How yould you describe someone who is Ranger-tabbed, versus serving in one of the ranger regiments?

1LT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 14:50:42 -0400

I am writing a research paper. In it, I will refer to one of my friends. I'm not in the SOF world so I just want to get this right. Keep in mind, the paper is for civilians, so the exact language doesn't need to be precise, just respectful.

I want to say "with one of my colleagues, an Army Ranger in an infantry battalion down the road, admitting to me..."

Response by SPC Elijah J. Henry, MBA made Mar 29 at 2024 2:53 PM

SPC Elijah J. Henry, MBA — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 14:53:43 -0400

Rangers appreciate that you seek to say this right. I suggest the following: "with one of my colleagues, a Ranger-qualified Officer in an Infantry battalion down the road, admitting to me..."

Response by SGT Ruben Lozada made Mar 29 at 2024 3:09 PM

SGT Ruben Lozada — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 15:09:16 -0400

Good afternoon 1LT Private RallyPoint Member. Excellent post. Thank you for sharing this Sir. In My opinion Sir, You can add in there that Ranger school is one of many tough and challenging programs that various Army NCOs and officers have to face in order to proudly were the Ranger tab. This program is so challenging that a few Soldiers manage not to make it through the entire program.

Response by SP5 Peter Keane made Mar 29 at 2024 6:00 PM

SP5 Peter Keane — Fri, 29 Mar 2024 18:00:26 -0400

How does your friend "down the road" look at it ?

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 30 at 2024 11:58 AM

CPT Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 30 Mar 2024 11:58:56 -0400

I'm not qualified to speak on behalf of Rangers or SF, so I'll speak for the receiving end of the hypothetical conversation from a civilian perspective.

The more words that have to be used to explain something to a laymen the less important or impressive the thing you are trying to explain to them is relative to their life. Don't make their eyes roll into the back of their head.

If you have to explain to the listener/reader what makes the Ranger dude special I don't think they care. So your "Army Buddy" is sufficient too.

The nuances we all here as service members and veterans are going to get all wound up about is attributing a level of military accomplishment that might not be due. So don't cross that line, and when speaking of the person in the THRID person when you are not in their presence then it shouldn't matter to the listener so long as the listener doesn't come away with thinking the service member is something more than they are. That's why "Army Buddy" is perfectly fine too if only because it doesn't over glorify them and the listener might not care anyway.

******OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just realized something**************

This line of discussion is WOKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just in a different relative scenario.

Do you all see it? If Ranger, SF, SEAL, Green Beret, Delta Force, Grunt, Boot, were "PRONOUNS" how is this different than folks getting bent out of shape about pronouns attributed to them during discussions about them for which they are not present for and words they themselves will not hear, being shared with an audience that personally doesn't care?

We are trying to figure out the THEY/THEM lest we offend HE OR SHE. hahaha

Anyway, just thought that was funny...............

Response by MAJ Ronnie Reams made Mar 31 at 2024 11:18 AM

MAJ Ronnie Reams — Sun, 31 Mar 2024 11:18:45 -0400

How are LRRPs, manned, these days? I think they are called LRS today. We had M Company, 75th with the 199th. They took companies from the 75th and attached to Infantry units of Division and separate brigades. MACV had a school to qualify them because they had to be airborne rangers. Because they lived a life of love and danger. :-) Do they still do that?

Response by SGM Jeff Mccloud made Mar 31 at 2024 9:41 PM

SGM Jeff Mccloud — Sun, 31 Mar 2024 21:41:57 -0400

If you were ever in the Regiment, or worked near them, you would have often heard "the tab is a school, the scroll is a way of life," implying that in contrast to those who did it for 70 days, they do it every day as a job.

In the context of any Infantry officer in any Infantry Bn, they would all be Ranger School graduates, and it would be redundant to mention that they completed Ranger school.
If they are any other basic or special branch in an Infantry Bn, I suppose it would be worth pointing it out if that experience was also germane to the topic.

Response by COL Dan Ruder made Apr 1 at 2024 3:40 PM

COL Dan Ruder — Mon, 01 Apr 2024 15:40:08 -0400

Talking about two different things. Ranger school is a training course, thus a Ranger tab is essentially a qualification badge indicating that the person demonstrated proficiency at Ranger School. Just state that the person is a "graduate of Ranger School." This indicates that they have undergone and passed the rigorous training and testing required to earn the Ranger Tab, demonstrating their proficiency in a variety of military skills and their readiness to serve in demanding tactical and operational environments.

The Ranger Regiment is one of the 'premier' of those demanding operational assignments. Their preparedness to "fight tonight" goes beyond what was learned in Ranger school and beyond what is typical in standard MTOE infantry units. Hence the saying that the Scroll is a way of life.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 3 at 2024 6:29 PM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 18:29:33 -0400

Great question. Are you a Ranger if not assigned to a Ranger unit or a Ranger position on the UMR? If not, would you be say a Ranger qualified infantry/armor/intelligence officer?

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 26 at 2024 11:08 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 11:08:28 -0400

The U.S. Army Ranger Association is the oldest organization currently in existence that supports members of the Ranger community regardless of the conflict in which they served or the unit to which they were assigned. The Association has been asked to weigh in on the question of who qualifies to use the title U.S. Army Ranger. Those who study Ranger history will know that this until-now good natured barracks debate has flared in one form or another for at least seventy years. The short answer to this question is that anyone who graduated from the U.S. Army's Ranger School or who served in a Ranger-designated unit qualifies. These qualifications have been enshrined, albeit in a bit more detail, within our bylaws for decades and are consistent with the stance taken by the Department of the Army.

https://members.ranger.org/Who-Is-A-Ranger

“There is no official U.S. Army policy regarding the use of the term ‘Ranger,’” said Lt. Col. Ramirez, the spokesman with the Army’s Office of the Chief of Public Affairs, adding that “The designation ‘Ranger’ has been associated with Soldiers who either graduated from Ranger School or are assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment.”

https://taskandpurpose.com/news/army-ranger-school-policy-unknown/

Bottom line, anyone who served in a Ranger unit or graduated from Ranger School can be called a Ranger.

Who Is A Ranger?

The mission of the United States Army Ranger Association (USARA) is to promote and preserve the heritage, spirit, image and service of U.S. Army Rangers.

Response by SP6 Bradford Caldwell made Apr 28 at 2024 5:20 PM

SP6 Bradford Caldwell — Sun, 28 Apr 2024 17:20:44 -0400

Someone needs to go back to school and learn how to write. It's would, not yould.

Response by CW2 Matt Baum made May 13 at 2024 10:33 AM

CW2 Matt Baum — Mon, 13 May 2024 10:33:42 -0400

"Ranger Qualified".

Response by SGT William Harding made May 14 at 2024 2:41 PM

SGT William Harding — Tue, 14 May 2024 14:41:05 -0400

Working with Ranger tabbed NCOs and Officers and being in the Ranger regiment their are signifanct differences but also some similarities. Those in Ranger Regiment saw the tab as a school to go to forward our careers. The regiment is a higher class of soldiers, who are high professionals in their positions. The ranger tab individuals in the regular units are seen as super stars. The school/tab is a very high fallout rate school so if you survive through the school then you are trained to be a higher quality soldier but you are still working in a not as high quality unit like the Ranger Regiment. A NCO or Officer with the tab is able to accomplish their job at a higher quality than those who do not go to ranger school at all.

Response by SFC Ralph E Kelley made May 14 at 2024 3:52 PM

SFC Ralph E Kelley — Tue, 14 May 2024 15:52:11 -0400

I served in C CO (75th Ranger) which was detached to 1st battalion 29th Infantry Regiment. I did not go to the school but was a machinegunner in Weapons. Those of us that hadn't gone to the Ranger Course (roughly 80%) prior to overseas duty stomped the same ground, slept in the same puddles and we wore a Ranger Patch. We WERE Rangers in the eyes of thsoe that came before us. Yes we needed some catch-up, still Brothers.
This was before the 1st Ranger Battalion was stood up in 1974.
About 10 years later when I was assigned to Scout Platoon, CSC, 4th Infantry Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment stationed in the Panama Canal Zone, I was sent to Ranger School. I really didn't learn new Ranger Techniques while at the course but it did knock the rust off of me.
Did I feel any different about myself after graduating the Ranger Course? NO.
Both were distinct from each other but what made me a Ranger in each case was myself. I would say what makes a person capable of being a "Ranger" is what is present in the person's soul and mind.
Some people are cut out for it and only the trials and tribulations and their reaction to them will mentally prepare the person to be a ranger - either On-The-Job or Course trained.
.
What is my advice to the individual?
1. Don't Quit.
2. Keep your Sense of Humor.
3. F.I.D.O.
What is my advice to the Army?
1. Keep the standards high.
2. Demand that the Rangers-At-Training (The 'R.A.T.s' as we called ourselves) keep humping so they can learn what abilities and plain gumption they have within themselves.
.
There are 'Rangers' and then are those that are 'Tabbed'. One thing about those that were 'OJT Rangers' - they lived the life.
The 'Tabbed Rangers' that don't go to the Ranger regiment also often are tough MFs and live the life once they return to their units. The Regimental Rangers, both 'Tabbed and OJT' live the life also, they are where the culture reenforces the training.
.
Hope this helps you in your research paper.

Response by MSG Michael McEleney made Jun 13 at 2024 9:14 AM

MSG Michael McEleney — Thu, 13 Jun 2024 09:14:25 -0400

Badge Chaser

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 1 at 2024 9:06 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 09:06:01 -0400

Easy. If they served in Ranger Regiment, they are a Ranger.
If they just went to the school, they are Ranger Qualified.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 7 at 2024 2:46 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 07 Jul 2024 14:46:30 -0400

Living the life of a Soldier with a Ranger Tab at a Ranger BN is different than getting a Ranger Tab when assigned to a support or other Combat Arms Units. As a Soldier with a Ranger Tab at a Ranger BN, you are actually utilizing and putting the skill sets (SUT skills-patrolling, recon, ambush, etc.) you've learned into practicum during training events and in preparation for actual Ranger Ops. Many Soldiers who earned this tab return to their support or combat arms units with a revised set of responsibilities where those skill sets learned are forgotten, and the tab becomes just for show. It's a waste of a school spot for personnel to go to this course and get the Tab, knowing they'll never use the skill sets they learned in a combat or field training environment. I get it. This tab is to develop leaders, but you need to ask whether it is necessary to send an Officer or E4 or above to this course if they do not plan on being reassigned to a Ranger BN or an Infantry Unit. I recommend that anyone who goes to Ranger School and get the tab, be reassigned to a Ranger BN to earn that tab. There are too many Soldiers (especially Officers) who think they are all that who never put what they learned into practical exercises and have forgotten what that tab really represents.

Response by PFC Jeffrey Villarreal made Jul 13 at 2024 12:17 PM

PFC Jeffrey Villarreal — Sat, 13 Jul 2024 12:17:33 -0400

tab is a school its tuff but will end ...batt is a lifestyle
a ranger is a batt ,man lol

Response by SSG Jesse Gonzales made Jul 24 at 2024 5:47 PM

SSG Jesse Gonzales — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 17:47:50 -0400

While this topic is highly debatable, when I served in the 75th RGR Reg., to be tabbed meant you were more trained to lead. To earn the Ranger Tab, meant you were Ranger Qualified, meaning that you passed the highest standards of leadership training that the military had to offer. This meant that you were taught the skills to lead through hardships, and still be able to put together an operation order to accomplish a mission. I saw officers in Ranger school, who were not airborne qualified. On the other hand, while serving in a Ranger Battalion, we were all airborne qualified and our training was based on ever evolving events and situations that were occurring world wide. Meaning we were training to hit an objective and accomplish the mission at all cost. So, I guess the question should be, if you passed Ranger School, would you be qualified to serve in the Regiment? The standards to serve in a Ranger Battalion are high. So, in essence passing Ranger school meant you were qualified to lead, and yes you are a Ranger, but you might not be airborne. The meaning of "the scroll was living the life," meant you were prepared to accomplish the mission in real time.

Response by COL Jim Lincoln made Jul 25 at 2024 5:05 PM

COL Jim Lincoln — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 17:05:44 -0400

I can respond. I attended Ranger school,did a 28 year career including 32 months in Vietnam,but didnot serve in a Ranger Regiment.. Ranger school is a severe mental and physical test,and the biggest,lasting benefit is you realize your mental and physical limit is well beyond what you thought it was.That stays with you always,whether you are serving in a Ranger unit or not. Several times in Vietnam I got in a bad combat situation,and I know that Ranger training saved me,mostly the impact of high mental and physical stress,not to mention the small unit tactical training that was invaluable.
To this day (I am 87) the mental and physical aspects are still with me-probably contributed to my long,healthy life.

Response by Capt Jeff S. made Jul 25 at 2024 8:54 PM

Capt Jeff S. — Thu, 25 Jul 2024 20:54:58 -0400

I would describe him as Ranger tabbed.

Response by LTC Anthony Broussard made Jul 31 at 2024 5:23 PM

LTC Anthony Broussard — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 17:23:13 -0400

I earned my Tab in Ranger class 10-76. We were trained, or should I say abused, by all Vietnam era cadre. The old Vietnam Program of Instruction(POI) was exceptionally brutal, especially the North Vietnamese POW Camp. The Vietnam, to a Ranger Instructor, told us that we had endured more in our 3 months of Ranger School than they had in any of their many tours in Vietnam, minus the bullets. They called us “Ranger.” And, said from now on when someone saw our Ranger Tab on our shoulder we were now part a select Army brotherhood of elite soldiers. And, we would be called “Ranger.” And, as a young Infantry 2LT walking into my first Infantry Battalion in Germany in ‘77 my Ranger Tab was the first thing anyone noticed about me and they addressed me as Ranger.

Response by SPC Vernon Leverett-El made Aug 5 at 2024 11:39 PM

SPC Vernon Leverett-El — Mon, 05 Aug 2024 23:39:06 -0400

mmmmmm

Response by SGT John Overby made Sep 12 at 2024 4:17 PM

SGT John Overby — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 16:17:09 -0400

Having been in the Signal Corps MOS and assigned to the 1st ID (Mech) I have always thought there is a distinct difference between being a Ranger and being Ranger qualified (JUST having been through Ranger school). I think there is a difference between knowing the skills and performing the skills. This became especially true to me after the "Blackhawk Down" situation and more so when my son-in-law joined the 1/75th and entered some combat situations. To me those men are Rangers and not JUST Ranger qualified.

Response by LTC Reginald Brown made Nov 4 at 2024 9:42 PM

LTC Reginald Brown — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 21:42:24 -0500

...one of my colleagues, who graduated from Ranger School in (year), and was assigned to an Infantry Battalion in (year)...

Response by CPL Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 24 at 2024 9:39 AM

CPL Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 24 Nov 2024 09:39:29 -0500

As a former enlisted member who served both in the 1st Battalion, and also attended the Ranger School. The two are both mutually exclusive, and inclusive of the Ranger ethos. I served prior to the current regimental system, and as such my views are from that era. The members of my BN were some of the finest soldiers I ever knew and served with. We were trained to the level of excellence to perform the missions assigned to us, with professionalism and ability see the mission completed successfully. The Ranger School is the finest leadership course in the US military. It teach how to effectively lead under stressful situations, and how to perform specific patrolling missions. It is supposed to prepare EM's, NCO's and officers with the knowledge to return to their units and train their subordinates an peers in these techniques, as well as how to establish and maintain a standard that is higher than just "the standard". Individuals who are assigned to Ranger BN's learn this as well, but over a longer time. I will close this by saying that at my last NCO school attendance, my small group leader, during my graduation counseling, reminded me to be a Ranger Tab bearer, not a Tab wearer. This was the reminder of the training of the force mentioned above, to my subordinates as well as my peers.
AATW, RLTW!