Rangers Do It With Less Dying

by James Dunnigan

The U.S. Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment’s motto is “Rangers lead the way” and the 3,500 members of the regiment have been in constant action over the last decade doing just that. During a decade of action, the regiment has suffered 412 combat casualties, including 32 dead. This is less than half the casualty rate suffered by non-SOCOM (Special Operations Command) combat units, and is the result of better training and leadership in the ranger battalions. In particular, the rangers developed more aggressive and effective techniques for treating combat casualties, which substantially reduced the death rate. The rest of the army has adopted many of these techniques.

The Rangers usually deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan for three months at a time, and serve as special muscle for important operations. The rangers, who belong to SOCOM, often act as backup for Special Forces or Navy SEALs, but also carry out a lot of operations on their own. During a typical three month tour, the Rangers might average 3-4 missions (patrols, raids, etc) a day, each one resulting in 3-4 enemy killed and 7-8 captured (along with large quantities of weapons and documents). Other deployments might be more, or less, intense. Often the Rangers are brought in to help Special Forces with searches for Islamic terrorists. In these cases the Rangers will spend most of their time patrolling, or on stakeout, noting everything and developing a web of information that will catch the bad guys.

Although a Ranger Battalion rarely has more than 600 troops, on a typical tour, 15-20 percent receive medals (mostly Bronze Star medals with V device), while most will receive either Combat Action Badges (to recognize non-infantry troops who have spent at least a month in combat) and Combat Infantryman’s Badges (for infantry who have spent at least a month in combat). For each tour, 30-40 percent of the troops are in combat for the first time. After one of these deployments, a Battalion will usually spend 3-6 months at their base in the United States, before heading off for another overseas deployment (usually to Afghanistan, or somewhere else.)

The three Battalions of Rangers are commandos in the classic (World War II) sense. They are light infantry who are trained to perform many of the missions the Special Forces normally take care of (raids, pilot and equipment recovery) plus something the Special Forces normally avoids; light infantry operations (using a several dozen or more troops for an operation.)

The Rangers are America's largest emergency response military unit (the smaller one is Delta Force) that is ready to fly off to an overseas trouble spot in less than 24 hours. In peacetime, one of the three Ranger battalions was always assigned to this duty (spending one month being ready go on 18 hours notice) and two months off (doing intensive training.)


The 75th Ranger Regiment headquarters is at Fort Benning, Georgia. The 1st Battalion of the 75th Regiment (1/75) is stationed at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia, the 2nd Battalion (2/75) is at Fort Lewis, Washington and the 3rd Battalion (3/75) is at Fort Benning, Georgia.

But "the Rangers" are more than the 75th Ranger Regiment. There is also the TRADOC (Training And Doctrine Command) Ranger Training Brigade, which consists of three more ranger battalions (the 4th, 5th and 6th) who train those who wish to join the ranger regiment as well those who are there just to become qualified as a ranger. This is an important distinction that is often misunderstood. 


There is a difference between those who are "tabbed Rangers" (authorized to wear the Ranger tab on their uniform) and those who are simply members of the 75th Ranger Regiment. Any physically fit infantryman (and troops in other job categories the Rangers need) can apply to join the 75th Ranger Regiment if they have already gone through parachute training ("jump school"). They will have to pass a physical fitness test first, as the standards at the 75th Ranger Regiment are very high and there's no point sending any volunteers if they are not up to the minimum requirements. Officers and NCOs in the Ranger Regiment, however, must have taken and passed ranger training.

The Rangers encourage promising new recruits to volunteer to try for Ranger duty from the beginning. That way, the new recruit goes to the two week jump school right after 14 weeks of basic and advanced infantry training and is ready to try out for the rangers. This involves eight week long RASP (Ranger Assessment and Selection Program). About half of the volunteers fail. Those who pass are now members of the 75th Ranger Regiment, but they are not "rangers." How can this be?

Simple, the Ranger training was always meant to identify and train the elite infantry leaders. The purpose of Ranger School, for its first 20 years (until the 1970s), was to try and provide one Ranger NCO per infantry platoon and one Ranger officer per infantry company. That goal proved impossible to attain. There just weren't enough qualified volunteers for the tough training. But young infantry officers, in particular, were encouraged to attend Ranger school. The Ranger tab helped one's promotion prospects enormously. Until the 1990s, Ranger School was open to anyone in the army who could pass the physical qualification test. In practice, the army wanted its hotshot infantry officers and NCOs to attend and eventually anyone not working in, or directly with, the infantry, was not allowed to try out for the school. 


Even so, about 20 percent of attendees are from other services (Marines, SEALs and Air Force Special Operations) and another 20 percent from foreign nations (many of which have their own Ranger schools, some of which are even harder to pass than the U.S. one.)

The Ranger School is a 61 day course designed to identify and train elite infantry leaders. The training goes on for about 19 hours a day, seven days a week. The attrition rate is about 60 percent. The school emphasizes mastery of basic infantry skills and the ability to lead troops under stressful conditions. Students for Ranger School arrive wearing uniforms devoid of rank insignia. Everyone is of equal rank during the 61 days of training, with everyone taking turns leading squad size units of their fellow students in various exercises. The Ranger School program emphasizes resourcefulness, physical toughness and the ability to think clearly while under extreme stress (and lack of sleep.)

Since its formation in 1974, up until September 11, 2001, the ranger regiment actually hadn't seen much action. But that has a lot to do with American political leaders’ reluctance to get involved in overseas military emergencies. And if such action is needed, using fewer troops (as in Delta Force, SEALs or Special Forces) is preferred. The rangers are seen as the ultimate strategic reserve. So when there is something really, really important that can only be taken care of with several hundred very well trained infantry, the rangers were ready to go. Thus in the last decade, the rangers have been heavily involved worldwide, carrying out counter-terror missions that need a bit more skill and daring than the average combat unit could provide.

HOO-AH: RANGERS HONOR FALLEN BROTHERS

RANGERS HONOR

FALLEN BROTHERS
OF OPERATION
GOTHIC SERPENT

Rangers of the Regimental Special Troops Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment conducted a 5K unit moral run Oct. 3 to commemorate the six Rangers who were killed during Operation Gothic Serpent in Mogadishu, Somalia Oct. 3-4, 1993.
The 72 Rangers from Regimental Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Ranger Battalion, and the Regimental Headquarters, which were formed into nine seven-man squads and one nine-man squad, ran in combat gear, simulating the Mogadishu Mile that was run by American Rangers and Delta Force Soldiers from a helicopter crash site to the Pakistani Stadium during the Battle of Mogadishu Oct. 4, 1993.
During the 1993 Mogadishu mile, the Soldiers were originally supposed to take cover by running alongside a convoy of Humvees and armored personnel carriers, however when the convoy outpaced them they were forced to run without support and with very little ammunition. No one was wounded on the 48 minute run, however the convoy and the Soldiers on foot were attacked with rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire.

Former 3rd Battalion commander, retired Col. Danny McKnight, was the guest speaker at the end of the run.

McKnight and his wife Linda began a pilgrimage last month to visit with the families of the six Rangers that were killed 15 years ago.

“I cannot tell you how much it means to me to be here on this day with the Rangers,” said McKnight addressing the Rangers. “You all are the finest Soldiers in the Army.”

While McKnight is at Fort Benning, he will visit the grave site of Cpl. James Cavaco who was killed on the lost convoy.

There were times after we returned from Somalia that the MPs would drive by the Fort Benning Cemetery and see Rangers sitting at Jimmy’s grave-site, said McKnight.

“They were just talking to their brother,” said McKnight.

Rangers killed on that day were:
Cpl. Jamie Smith
Spc. James Cavaco
Sgt. Casey Joyce
Pfc. Richard “Alphabet” Kowalewski
Sgt. Dominick Pilla
Sgt. Lorenzo Ruiz

“Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for what you do every day, I wish you God speed, Rangers Lead the Way,” said McKnight.

Additional information about the battle of Mogadishu.

The Battle of Mogadishu was part of Operation Gothic Serpent by forces of the United States supported by the United Nations Operations in Somali against Somali militia fighters loyal to warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid.

The assault force was made up of US Army Delta Force, Ranger teams an air element provided by the 160th Speical Operations Aviation Regiment, four Navy Seals from SEAL Team 6 and members of the Air Force Pararescue/Air Force Combat Controllers, executed an operation which involved traveling from their compound on the outskirs of the city to capture tier one personalities of the Habr Gidr clan, headed by Aidid. The assault force composed of nineteen aircraft, twelveve vehicles and 160 men.

During the operation, two U.S. MH-60 Black Hawk Helicopters were shot down by rocket-propelled grenades and three others were damaged. Some of the soldiers were able to evacuate wounded back to the compound, but others were trapped at the crash sites and cut off. An urban battle ensued throughout the night.

Early the next morning, a combined task force was sent to rescue the trapped soldiers. It contained soldiers from Pakistan, Malaysia and the U.S.10th Mountain Division. They assembled some 100 vehicles, including Pakistani tanks (American-made M48s) and Malaysian Condor armored personnel carriers, and were supported by U.S. A/MH-6 Little Bird, and MH-60 helicopters. This task force reached the first crash site and led the trapped soldiers out. The second crash site was overrun and pilot Mike Durant, the lone surviving American from that site, was taken prisoner but later released.

Hoo-ah: Army Honors John Warner & Duncan Hunter

Hat Tip to a
Great Oklahoma Blogger RED STATER

SecArmy hosts retirement for
Armed Services Committee chairmen

BY Alex McVeighARLINGTON, Va. (Army News Service, Sept. 25, 2008) -- Secretary of the Army Pete Geren hosted an Armed Forces retirement ceremony Wednesday afternoon for former chairmen of both the Senate and House Armed Services Committees, Sen. John Warner of Virginia and Congressman Duncan Hunter of California.

The two men worked together on many defense bills, officials said, that contributed to strengthening America's armed forces into what they are today.

Ceremonial units from the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force and Coast Guard were present, along with the U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own," who performed a brief pre-ceremony concert.

With the downtown Washington D.C. skyline behind them and a billowing American flag above them, the joint services color guard slowly marched onto the field just prior to the arrival of the official party.

Geren started off the ceremony by speaking volumes about what both men had accomplished in their years of service.

Between their military time and their legislative careers, their combined years of service was over three quarters of a century, Geren said.

"These leaders have served our nation over many decades, in and out of uniform, in times of war and times of peace," he said. "It is a privilege and a pleasure to honor them today, and to celebrate the partnership between our military and our congress, a partnership that has served our nation well."

Hunter served in the Army beginning in 1969, and served in Vietnam with the Army Rangers' 75th Regiment. He participated in 24 helicopter assaults, and was awarded the bronze star among other achievements.

Hunter has been in the House of Representatives since 1980, when he defeated an 18-year incumbent. He served as Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee from 2003-2007.

Warner served in both the Navy and the Marines, enlisting in the Navy at 17. After his Naval service was complete, he attended college at Washington and Lee University. After graduation, he began to study law at the University of Virginia.

When the Korean War began in 1950, Warner took a hiatus from his law studies to serve as an officer in the Marine Corps, where he eventually reached the rank of Captain.

Marine Corps Gen. James Cartwright, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke after Geren, and he too extolled the virtues of the two men.

"Both men carried [their military service] not as challenges, but as opportunities," he said. "Opportunities to make a difference, to define service and to define quality of service in a way that marks them forever."

In their responses, both men began with a tribute to each other, saying that they made it possible together what they were able to accomplish.

Warner concluded his remarks by saying that his military experiences were what gave him the ability to serve as long as he had, and he is grateful for that.

"I stand here, filled with honor and a great sense of humility, only because of what I learned by way of training and discipline," he said.

The ceremony concluded with a joint service medley played by Pershing's Own, but more than their music, the closing words of Geren were what attendees took away.

"Senator Warner and Congressman Hunter will be missed by all who had the privilege to serve with them, and every Soldier Sailor, Marine and Airmen who may serve," he said.

A joint services color guard marches onto
Fort Myer’s Whipple field at the start of the ceremony.

HOO-ah: An American Tradition

The war on terror, and especially the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, have brought back an old American battlefield tradition; tracking and stalking the enemy.

Even before the American revolution, colonial militias used the hunting skills of their members to develop uniquely American infantry tactics.

The generals never completely accepted or permanently adapted these skills. But in every war, and especially in World War II and subsequent conflicts, the tracking and stalking skills of troops were recognized, and utilized, on the battlefield.

During World War II, many divisions organized special scouting units, recruiting troops who were particularly skilled at tracking, and stalking game. These hunting skills are easily transferred to the battlefield. Indeed, the earliest armies made use of these skills, and primitive tribes still use "hunting parties" as "war bands" when the game is two-legged and able to fight back. The most successful army in history, that of the Medieval Mongols, was based on the hunting organization and tactics employed to survive on the great plains of Eurasia.

During the Korean War (1950-53), division commanders created "Ranger Companies," composed of their most skilled stalkers and scouts. These rangers were disbanded after Korea, but were revived in Vietnam, in the form of LRRPs (Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols) and other specialized units. After Vietnam, the Ranger Regiment was created, but as a force of elite light infantry, not scouts. More of these ranger type skills were taught to all troops, but not in a concentrated enough way to make a difference.

But the U.S. Marine Corps noted that snipers, a development of the late 19th century smokeless powder (making it more difficult to spot a sniper who had just fired the more accurate and longer range rifles), also had to use stalking and tracking skills to be effective. So the marines established small "Scout-Sniper" units, and utilized both these skills to both find the enemy, and kill them if necessary.

In Iraq, policemen and detectives, serving there in large numbers as reservists, brought their concept of "street marts" to the growing bag of tricks developed for fighting in Iraq. Being able to spot who was a bad guy, dressed as a civilian and trying to stay undetected in the population, was something urban police are good at. In many infantry units, these skills were codified, and taught to troops. The marines took this a step farther, and developed a new stalking and tracking program for all marines.

The U.S. Army Special Forces, and commando troops world-wide, have long recognized the usefulness of these skills, and now the U.S. Army is trying to incorporate more of it into their regular training. After all, it's an old American tradition.

Hoo-ah: 2ND RANGER BATTALION WELCOMES NEW COMMANDER

The 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment welcomed a new battalion commander in a change of command ceremony at Fort Lewis, Wash., July 16.

Col. Erik Kurilla relinquished command to incoming commander Lt. Col. Mark Odom during the ceremony.

“How does one sum up Colonel Kurilla’s many achievements, but more importantly the achievements of this unit?” said Col. Richard D. Clarke, regimental commanding officer, 75th Ranger Regiment. “A commander who deployed this battalion into harm’s way on numerous occasions, who has led from the front both in training and on the battlefield, who backs up his actions with deeds and not words, who is self-disciplined, physically fit, mentally tough, intelligent, and gives 100 percent. The answer is you don’t.”

The moniker for a former Chief of Staff of the Army was that Soldiers are your credentials, said Clarke.

“Colonel Kurilla, you have incredible credentials,” he said. “The Warriors who stand before you on the field today, ready to do bad things to bad people and willing to trade the parade field for the battlefield, they are your legacy.”

In his farewell remarks, Kurilla reflected on his time as battalion commander.

“I have never been more proud in my entire military career than the time I served in 2nd Ranger Battalion, and I will be able to look back and say I walked among giants and I served with the next greatest generation,” said Kurilla.

Kurilla talked about the bravery of the men who serve in 2nd Ranger Battalion.

“There was much blood shed by the men standing on the parade field before you and many are currently recovering in hospitals around our country,” he said. “They are men of valor, character, courage, and strength.”

The words to describe the sacrifice of these men are the words of Winston Churchill who said, “Never was so much owed by so many to so few.”

“These are men that chose to defend our Nation in a time of war and fight in far off villages and lands that 99 percent of America has never even heard of,” Kurilla said. “I ask today that you not focus on the changing of the leadership but on the sacrifice of the few. Never was so much owed by so many to so few.”

Kurilla will spend one year at the National War College in Washington, D.C. and will take command as the 16th Colonel of the 75th Ranger Regiment in August 2009.

The outgoing and incoming commanders, who have been friends for over 20 years, shook hands as they passed in front of the podium between their respective remarks. The mutual professional respect and friendship each mentioned about the other in their remarks was apparent.

Odom then addressed his Soldiers in their first formation under his command.

“I cannot tell you how fortunate I feel to return to the Regiment and to return to 2nd Battalion, in particular,” Odom said. “In short, it is great to be back.”

Odom’s most recently commanded 1st Squadron, 40th Calvary Regiment from June 2005 to May 2008, including a 14-month deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

“As always, the depth of our Army and Ranger bench is strong,” Clarke said. “Our incoming commander is also a distinguished Ranger leader who has lived Abrams Charter and then some. Your mission and focus should be clear – live the Ranger Creed, care for these men and their families and lead these men in battle. I know you will do your duty. To the men of 2nd Ranger Battalion, we live in the greatest country on earth, and because of your sacrifices our country will remain so for many more years.”