Who Are the U.S. Army Rangers?

The US Army Rangers are a special operations branch of the US military. They are a group of highly trained light infantry soldiers that conduct direct action missions and operations. The term Ranger dates back to the 13^th century and was used to refer to people that roamed wide areas to provide law and order. U.S. Army Rangers are considered to be an elite division of the U.S. Army. A complete list of training and requirements can be found at GoArmy.com.

U.S. Ranger history actually dates back to the mid 1700's. The Continental Congress formed eight groups, comprised of expert riflemen, in 1775. By 1777, this force, under the command of Dan Morgan, was called The Corps of Rangers.

Now called the 75^th Ranger Regiment, the First U.S. Ranger Battalion formed during the beginning of the U.S. involvement in WWII. This group was modeled after British Commandos. Rangers were trained in speed marches and cliff climbing. They were trained in amphibious landings and could infiltrate enemy territory from the sea. They were also highly trained in night time attacks and attacks from the least likely suspected routes.

The First U.S. Ranger Battalion was an all volunteer group. Physical strength and endurance were only part of the requirements. This Ranger must also have been able to show intelligence and the ability to think act and react quickly on foot. These Rangers were a group but also expected to work independently and survive on very little. These requirements are still true today.

Major General Lucian K. Truscott of the U.S. Army first suggested the idea of the Rangers to General George Marshal in 1942. A West Point graduate, Captain William Orlando Darby, was chosen as the Commanding Officer of this First Battalion. Caption Darby was soon promoted to Major and began organizing the unit. Of the first 1500 volunteers only 600 were accepted into this unit. The First Ranger Battalion was officially activated on June 19, 1942. According to rangerfamily.org of the 15 million plus people that served in WWII only 3000 were Rangers. This website offers a complete history of all of the Ranger Battalions that served in WWII and provides an area for current and former Rangers to connect.

The current 75^th Ranger Regiment is considered a first line of defense for the U.S. This regiment was first formed in 1943 in the China-Burma-India Theater and known as Task Force Galahad. They were again brought into action during the Korean War and served in battle during the winter to spring of 1950 to 1951. The Vietnam War brought the 75^th Infantry back as a parent regiment under the Combat Arms Regiment. According to the USASOC, 13 regiments served through August 15, 1972.

The 75^th Ranger Regiment is stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia. Rangers from all four current Battalions continue to serve in the Global War on Terrorism. Training has evolved to include intelligence gathering and the reconnaissance missions involved in modern warfare. They are still an elite force of highly trained soldiers who's mission is to protect and defend the U.S. and "always endeavor to uphold the prestige, honor and high esprit de corps" of their Ranger Regiment.