me. It was during those years that I realized the importance of commitment, dedication, honor, and discipline. I have never laughed so much; nor have I ever prayed so much. I made life-long friends. The leaders and heroes I served with helped shape me into the man I am today. I feel honored to have been a part of such a great tradition and grateful to others who have walked the same path. Thank you!”

The 75th Ranger Regiment is a lethal, agile and flexible force, capable of executing a myriad of complex, joint special operations missions in support of U. S. policies and objectives. Designed and trained to be the most rapidly deployable unit in the Army capable of conducting operations in all types of terrain and weather using various insertion methods, today's 75th Ranger Regiment is the Army's premier raid force.

Headquartered at Fort Benning, Ga., the Regiment consists of four battalions -- 1st Battalion at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, Ga.; 2nd Battalion at the Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, Wash.; 3rd Battalion and the Regimental Special Troops Battalion located at Fort Benning, Ga.

The Regiment is composed of light infantry forces with specialized skills that enable them to perform a variety of special operations missions – airborne, air assault, and direct action operations, raids, infiltration and exfiltration by air, land or sea in addition to airfield seizure, recovery of personnel and special equipment, and support of conventional forces. Each Ranger battalion has the capability of deploying anywhere in the world with 18 hours notice.

More than 70 percent of current Rangers have multiple combat deployments in support of America's war against terrorists. The employment concept of Ranger forces is that they be used against politically sensitive, time-critical, or high value targets. They may be employed in as a quick reaction force or in the form of a meticulously planned, thoroughly rehearsed, deliberate operation. In order to meet the quick response requirement, the Regiment remains an all-volunteer force with an intensive screening and selection process followed by combat-focused training.

The forces of the Ranger Regiment are employed worldwide to demonstrate U. S. military power and resolve. As a result, Ranger elements are often deployed overseas to participate in combined training with allies. Numerous training missions stateside and around the globe ensure the 75th Ranger Regiment remains the most proficient and elite light infantry force in the world.

Army Rangers

Today, Rangers lead the way in the Global War on Terrorism. The 75th Ranger Regiment conducts sustained combat operations in multiple countries deploying from multiple locations in the United States. The Ranger Regiment is executing a wide range of diverse operations that include airborne and air assaults into Afghanistan and Iraq, mounted infiltrations behind enemy lines, complex urban raids and rescue operations.
Joining the Army Rangers

About the Army Rangers

Capable of infiltrating by land, sea, or air, the Ranger Regiment plans, executes, and commands and controls special operations in support of the nation's military objectives and global interests across the full spectrum continuum, worldwide.

Creed:

Recognizing that I volunteered as a Ranger, fully knowing the hazards of my chosen profession, I will always endeavor to uphold the prestige, honor, and high esprit-de-corps of my Ranger Regiment.

Acknowledging the fact that a Ranger is a more elite Soldier who arrives at the cutting edge of battle by land, sea, or air, I accept the fact that as a Ranger my country expects me to move further, faster and fight harder than any other Soldier.

Never shall I fail my comrades. I will always keep myself mentally alert, physically strong, and morally straight and I will shoulder more than my share of the task, whatever it may be, one hundred percent and then some.

Gallantly will I show the world that I am a specially selected and well-trained Soldier. My courtesy to superior officers, neatness of dress, and care of equipment shall set the example for others to follow.

Energetically will I meet the enemies of my country. I shall defeat them on the field of battle for I am better trained and will fight with all my might. Surrender is not a Ranger word. I will never leave a fallen comrade to fall into the hands of the enemy and under no circumstances will I ever embarrass my country.

Readily will I display the intestinal fortitude required to fight on to the Ranger objective and complete the mission, though I be the lone survivor.

Personnel:

Around 2,000 Army personnel serving in three Ranger Battalions and 75th Ranger Regimental Headquarters.

Gear:

Beretta M-9 Pistol
M203 Grenade Launcher
M4A1 Rifle
M2 .50 Machine Gun
M240G Machine Gun
MC-130
M249 Light Machine Gun (SAW)
Carl Gustav 84mm AT weapon
Javelin AT System
M72 Light Anti-tank Weapon (LAW)
120mm Mortar

Responsibilities:

Sustained combat operations in multiple countries
Airborne and air assaults
Mounted infiltrations behind enemy lines
Complex urban raids
Rescue operations

Organization:

lst Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Hunter Army Airfield, Ga.
2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Lewis, Wash.
3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, Fort Benning, Ga.
Regimental Special Troops Battalion, Fort Benning, Ga.

The Army Rangers: Missions and History

Mission:

"Rangers Lead the Way" isn't just a motto, it's a fact. Each Ranger battalion is capable of deploying anywhere in the world with only 18 hours notice. Rangers are part of a highly trained and rapidly deployable light infantry force with specialized skills that enable it to engage a variety of conventional and Special Operations targets.

The Rangers' primary mission is to engage the enemy in close combat and direct-fire battles. This mission includes direct action operations, raids, personnel and special equipment recovery, in addition to conventional or special light-infantry operations.

Becoming a Ranger requires completing one of the toughest military training schools in the world. Ranger candidates train to exhaustion, pushing the limits of their minds and bodies.

The motto "Rangers Lead the Way" has proven true for over 60 years. Since the first group of hand picked volunteers was activated in WWII, Rangers have led the way on over 50 military campaigns including operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Known as the 75th Ranger Regiment, today's Rangers are the premier light-infantry of the U.S. Army and serve as part of the U.S. Special Operations Command. Their mission is to plan and conduct special missions in support of U.S. policy and objectives.

Army Ranger History

U.S. Army Ranger history predates the Revolutionary War. In the mid 1700's, Capt. Benjamin Church and Maj. Robert Rogers both formed Ranger units to fight during the King Phillips War and the French and Indian War. Maj. Robert Rogers wrote the 19 standing orders that are still in use today.

The Continental Congress formed eight companies of expert riflemen in 1775 to fight in the Revolutionary War. In 1777, this force of hardy frontiersmen commanded by Dan Morgan was known as The Corps of Rangers. Francis Marion, "The Swamp Fox", organized another famous Revolutionary War Ranger element known as Marion's Partisans.

During the War of 1812, companies of United States Rangers were raised from among the frontier settlers as part of the regular army. Throughout the war, they patrolled the frontier from Ohio to Western Ill. on horseback and by boat. They participated in many skirmishes and battles with the British and their Indian allies. Many famous men belonged to Ranger units during the 18th and 19th centuries to include Daniel Boone and Abraham Lincoln.

The Civil War included Rangers such as John Singleton Mosby who was the most famous Confederate Ranger during the Civil War. His raids on Union camps and bases were so effective, part of North-Central Va. soon became known as Mosby's Confederacy.

After the Civil War, more than half a century passed without military Ranger units in America. However, during World War II (1941-1945), the United States, using British Commando standards, activated six Ranger infantry battalions.

Maj. (later Brigadier General) William O. Darby organized and activated the 1st Ranger Battalion on June 19, 1942, at Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland. The 1st Ranger Battalion participated in the North African landing at Arzeu, Algeria, the Tunisian Battles, and the critical Battle of El Guettar.

The 3rd and 4th Ranger Battalions were activated and trained by Col. Darby in Africa near the end of the Tunisian Campaign. The 1st, 3rd, and 4th Battalions formed the Ranger Force. They began the tradition of wearing the scroll shoulder sleeve insignia, which has been officially adopted for today's Ranger battalions.

The 2nd and 5th Ranger Battalions participated in the June 6, 1944, D-Day landings at Omaha Beach, Normandy. It was during the bitter fighting along the beaches that the Rangers gained their motto, "Rangers, lead the way!" They conducted daring missions to include scaling the cliffs of Pointe Du Hoc, overlooking Omaha Beach, to destroy German gun emplacements trained on the beachhead.

The 6th Ranger Battalion operated in the Philippines and formed the rescue force that liberated American Prisoners Of War from a Japanese POW camp at Cabanatuan in Jan. 1945. The 6th Battalion destroyed the Japanese POW camp and evacuated more than 500 prisoners.

The 75th Infantry Regiment was first organized in the China-Burma-India Theater on Oct. 3, 1943 as Task Force Galahad. It was during the campaigns in the China-Burma-India Theater that the regiment became known as Merrill's Marauders after its commander, Maj. Gen. Frank D. Merrill. The Ranger Battalions were deactivated at the close of WWII.

The outbreak of hostilities in Korea in June 1950 again signaled the need for Rangers. Fifteen Ranger Companies were formed during the Korean War. The Rangers went to battle throughout the winter of 1950 and the spring of 1951. They were nomadic warriors, attached first to one regiment and then to another. They performed "out front" work – scouting, patrolling, raids, ambushes, spearheading assaults, and as counterattack forces to regain lost positions.

Rangers were again called to serve their country during the Vietnam War. The 75th Infantry was reorganized once more on Jan. 1, 1969, as a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regimental System. Fifteen separate Ranger companies were formed from this reorganization. Thirteen served proudly in Vietnam until inactivation on Aug. 15, 1972.

In Jan. 1974, Gen. Creighton Abrams, Army Chief of Staff, directed the formation of a Ranger battalion. The 1st Battalion (Ranger), 75th Infantry, was activated and parachuted into Fort Stewart, Ga. on July 1, 1974. The 2nd Battalion (Ranger), 75th Infantry followed with activation on Oct. 1, 1974. The 3rd Battalion, 75th Infantry (Ranger), and Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 75th Infantry (Ranger), received their colors on Oct. 3, 1984, at Fort Benning, Ga. The 75th Ranger Regiment was designated in Feb. 1986.

The modern Ranger battalions were first called upon in 1980. Elements of 1st Battalion, 75th Infantry (Ranger) participated in the Iranian hostage rescue attempts.

In Oct. 1983, 1st and 2nd (-) Ranger Battalions spearheaded Operation Urgent Fury by conducting a daring low-level parachute assault to seize Point Salines Airfield and rescue American citizens at True Blue Medical Campus.

The entire 75th Ranger Regiment participated in Operation Just Cause. Rangers spearheaded the action by conducting two important operations. Simultaneous parachute assaults were conducted onto Torrijos/Tocumen International Airport, Rio Hato Airfield and General Manuel Noriega's beach house, to neutralize Panamanian Defense Forces. The Rangers captured 1,014 Enemy Prisoners of War (EPW), and over 18,000 arms of various types.

Elements of Company B, and 1st Platoon Company A, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment deployed to Saudi Arabia from February 12, 1991 to April 15, 1991, in support of Operation Desert Storm.

In August 1993, elements of 3rd Battalion, and 75th Ranger Regiment, deployed to Somalia to assist United Nations forces in bringing order to a desperately chaotic and starving nation. On October 3, 1993, the Rangers conducted a daring daylight raid with 1st SFOD-D. For nearly 18 hours, the Rangers delivered devastating firepower, killing an estimated 600 Somalis in what many have called the fiercest ground combat since Vietnam.

On 24 November 2000 the 75th Ranger Regiment deployed Regimental Reconnaissance Detachment (RRD) Team 2 and a command and control element to Kosovo in support of TF Falcon.

After the events of September 11, 2001, Rangers were called upon to lead the way in the Global War on Terrorism. On 19 October 2001, 3rd Battalion and 75th Ranger Regiment spearheaded ground forces by conducting an airborne assault to seize Objective Rhino in Afganistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. On 28 March 2003, 3rd Battalion employed the first airborne assault in Iraq to seize Objective Serpent in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Due to the changing nature of warfare and the need for an agile and sustainable Ranger Force, The Regimental Special Troops Battalion (RSTB) was activated 17 July 2006. The RSTB conducts sustainment, intelligence, reconnaissance and maintenance missions which were previously accomplished by small detachments assigned to the Regimental headquarters and then attached within each of the three Ranger battalions. The activation of the RSTB signifies a major waypoint in the transformation of the Ranger Force from a unit designed for short term "contingency missions" to continuous combat operations without loss in lethality or flexibility.

Today, Rangers from all four of its current Battalions continue to lead the way in the Global War on Terrorism. The 75th Ranger Regiment is conducting sustained combat operations in multiple countries deploying from multiple locations in the United States, a task that is unprecedented for the Regiment. Rangers continue conducting combat operations with almost every deployed special operations, conventional and coalition force in support of both Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Ranger Regiment is executing a wide range of diverse operations that include airborne and air assaults into Afghanistan and Iraq, mounted infiltrations behind enemy lines, complex urban raids and rescue operations.

In addition to conducting missions in support of the Global War on Terrorism, the 75th Ranger Regiment continues to train in the United States and overseas to prepare for future no-notice worldwide combat deployments. The Regiment also continues to recruit, assess and train the next generation of Rangers and Ranger leadership.