Shoulder Sleeve Insignia
Coat of Arms
Distinctive Unit Insignia
Shoulder Sleeve Insignia
Description: A black cloth triparted arced scroll with narrow red fimbriations and a Vsin. (0.32cm) black border H732in. (4.84cm) in height and S'Vidn. (9.37cm) in width overall inscribed “75 RANGER RGT” in white letters.
Background: The shoulder sleeve insignia was originally approved for the 75th Infantry on July 26, 1984. It was redesignated on February 14, 1986, for the 75th Ranger Regiment. The shoulder sleeve insignia for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Ranger Battalions were approved on July 26, 1984.
Distinctive Unit Insignia
Description: A gold color metal and enamel device I'/sin. (2.86cm) in height overall consisting of a shield blazoned as follows: Quarterly Azure (blue) and Vert (green), between in the first and fourth quarters a radiant sun of 12 points and a mullet Argent, a lightning flash couped bendsinisterwise Gules fimbriated Or. Symbolism: The colors blue, white, red, and green represent four of the original six combat teams of the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional), commonly referred to as Merrill’s Marauders, which were identified by color. To avoid confusion, the other two colors, khaki and orange, were not represented in the design. However, khaki was represented by the color of the uniform worn by US forces in the China-Burma-India Theater during World War II. The unit’s close cooperation with the Chinese forces in the China-Burma-India Theater is represented by the sun symbol from the Chinese flag. The white star represents the Star of Burma, the country in which the Marauders campaigned during World War II. The lightning bolt is symbolic of the strike characteristics of the Marauders’ behind-the-line activities. Background: The distinctive unit insignia was originally approved on March 18, 1969, for the 75th Infantry. It was redesignated for the 75th Ranger Regiment on February 3, 1986.
Coat of Arms Blazon
Shield: Quarterly Azure and Vert, between in the first and fourth quarters a radiant sun of 12 points and a mullet Argent, a lightning flash couped bendsinisterwise Gules fimbriated Or.
Crest: On a wreath of the colors Argent and Azure, issuing in back of an embattlement of a tower with six merlons Or a pedestal Gules supporting a chinthe affronte of the third in front of a torteau within an annulet of the Second.
Motto: Sua Sponte (Of Their Own Accord).
Symbolism
Shield: See Distinctive Unit Insignia symbolism.
Crest: The organization’s service in the China-Burma-India Theater of World War II is represented by the chinthe (a gold Burmese lion). The blue annulet symbolizes the Presidential Unit Citation awarded for service at Myitkyina, Burma, the “gateway to China.” The gold embattlement in base refers to the unit’s combat service in Vietnam while the six merlons represent six Valorous Unit Awards; the two Meritorious Unit Commendations earned by elements of the Regiment are denoted by the scarlet disc at center. Background: The coat of arms was originally approved for the 75th Infantry Regiment on July 27, 1954. It was amended to add a crest on May 23, 1974. On February 3, 1986, the coat of arms was redesignated for the 75th Ranger Regiment.
Training with the French Foreign Legion in Corsica. (George Kohler)
Who, of course, had more power within the overall structure of the SOC, also created in 1986.
Filling the 3rd Ranger Battalion was difficult; most recent graduates of the Ranger Indoctrination Program shuddered at the thought of having to go to the dark side. Groups of Rangers would quit often and repeatedly, and the Regiment was undergoing birthing pains. One Ranger recalled the enormous pressure that was placed on the Ranger Regiment’s commander by his superiors from SOC -“you have got to fill those battalions, no matter what...” The battalions were filled, which at times was only accomplished by easing standards. RIP classes that usually would graduate fewer than 50 percent, now passed the majority of the recruits - slots needed to be filled. The Ranger Regimental Reconnaissance Detachment (RRD) was created, and many of its early members were privates who were sent straight to Ranger and HALO schools. Now, of course, RRD is made up of experienced, highly trained professionals. But those were the difficult days of change - the ascendancy of the officer corps, lip service to its professional NCOs, strict enforcement of SOPs (such clever and petty things as not wearing the patrol cap with a Ranger Crush), replacing the black physical training (PT) uniforms with the standard-issue gray Army PT uniforms, switching from the cammies to the jungles to the universally hated battledress uniform of the regular Army, as well as a departure from the most important of all charters of Abrams, Charter, that of the commander taking sole responsibility for his men. No longer did Rangers take care of their own... no, indeed minor transactions could land you in leg land, excellent field soldiers who could not adapt to the new ways of vigorous barracks maintenance were forced out or quit. For many Airborne Rangers, the transition to US Army Rangers was painful, the pain delivered by the machinations of officers and senior NCOs at Fort Benning.
As the 1980s were passing, America as a whole was suffering from new ailments with which the Rangers were at times infected: drug abuse, theft, and sycophancy were all present. Morale was low and a certain double standard for officers becoming more and more evident... or so at least it seemed. Still, the Regiment did produce good soldiers and as one Ranger officer commented during that time: “Sure, we’re not as good as the old timers, we’d take more casualties, but we’d still accomplish the mission.”
Not all the changes of the 1980s were destructive, however. The one thing the regimental officers were painfully aware of was the misuse of Rangers throughout America’s wars. Often Rangers were employed as regular infantry units, destroyed in the meat grinder of conventional war. The creation of the Special Operations Command gave the commanders a reason to put forth a doctrine for the proper employment of the Ranger Regiment in support of US Foreign Policy. The subsequent Ranger Doctrinal Statement (see Appendix F) helped clarify the role and capabilities of the Rangers, defining them as a specialist resource rather than as general infantry.
World History
