Tab or Scroll – What Makes a Ranger?

SGM Gregory Tarancon IV — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 09:10:25 -0500

There have been many spirited debates on the internet, in clubs, and elsewhere on exactly who is and is not a Ranger, and the debate comes down to two issues Tab or Scroll. I have read some pretty scathing comments from Scroll wearers about how they are the only ones worthy of the title Ranger. By Leonard Benton

http://rhinoden.rangerup.com/tab-or-scroll-what-makes-a-ranger/

Response by COL Jean (John) F. B. made Jan 12 at 2015 9:17 AM

COL Jean (John) F. B. — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 09:17:00 -0500

Then answer to the question about what makes you a Ranger is nothing about the Tab or Scroll. It is about graduating from Ranger School and being awarded the Ranger Tab. Once awarded the Ranger Tab, you are a Ranger, just like graduating from Airborne School and being awarded Jump Wings makes you a parachutist. Whether you are assigned to a jump slot or not, you are still a parachutist. Whether you are assigned to a Ranger unit or not, if you have been awarded the Ranger tab, you are a Ranger.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 12 at 2015 9:21 AM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 09:21:37 -0500

I have not had the pleasure of going to Ranger School (I would go tomorrow if I could), I agree with COL Jean (John) F. B. and through the years I have been stationed with and I am friends with Rangers and men who have been assigned to a Battalion. The phrase Tab Bearer not a Tab Wearer seems to come to mind.

Response by COL Jason Smallfield, PMP, CFM, CM made Jan 12 at 2015 11:22 AM

COL Jason Smallfield, PMP, CFM, CM — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 11:22:15 -0500

Ranger Tab or Scroll thoughts:
- Where one stands on this issue depends upon where one sits.
- Kind of like arguing over who is the best basketball player or baseball player of all time. Everyone will have an opinion, all opinions can be supported by evidence, and no one position is absolutely right.
- History. Recommend all do a google search on "Ranger Regiment" to understand the history and use of Rangers since before the Revolutionary War to present. From this a person should understand why we have Rangers and what they are used for.
- Ranger Tab. A person who has attended and successfully completed the 68 day, three phase (used to be 72 day, four phase) Ranger Course conducted at Fort Benning, GA; Dalanaga, GA; and Eglin AFB, FL resulting in award of the Ranger Tab.
- Ranger Scroll. A person who is assigned to the operational Ranger Regiment (three subordinate battalions).
- This leads to four different possibilities (no tab/no scroll, no tab/scroll, tab/no scroll, tab/scroll). Is a non tabbed person assigned to the Ranger Regt a Ranger? Is a tabbed person not in the Ranger Regiment a Ranger?
- Long story short, I believe that people who only consider only the scroll to be Rangers are thinking tactically and not strategically. One of the reasons to have Rangers is to have a seed corn of highly competent Soldiers who can permeate the rest of the force. This is a strategic issue. The other reason to have Rangers is to have an elite force specialized skills that enable them to perform a variety of special operations missions, including direct action, airfield seizure, airborne and air assaults, reconnaissance, and personnel recovery. This is a tactical level issue. It takes both but not both at the same time on the same individual.

Response by 1SG Mark Colomb made Jan 12 at 2015 12:46 PM

1SG Mark Colomb — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 12:46:55 -0500

From an outsider looking in (and listening in on many conversations SGM Tarancon alludes to). I have worked alongside tab wearers (in a number of MOSs), and scroll wearers (All IN).

The arguments are generally emotionally based, so I would expect to address this from an emotional standpoint.

It is not the Tab, nor the Scroll that makes one a Ranger in these discussions, it is the conduct of the individual. How do they treat their fellow Soldiers, What missions have they participated in, Do they really live the Ranger Creed? Sure a prerequisite is a Tab, you have to pass Ranger School to get into a Ranger Battalion. However, if the truth were to be told there are individuals in those same battalions, with a Tab AND a Scroll who these individuals will say do not deserve to be called a Ranger.

It goes beyond patches, tabs, scrolls, and accouterments, it is about character, commitment, professionalism, and integrity.

Response by SGT Charles Jewell made Jan 12 at 2015 1:17 PM

SGT Charles Jewell — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 13:17:39 -0500

A Ranger is someone who is a member of a Ranger battalion. A Ranger qualified soldier wears the tab.

Response by CW4 Juan Morales made Jan 12 at 2015 1:20 PM

CW4 Juan Morales — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 13:20:51 -0500

It all comes down to being committed to your organization and committing to the values of the Ranger Creed. I spent a year in Ranger Regt. I arrived tabbed SSG, and it was obvious that I was different than the home grown 'Batt Boys' and was referred to as an import. The way I saw it at the time, being tabbed and not in Regiment was like being airborne and never being in an airborne unit. After I left Regiment for flight school I've found that whenever I run into tabbed aviators there is a camaraderie there because of a shared experience. You know something about each other. Being part of the Ranger Regt. is a HUGE accomplishment, and so is attending the Ranger School and being awarded your tab. Remember, however, neither Maj. Robert Rogers nor Col. Darby had a Ranger tab. If we can understand the differences in culture between being a school trained Ranger leader and being a member of the Ranger Regiment, we can honor both with pride.

Response by CPT Zachary Brooks made Jan 12 at 2015 3:25 PM

CPT Zachary Brooks — Mon, 12 Jan 2015 15:25:41 -0500

What makes a Ranger? That's simple:

Heart

Response by COL Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 19 at 2015 6:02 PM

COL Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 18:02:41 -0500

Tab and scroll. Serving in the Ranger Regiment is more difficult than 60 days of school. RLTW!

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 19 at 2015 7:15 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 19:15:51 -0500

Ranger School is a leadership school. Ranger Regiment is a way of life. I'm not sure someone can answer this without both serving in Ranger Regiment and graduating Ranger School. I considered myself a Ranger upon graduating RIP in 1993. I considered myself a leader after graduating Ranger School in 1994.

Response by CPT Ahmed Faried made Mar 5 at 2015 9:28 PM

CPT Ahmed Faried — Thu, 05 Mar 2015 21:28:01 -0500

"One is a school the other is a way of life"
-my old PSG (who was a sniper in a ranger regiment)

Response by COL Charles Williams made Mar 11 at 2015 9:43 PM

COL Charles Williams — Wed, 11 Mar 2015 21:43:06 -0400

Good question!!! Yes, there have been many discussions. I have been told, more than once, I am not real Ranger... because I never served in the 75th? When I graduated from Ranger School the Regiment was not activated... and 3rd Battalion was brand new...

So, a few points, for my Ranger perspective:

1. I believe being a Ranger is mentality and not a unit. Ranger School is a small unit leaders course. If I was CSA, I would make every LT in the Army go.

2. The Ranger Regiment is simply highly resourced light infantry regiment. Many in their units (E-1 to E-4) do not even have a Ranger Tab. The tab, for a young infantry Soldier, in the Regiment, is the final phase (right of passage) to becoming a full fledged Ranger in the Regiment. Most go as E-4s, some E-3s.

3. More than half of every Ranger class are not Ranger Regiment Soldiers (Bat-Boys, as they called themselves back in my day). Many in the class are IN, AR, EN etc 2LTs, NCOs from various Light Divisions, and various Army and Joint SOCOM guys. And... Not all the Bat-Boys make it... So, those of us who make it, and earn the Tab (less than 50%) that are not in the Ranger Regiment, are not Rangers?

4. I am a lifetime member of Ranger Association, so I guess to them... Us mere Ranger School graduates are in fact Rangers?

http://www.ranger.org/page-581102

5. My Officer MOS was 31A5S... Which meant/means MP - Airborne/Ranger. So, I guess the Army considered me an Airborne Ranger.

6. My PL slots in my MP Company, as a Company Commander, were coded Ranger Slots (5R), so I guess the Army thought being a Ranger in a MP unit was important too.

7. I never got recycled at Ranger School (12-85), never failed a patrol, never got a no-go, never got peered out, never got hurt (bad enough to drop), never quit, and ended up being the Distinguished Honor Graduate... So I guess they at least they thought I was a Ranger.

8. And, They made us memorize the Ranger Creed, which I still know...

To me being a Ranger is about your mentality, your focus, your attitude, and your bearing... Wearing that tab always made me want to do better, be the best, and never ever quit, as I know what it represented, and that because of it... everyone expected more of me.

RLTW

US Army Ranger Association, Inc. - Join USARA

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 LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 11 at 2015 9:54 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 11 Mar 2015 21:54:16 -0400

Some in the battalion would say you need both. You can be in Rangers without tab then go to school and you can go to the school without ever going to the battalion.

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 12 at 2015 4:23 AM

SPC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 12 Mar 2015 04:23:11 -0400

Both would be the way to go

Response by MAJ Jim Woods made Mar 18 at 2015 8:41 PM

MAJ Jim Woods — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 20:41:55 -0400

Soooooooo........ Using Col. Burleson's definition you leave out one of the unique units in my Army. The original Vietnam LRP's/LRRP's. And what about the Parent Unit of all that is Ranger....5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) also known as Merrel's Marauders. Most of those units had no tabbed Rangers when they started. If an E-4 is assigned to the Regiment but is not yet tabbed is he still a Ranger?

I agree with CW4 Morales. It is all about commitment to the values of the Ranger Creed.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 18 at 2015 10:26 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 22:26:42 -0400

I don't care what title others give me because I merely passed the school and never set foot in the Regiment, but if I call myself "Ranger" it is not the same as VA Secy Robert McDonald saying he was Special Forces.

At the risk of sounding melodramatic, I will share what a Florida RI told my class after we returned from the field. He said we should not preemptively congratulate ourselves on our achievement, because the real test starts after graduation. Once you start wearing the tab, you have to change forever. You don't get to make excuses, blame others, or content yourself with complaining. You are expected to be the impeccable example.

Is diminishing the accomplishments of others consistent with the Ranger Creed? The Regiment is so small, and the School is such a huge achievement. We need the best leaders in the Force, the whole Force, and Ranger School is probably the best test we have other than combat. I admire those who serve in the Regiment. It certainly requires a lifestyle change, and their selection is the supreme vote of confidence in their abilities. Of the few who are qualified, even fewer are selected. The luck that gets you through School is the same luck that gets you selected over equally qualified peers. Admission to the Regiment should be a silent point of pride, which is certainly more admirable than begrudging someone a mere title.

Response by SGT Dylan Epp made Mar 19 at 2015 12:33 AM

SGT Dylan Epp — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 00:33:19 -0400

For me you have to have served in Regiment to call yourself a Ranger. Just like you have to go through the "Q" course to become Special Forces and BUDs to become a SEAL and Green Platoon to be a Night stalker. Now yes there are "V" and "Q" sqi that are coded as "Ranger" however to receive the "U" sqi you have to be in the 75th Ranger Regiment, the only Ranger unit in the military.
Now I'm saying this having served in the regular army and Ranger Regiment. Becoming Ranger qualified was one of my proudest moments in my career and all the guys in my squad SF, paratroops and legs will always be my Ranger buddies.

Response by SFC Collin McMillion made Mar 19 at 2015 12:46 AM

SFC Collin McMillion — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 00:46:57 -0400

I think that regardless of what is on you shoulder, it's your mindset, heart and soul, devotion and dedication that makes you who you are.

Response by SGT Richard H. made Mar 19 at 2015 7:56 PM

SGT Richard H. — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 19:56:26 -0400

My opinion, unqualified as it may be, would be that the tab makes one "Ranger Qualified", while the scroll represents someone who lives what a Ranger really is.

Response by MSG Brad Sand made Mar 19 at 2015 11:05 PM

MSG Brad Sand — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 23:05:40 -0400

First and foremost, you must be bound by the same oath as all the other brothers of the Nights Watch. Although all brothers of the Watch stand watch on the Wall, the rangers are the main fighting force, adept at surviving in the wilderness and tasked with scouting and patrolling the Haunted Forest beyond the Wall. They actively defend the Wall and ride out to face the Watch's enemies, including the lawless wildlings as well as the mysterious, inhuman Others. One blast of a sentry's horn represents returning brothers, while two blasts are used for wildlings and three blasts for Others. Three blasts are not good.

What, wrong kind of ranger? Never mind.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 21 at 2015 3:01 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 21 Mar 2015 15:01:31 -0400

I'm a textual person, so I went looking for text that demonstrates something definitive. In the April 2000 version of the Ranger Handbook it says "After 50 years and 25 Directors and Commanders, the *Ranger Course* is still dedicated to producing the finest trained solider [sic] in the world . . . the United States Army Ranger!" Ranger Handbook, p. IV-2.

That sentence doesn't sink anyone's battleship, but it goes to show that even the producers of the Handbook suggest, at least, that graduates of the School are "Rangers." It certainly isn't exclusive; at many other points in the book it references only the Provisional Ranger units and the 75th.

What about the Marines who care so much about their title? Are they denied the "title" of "Ranger" since they have essentially no chance of serving in the Regiment?

So few graduate the school that I don't see how it does any measurable harm to Scrollers if the title is shared more broadly.

Response by SPC David Shaffer made Mar 21 at 2015 4:57 PM

SPC David Shaffer — Sat, 21 Mar 2015 16:57:33 -0400

I am not a Ranger, so my opinion does not really matter, but I have always considered those who earn the tab Rangers.

Response by CPT Ahmed Faried made Feb 25 at 2016 4:21 PM

CPT Ahmed Faried — Thu, 25 Feb 2016 16:21:14 -0500

scroll. One is a school the other is a way of life..to repeat the maxim.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 1 at 2017 10:24 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 01 Jan 2017 22:24:41 -0500

I know this discussion is rather old, but I'll chime in anyway. The title of "Ranger" is EARNED in two different ways. 1) Be a graduate of the Army Ranger School or 2) Be a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment as a graduate of their assessment and selection courses. Men (and now women) who walk around arguing about what constitutes a Ranger seem to come off as petty and not worthy of HOLDING the title of Ranger in my eyes.

If I had did a stint in Ranger Batt and bumped into a tabbed Soldier that never served in Batt, I would treat him with respect and call him/her RANGER. There is no such thing as a "Real Ranger", either you served in Batt or you graduated the course, nothing else matters or needs to be discussed. That's the problem with today's Army, we got too many folks caring too much about tabs, scrolls, and badges. I understand how hard it was to complete Ranger School, but in the grand scheme of things, it ain't much of a big deal because there are plenty of leaders that can effectively get the job done and lead troops in battle without it.

As far as serving in Ranger Batt, just another unit with high standards and pride. They are part of the special operations community and have a great combat record, but once again, not the only ones that kick in doors and shoot bad guys in the face. Plenty of other infantry units out there with plenty of kills and troops with valor awards without a Ranger tab or a tabbed leader in many cases. One's career is filled with what I call "Snapshots" and that's where individuals have experienced things in their career that matters to them or looks good on paper. All the Rangers I've met are NOT bulletproof. They CAN'T fly. They CAN'T detect IED's by smell. They CAN'T stop time. They CAN'T bring a fallen comrade back to life after they have already been declared dead. No, they are simply Soldiers that completed a very challenging course or served in a unit with a high operational tempo, that's about it.

Combat experience is the true measuring stick, not schools and tabs. Rangers make mistakes like anyone else and let us not forget that they killed Pat Tillman and lied about it. I'm all for taking pride in one's accomplishments and love of unit, but let's get real here, if you've been in long enough, you would have served in a number of units with some pretty badass history behind it. We need folks to humble themselves more and just be professional. Totally ridiculous to make a big deal about being a Ranger when the damn Army has already defined it.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Feb 13 at 2017 3:02 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 13 Feb 2017 15:02:28 -0500

I'm not a Ranger but I want the scroll as a combat patch.