ranger.pdf

SH 21-76

UNITED STATES ARMY

RANGER HANDBOOK

Not for the weak

or fainthearted

RANGER TRAINING BRIGADE

UNITED STATES ARMY INFANTRY SCHOOL

FORT BENNING, GEORGIA

JULY 2006

RANGER CREED

R ecognizing 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 the Rangers.

A cknowledging 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.

N ever 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.

G allantly 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.

E nergetically 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.

R eadily will I display the intestinal fortitude required to fight on to the Ranger objective and complete the mission, though I

be the lone survivor.

STANDING ORDERS, ROGERS' RANGERS

1. Don't forget nothing.

2. Have your musket clean as a whistle, hatchet scoured, sixty rounds powder and ball, and be ready to march at a minute's

warning.

3. When you're on the march, act the way you would if you was sneaking up on a deer. See the enemy first.

4. Tell the truth about what you see and what you do. There is an army depending on us for correct information. You can lie

all you please when you tell other folks about the Rangers, but don't never lie to a Ranger or officer.

5. Don't never take a chance you don't have to.

6. When we're on the march we march single file, far enough apart so one shot can't go through two men.

7. If we strike swamps, or soft ground, we spread out abreast, so it's hard to track us.

8. When we march, we keep moving till dark, so as to give the enemy the least possible chance at us.

9. When we camp, half the party stays awake while the other half sleeps.

10.If we take prisoners, we keep' em separate till we have had time to examine them, so they can't cook up a story

between' em.

11.Don't ever march home the same way. Take a different route so you won't be ambushed.

12.No matter whether we travel in big parties or little ones, each party has to keep a scout 20 yards ahead, 20 yards on each

flank, and 20 yards in the rear so the main body can't be surprised and wiped out.

13.Every night you'll be told where to meet if surrounded by a superior force.

14.Don't sit down to eat without posting sentries.

15.Don't sleep beyond dawn. Dawn's when the French and Indians attack.

16.Don't cross a river by a regular ford.

17.If somebody's trailing you, make a circle, come back onto your own tracks, and ambush the folks that aim to ambush you.

18.Don't stand up when the enemy's coming against you. Kneel down, lie down, hide behind a tree.

19.Let the enemy come till he's almost close enough to touch, then let him have it and jump out and finish him up with

your hatchet.

--MAJOR ROBERT ROGERS, 1759

RANGER HISTORY

T he history of the American Ranger is a long and colorful saga of courage, daring and outstanding leadership. It is a story of

men whose skills in the art of fighting have seldom been surpassed. Only the highlights of their numerous exploits are told here.

R angers primarily performed defensive missions until Benjamin Church’s Company of Independent Rangers from Plymouth

Colony proved successful in raiding hostile Indians during King Phillip’s War in 1675. In 1756, Major Robert Rogers, a native of

New Hampshire, recruited nine companies of American colonists to fight for the British during the French and Indian War.

Ranger techniques and methods of operation were an inherent characteristic of the American frontiersmen; however, Major

Rogers was the first to capitalize on them and incorporate them into the fighting doctrine of a permanently organized

fighting force.

T he method of fighting used by the first Rangers was further developed during the Revolutionary War by Colonel Daniel

Morgan, who organized a unit known as “Morgan’s Riflemen”. According to General Burgoyne, Morgan’s men were “….the most

famous corps of the Continental Army, all of them crack shots.”

F rancis Marion, the “Swamp Fox,” organized another famous Revolutionary War Ranger element known as “Marion’s

Partisans.” Marion’s Partisans, numbering anywhere from a handful to several hundred, operated both with and independent of

other elements of General Washington’s Army. Operating out of the Carolina swamps, they disrupted British communications

and prevented the organization of loyalists to support the British cause, substantially contributing to the American victory.

T he American Civil War was again the occasion for the creation of special units such as Rangers. John S. Mosby, a master

of the prompt and skillful use of cavalry, was one of the most outstanding Confederate Rangers. He believed that by resorting to

aggressive action he could compel his enemies to guard a hundred points. He would then attack one of the weakest points and

be assured numerical superiority.

W ith America’s entry into the Second World War, Rangers came forth to add to the pages of history. Major William O. Darby

organized and activated the 1 st Ranger Battalion on June19, 1942 at Carrickfergus, North Ireland. The members were all hand-

picked volunteers; 50 participated in the gallant Dieppe Raid on the northern coast of France with British and Canadian

commandos. The 1 st , 3 rd , and 4 th Ranger Battalions participated with distinction in the North African, Sicilian and Italian

campaigns. Darby’s Ranger Battalions spearheaded the Seventh Army landing at Gela and Licata during the Sicilian invasion

and played a key role in the subsequent campaign which culminated in the capture of Messina. They infiltrated German lines

and mounted an attack against Cisterna, where they virtually annihilated an entire German parachute regiment during close in,

night, bayonet, and hand-to-hand fighting.

T he 2 nd and 5 th Ranger Battalions participated in the D-Day landings at Omaha Beach, Normandy. It was during the bitter

fighting along the beach that the Rangers gained their official motto. As the situation became critical on Omaha Beach, the

division commander of the 29 th Infantry Division stated that the entire force must clear the beach and advance inland. He then

turned to Lieutenant Colonel Max Schneider, Commander of the 5 th Ranger Battalion, and said, “Rangers, lead the way.” The 5 th

Ranger Battalion spearheaded the breakthrough and thus enabled the allies to drive inland away from the invasion beaches.

T he 6 th Ranger Battalion, operating in the Pacific, conducted Ranger type missions behind enemy lines which involved

reconnaissance and hard-hitting, long-range raids. They were the first American contingent to return to the Philippines,

destroying key coastal installations prior to the invasion. A reinforced company from the 6 th Ranger Battalion formed the rescue

force which liberated American and allied prisoners of war from the Japanese prison camp at Cabanatuan.

A nother Ranger-type unit was the 5307 th Composite Unit (Provisional), organized and trained as a long-range penetration

unit for employment behind enemy lines in Japanese occupied Burma. The unit commander was Brigadier General (later Major

General) Frank D. Merrill. Its 2,997 officers and men became popularly known as “Merrill’s Marauders.”

T he men composing Merrill’s Marauders were volunteers from the 5 th , 154 th , and 33 rd Infantry Regiments and from other

Infantry regiments engaged in combat in the southwest and South Pacific. These men responded to a call from then Chief of

Staff, General George C. Marshall, for volunteers for a hazardous mission. These volunteers were to have a high state of

physical ruggedness and stamina and were to come from jungle-trained and jungle-tested units.

P rior to their entry into the Northern Burma Campaign, Merrill’s Marauders trained in India under the overall supervision of

Major General Orde C. Wingate, British Army. There, they were trained from February to June 1943 in long-range penetration

tactics and techniques of the type developed and first employed by General Wingate. The operations of the Marauders were

closely coordinated with those of the Chinese 22 nd and 38 th Divisions in a drive to recover northern Burma and clear the way for

the construction of Ledo Road, which was to link the Indian railhead at Ledo with the old Burma Road to China. The Marauders

marched and fought through jungle and over mountains from Hukwang Valley in northwest Burma to Myitkyina and the

Irrawaddy River. In 5 major and 30 minor engagements, they met and defeated the veteran soldiers of the Japanese 18 th

Division. Operating in the rear of the main force of the Japanese, they prepared the way for the southward advances of the

Chinese by disorganizing supply lines and communications. The climax of the Marauder’s operations was the capture of

Myitkyina Airfield, the only all-weather strip in northern Burma. This was the final victory of “Merrill’s Marauders,” which

disbanded in August 1944. Remaining personnel were consolidated into the 475 th Infantry Regiment, which fought its last battle

on February 3, and 4,1945, at Loi-Kang Ridge, China. This Infantry Regiment would serve as the forefather of today’s 75 th

Ranger Regiment.

S hortly after the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950, the 8 th Army Ranger Company was formed of volunteers from

American units in Japan. The Company was trained in Korea and distinguished itself in combat during the drive to the Yalu

River, performing task force and spearhead operations. In November 1950 during the massive Chinese intervention, this small

unit, though vastly outnumbered, withstood five enemy assaults on its position.

I n September 1950, a Department of the Army message called for volunteers to be trained as Airborne Rangers. In the 82 nd

Airborne Division, five thousand regular Army paratroopers volunteered, and from that number nine hundred men were selected

to form the initial eight Airborne Ranger Companies. An additional nine companies were formed from volunteers of regular Army

and National Guard Infantry Divisions. These seventeen Airborne Ranger companies were activated and trained at Fort Benning,

Georgia, with most receiving additional training in the mountains of Colorado.

I n 1950 and 1951, some 700 men of the 1 st , 2 nd , 3 rd , 4 th , 5 th, and 8 th Airborne Ranger companies fought to the front of every

American Infantry Division in Korea. Attacking by land, water, and air, these six Ranger companies conducted raids, deep

penetrations, and ambush operations against North Korean and Chinese forces. They were the first Rangers in history to make a

combat jump. After the Chinese intervention, these Rangers were the first Americans to re-cross the 38 th parallel. The 2 nd

Airborne Ranger Company was the only African American Ranger unit in the history of the American Army. The men of the six

Ranger companies who fought in Korea paid the bloody price of freedom. One in nine of this gallant brotherhood died on the

battlefields of Korea.

O ther Airborne Ranger companies led the way while serving with infantry divisions in the United States, Germany, and

Japan. Men of these companies volunteered and fought as members of line infantry units in Korea. One Ranger, Donn Porter,

would be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. Fourteen Korean War Rangers became general officers and dozens

became colonels, senior noncommissioned officers, and leaders in civilian life. They volunteered for the Army, the Airborne, the

Rangers, and for combat. The first men to earn and wear the coveted Ranger Tab, these men are the original Airborne Rangers.

I n October 1951, the Army Chief of Staff, General J. Lawton Collins directed, “Ranger training be extended to all combat

units in the Army.” The Commandant of the Infantry School was directed to establish a Ranger Department. This new

department would develop and conduct a Ranger course of instruction. The objective was to raise the standard of training in all

combat units. This program was built upon what had been learned from the Ranger Battalions of World War II and the Airborne

Ranger companies of the Korean conflict.

D uring the Vietnam Conflict, fourteen Ranger companies consisting of highly motivated volunteers served with distinction

from the Mekong Delta to the DMZ. Assigned to separate brigade, division, and field force units, they conducted long-range

reconnaissance and exploitation operations into enemy-held areas providing valuable combat intelligence. Initially designated at

LRRP, then LRP companies, these units were later designated as C, D,E,F,G,H,I,K,L,M,N,O and P (Ranger) 75 th Infantry.

F ollowing Vietnam, recognizing the need for a highly trained and highly mobile reaction force, the Army Chief of Staff,

General Abrams directed the activation of the first battalion-sized Ranger units since World War II, the 1 st and 2 nd Battalions

(Ranger), 75 th Infantry. The 1 st Battalion was trained at Fort Benning, Georgia and was activated February 8, 1974 at Fort

Stewart, Georgia with the 2 nd Battalion being activated on October 3, 1974. The 1 st Battalion is now located at Hunter Army

Airfield, Georgia and the 2 nd Battalion at Fort Lewis, Washington.

T he farsightedness of General Abrams’ decision, as well as the combat effectiveness of the Ranger battalions, was proven

during the United States’ invasion of the island of Grenada in October 1983 to protect American citizens there, and to restore

democracy. As expected, Rangers led the way! During this operation, code named “Urgent Fury,” the Ranger battalions

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