Who actually gets to call themselves 'Army Rangers'?

GySgt Dawson Webb -
I haven't seen any Army regulation that states you are only a Ranger if you served with the 75th Ranger Regiment.

GySgt Dawson Webb -
The Army, just like the Marines, is governed by Regulations.

If you completed courses such as Airborne, Air assault, Pathfinder, Sapper, etc, you aren't required to hold the slot or be in a particular unit to call yourself that.

If you aren't aware, you can be assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment, wear the scroll, and not have attended the Ranger course.
The Ranger course and RASP is required for leaders such as Officers and senior NCOs as well as certain positions.
If you were in a combat zone with the 75th Ranger Regiment and did not attend the Ranger course, then the scroll is still permanent as a combat patch

"DO I NEED THE RANGER TAB IN ORDER TO JOIN THE 75TH RANGER REGIMENT?
No, you may join the Ranger Regiment without being Ranger or Airborne qualified. However, some officers are required to be Ranger qualified before they are eligible to apply to the Ranger Regiment. This requirement applies to Infantry and Field Artillery Officers.
Upon successful completion of the Ranger Assessment & Selection Program (RASP) 1 or 2, we will send you to the appropriate schools in order to serve in the Ranger Regiment. For some duty positions, you will not serve in the regiment until you successfully complete Ranger School. If you are unable to complete the course, you may be dropped from the regiment and sent to serve elsewhere. Obviously, if you have your Ranger tab before you apply, it will only expedite your ability to serve in the regiment.
Ranger School is the Army's premier leadership school, and is open to all members of the military, regardless of whether they have served in the 75th Ranger Regiment or completed RASP.
The 75th Ranger Regiment requires that its leaders attend the U.S. Army Ranger School, but it is not a pre-requisite to join the Ranger Regiment, or participate in RASP. All infantry and artillery military occupational specialties (MOS) must complete the course before they assume a leadership role in the regiment. Ranger Regiment Soldiers in other MOS may attend Ranger School when they are ready"

https://www.goarmy.com/ranger/your-questions-about-serving.html#tab

GySgt Dawson Webb -
There is an operational difference. The 75th Ranger Regiment is assigned to Special Operations. There is a requirement to have completed the Ranger course and RASP to be in a leadership role for this unit.

While it would be nice if everyone is Ranger certified, there is little need for everyone such as clerks, cooks, supply clerks, truck drivers, mechanics, etc to be certified as a Ranger.
Under Army regulations, anyone who is assigned to a unit is entitled to wear the unit patch or scroll in the 75th Ranger Regiment's case even if that person has not completed a course associated with the unit.
Examples are the 82nd ABN and 101st Air Assault. Anyone assigned to those units wears a patch with a rocker that says Airborne even though most people who wear it have never been to the Airborne or Air assault school.
Anyone who is assigned to a unit that is in a combat zone or is attached (certain requirements have to be met to determine who the higher HQs is in order to qualify for a particular patch) to the unit is entitled to wear the patch permanently as a combat patch.
Examples of individuals or units that are attached may be Civil Affairs, Psyops, Transportation Management Coordinator teams, etc

As for defining Army Regulations which state who a Ranger is other than the school requirement, there are none that I have seen.
In recent years, the Army opened up the Ranger Course to females. The females were told they were Rangers when they graduated by Generals and the Secretary of Defense and Secretary of the Army despite the fact that they were not assigned to the 75th or served in a Ranger position.

"Congratulations to all of our new Rangers,” said Army Secretary John McHugh. “Each Ranger School graduate has shown the physical and mental toughness to successfully lead organizations at any level. This course has proven that every soldier, regardless of gender, can achieve his or her full potential. We owe soldiers the opportunity to serve successfully in any position where they are qualified and capable, and we continue to look for ways to select, train, and retain the best soldiers to meet our nation's needs,"

SGT Edward Wilcox - That is where you stand -- I work in an officed with several degreed professionals - If one were to come in the office and ask for a doctor, we'd all look to the former army medic to respond -- it's all perspective

CSM Chuck Stafford - Then you must not have anyone in the office with a PhD. And no one would come in asking for *a* doctor, they would come in asking for Doctor *name*. So, no, it isn't a matter of perspective.

But, you do you, no matter how wrong it is.

No, words have meanings. If you have a Doctorate, you're a Doctor. Medical Doctors are just one type of Doctor.

So he is a ranger -- never a doubt -- and thank goodness the team here is not pretentious