Summary and Key Points: The 75th Ranger Regiment is the U.S. military's premier light infantry special operations unit, known for its rapid response capabilities and elite status within the armed forces.

-Divided into three line battalions and a special purpose battalion, the Regiment has evolved from a supporting role to leading high-value missions during the Global War on Terror.

-While graduates of the U.S. Army Ranger School earn the Ranger Tab and can call themselves "Rangers," only those who pass the Ranger Assessment and Selection Program (RASP) and serve in the 75th Ranger Regiment wear the Tan beret and are considered part of this elite unit.

Inside the 75th Ranger Regiment: America’s Elite Rapid Response Unit

“Rangers lead the way.”

That is the motto of the U.S. Rangers. And perhaps it is best personified in the 75th Ranger Regiment.

The 75th Ranger Regiment

Considered the best light infantry special operations unit in the world, the 75th Ranger Regiment forms part of the U.S. military’s tip of the spear.

Divided into three line battalions and one special purpose battalion, the 75th Ranger Regiment is America’s 911 unit in the event of a contingency. One line battalion is always on call and can respond anywhere in the world in a few hours.

During the Global War on Terror (GWOT), the 75th Ranger Regiment changed its identity. Before the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, the 75th Ranger Regiment was treated as the redheaded step child of the special operations community. Seldom alone and with a side role in major operations, the 75th Ranger Regiment was relegated to capturing airfields or pulling security for Delta Force, the Army’s tier 1 special missions unit.

But the demands of the conflict and the expanded counterterrorism role of the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) during the GWOT conflicts meant that everyone had to step up their game. And that included the Rangers. Before long, the 75th Ranger Regiment was running missions on its own and against very high value targets. Indeed, targets that only a few years before would be the purview of Delta Force or SEAL Team Six.

A Word About Rangers

There is a common misunderstanding around the title “Ranger.”

Everyone who has graduated from the U.S. Army Ranger School gains the privilege of calling himself or herself (women have started graduating from the course) a “Ranger.” Ranger School is the premier leadership course in the Army, and most combat arms officers and many non-commissioned officers go there to receive the coveted Ranger Tab.

The 62-day course is so effective in developing good leadership skills through extreme physical hardship and food and sleep deprivation that other services, including the Marine Corps and Navy, are known to send a select number of their troops. Indeed, it is not uncommon for Ranger School graduates to lose 20 and 30 lbs during the course.

However, it does not mean that these Rangers serve on the 75th Ranger Regiment. As a separate, and special operations, unit the 75th Ranger Regiment holds its own selection program. The current version is called the Ranger Assessment and Selection Program (RASP), and all prospective members of the Regiment need to pass it regardless of their rank. Moreover, to hold any sort of leadership position in the 75th Ranger Regiment, a commando needs to graduate from the Ranger School.

So, there are Ranger-qualified troops who have graduated from the Ranger School and wear the coveted Ranger Tab spread through the Army (and some of the other services). And there are also Rangers who serve in the 75th Ranger Regiment and wear the coveted Tan beret, and a good portion of them have also graduated from the Ranger School. Both can be called Rangers, but it is not exactly the same.

About the Author 

Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.

Image Credit: Creative Commons.