"Ranger Qualified" compared to 75th Rangers

**OG Grenadier** · March 15, 2012, 12:50 PM

Chaps,
What is the difference between Ranger qualified individuals in the U.S Army and the 75th Rangers? I understand that Rangers are "elite Commando" by British Army estimate. I also understand that members of U.S Airborne divisions at certain qualification, meet Ranger credential. The 75th is entirely comprised of Ranger qualified members. Yet anybody that gets face time on the camera in the U.S military is both Airborne and Ranger qualified it seems.... I look at their chevrons. Not so elite?

**Xanthippus of Sparta** · March 15, 2012, 03:16 PM

My understanding of it, from a friend of mine who served in the 75th, was that many officers go into Ranger school to get the special training...it may actually be a requirement for some, I'm not sure about this though. They wear the Ranger tab without actually serving in the "Ranger Battalion" as my friend used to refer to it as.

**Rolling Thunder** · March 15, 2012, 09:02 PM

Just that: Ranger qualified means they passed the training course, Rangers are the members of specific Ranger formations.

**alexanderswift** · March 16, 2012, 12:39 AM

Aye, as stated above I think it'd be similar to earning your wings (jump training) at least in the Canadian Army, anyone can do the training and qualify without necessarily serving as airborne (Or Rangers in this case.).

**Farnan** · March 16, 2012, 04:30 PM

Someone who went to Ranger School is Ranger qualified (or Ranger tabbed).

Someone who served in the 75th Ranger Regiment is a Ranger.

Ranger School is a 62 day leadership course that is available to soldiers who qualify regardless if they serve in the 75th Ranger Regiment. However, all NCOs and Officers in the 75th Ranger Regiment must complete Ranger School. People with Ranger tabs serve in nearly all units in the US Army, and some serve in other branches and allied nations. Most Army Infantry officers are Ranger tabbed by the way.

**saglam2000** · March 16, 2012, 08:15 PM

As he said, the 75th are the actual rangers. Ranger qualified is a tab you get saying you've spent 60 days of your life in a hell hole for a tab.

**OG Grenadier** · March 21, 2012, 12:53 PM

Thank you gentlemen.

**Ciabhán** · March 21, 2012, 01:21 PM

Originally Posted by Farnan

Someone who went to Ranger School is Ranger qualified (or Ranger tabbed).

Someone who served in the 75th Ranger Regiment is a Ranger.

Ranger School is a 62 day leadership course that is available to soldiers who qualify regardless if they serve in the 75th Ranger Regiment. However, all NCOs and Officers in the 75th Ranger Regiment must complete Ranger School. People with Ranger tabs serve in nearly all units in the US Army, and some serve in other branches and allied nations. Most Army Infantry officers are Ranger tabbed by the way.

You got it sir. Now stop messing it up in the Military Advice thread...

**67th Tigers** · April 02, 2012, 09:59 AM

Originally Posted by OG Grenadier

Chaps,
What is the difference between Ranger qualified individuals in the U.S Army and the 75th Rangers? I understand that Rangers are "elite Commando" by British Army estimate. I also understand that members of U.S Airborne divisions at certain qualification, meet Ranger credential. The 75th is entirely comprised of Ranger qualified members. Yet anybody that gets face time on the camera in the U.S military is both Airborne and Ranger qualified it seems.... I look at their chevrons. Not so elite?

Not quite. "Ranger school" is a course to teach small unit tactics and is the functional equivalent of the Infantry Battle School in Brecon, Wales. Passing it is a major thumbs up for future promotion, especially in the infantry.

Conversely most graduates of Ranger school do not serve in the 75th Infantry Regiment (Ranger), and most of the personnel of said regiment are not Ranger qualified. The bulk of the 75th (prettymuch everyone below SSgt) is qualified for the unit by completing the Ranger Assessment and Selection Program, an 8 week course replacing the old Ranger Indoctrination Program which was 4 weeks. RASP is roughly equivalent to the British class 1 infantryman qualification.

To be promoted to SSgt in the 75th requires successfully completing Ranger school proper.

Essentially:

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and

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**Farnan** · April 02, 2012, 06:21 PM

Again 67th Tigers is wrong...

To be promoted to SGT not SSG you must be Ranger Qualified. The British equivalent of the 75th Rangers is the Special Forces Support Group (founded to give the British a Ranger Regiment equivalent).

**Caelius** · April 03, 2012, 01:47 AM

67th Tigers is still around?

.....

my life.

**67th Tigers** · April 03, 2012, 06:48 AM

Originally Posted by Farnan

Again 67th Tigers is wrong...

To be promoted to SGT not SSG you must be Ranger Qualified. The British equivalent of the 75th Rangers is the Special Forces Support Group (founded to give the British a Ranger Regiment equivalent).

No, the SFSG was formed based on experience that such a thing is useful. It is essentially 1 Para and F coy, RM. There was nothing that 75th Infantry could do that the Parachute Regiment couldn't, but it was decided higher up to permanently move a Para Bn over to UKSF so as to "preserve the lineage" of 1 Para, which was going to be cut.

If you know the history of the Infantry Battle School, Brecon (once the Parachute Battle School) you'll know that modern Ranger school was modelled on it. They had found in Vietnam that their training for junior commanders was extremely inadequate and adapted the then PBS as a model.

The idea this is a "British Ranger Regiment" is idle press speculation.

**Farnan** · April 03, 2012, 06:52 PM

Umm...

Ranger School predates the Vietnam War, it was founded in 1950..

What is super funny is that the Infantry School, Brecon wasn't around except to process draftees when Ranger School was founded. I just with 67th Tigers would be as knowledgeable as he pretends to be.

Wrong again 67th