A Brief History of the US Army Rangers

The US Army Rangers are an elite group of 2000 highly trained combat soldiers that is comprised of three Rifle Battalions and one Special Troops Battalion. Although the headquarters is in Fort Benning, Georgia, they are trained to be quickly deployed, within eighteen hours notice, to anywhere in the world. They are fully prepared to travel by air, land or sea, in any type of weather conditions and in all types of terrain.

They are the ultimate airfield seizure and raid unit in the United States Army. The Rangers are highly skilled and thoroughly trained in combat techniques, raids, recovery of both people and equipment, and direct action operations. This light infantry divisions specializes in airfield seizures, ambushes, night fighting, reconnaissance missions, and rapid-fire infantry assault.

The Ranger's have been around since before the Revolutionary War. Originally, they were soldiers who were used to keep a watchful eye on the Indians to warn of attacks. They were also employed to show the way to villages or to areas of interest or conflict. They had such names as Church's Rangers and Rogers' Rangers and Marion's Partisans.

They fought in many American battles, with both Indians and the British, up to the Civil War. There were no Ranger units after that, until World War II, when the 1st Ranger Battalion was founded by Major William Orlando Darby. The first group was comprised of 50 men. Based on the success of that unit, many more battalions were formed over the years. In 1986, the 75th Ranger Regiment, as it is known as today, was formed.

Because the US Army Rangers are the elite Special Operations Force, anyone wishing to become a member must first pass a demanding orientation course before they can attend the Ranger School. The course starts with nine weeks of Basic Training, during which time the soldiers are put under extremely strenuous mental and physical challenges. The purpose of this is to see who can withstand the pressure. It is also meant to teach them leadership skills and advanced soldier techniques, so that they will be prepared for real life combat situations. The training is so brutal that only about twenty-five percent of the soldiers will actually graduate.

Those that pass the orientation course will move on to Advanced Individual Training, where they will learn a military specialty and then lastly, they will complete Airborne training. Once they are all done, they are assigned to the Ranger Regiment where they will attend the Ranger Indoctrination Program. Finally, if they pass, they are appointed to either the Ranger Regiment Headquarters, or to one of the three Ranger Battalions.