75th Ranger Regiment

Organized into the three-battalion 75th Ranger Regiment, U.S. Army Rangers are airborne infantry specializing in quick raids, such as seizing airfields, and in providing security for more highly specialized special operators, such as Delta Force, carrying out direct action (e.g., prisoner capture, hostage rescue, high-value target destruction). It is subordinate to the Army Special Operations Command.

The Regiment and its battalions are qualified in:

• Infiltrating and exfiltrating by land, sea and air
• Conducting direct action operations, especially seizing airfields
• Conducting raids
• Recovery of personnel and special equipment
• Conducting conventional or special light-infantry operations, including as backup to covert special operations forces.

Structure

The Regiment stays at a high level of readiness; each battalion can deploy in 18 hours, and either land or parachute into the area of operations.

• 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.

It is most common for company-sized units to deploy as part of a Joint Special Operations Task Force. Nevertheless, it has operated at regimental strength for airfield seizure in Grenada and in Panama.

History

U.S. Army Rangers consider their lineage older than that of the nation; "Rogers' Rangers", of the French and Indian War, was the first American unit to have the Ranger designation. MAJ Rogers' tactical rules are still largely valid and are memorized by Rangers.

Ranger organizations were reconstituted in the Second World War, in battalion strength, and in company strength during the Korean War.