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United States Army Rangers & their Guns

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Now I have met and known a few of these folks over the years. Most of them are pretty good guys to have around. Just do not piss them off or let them near your Female friend and relatives. Just saying.
Now most of the time. They are armed with the standard issue weapons of the time. Which have ranged from the Brown Bess of the French & Indian War. Up to today’s Army weaponry.
But one of the trade marks of these folks is their love of sharp thing from Tomahawks, Trench Knives to Chain Saws. (I am not kidding about that one! I saw it myself at Camp Ripley )
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The Early Days
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Korean War
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Vietnam
 
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the 1980’s
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Today in the Field
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United States Army Rangers

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
United States Army Rangers
Ranger Tab.svg
Active 1942–present
Country  United States of America
Allegiance United States of America
Branch  United States Army
Type Light infantry
Role Special operations
Size 3,623 personnel authorized:[1]

  • 3,566 military personnel
  • 57 civilian personnel
Garrison/HQ Fort Benning, Georgia
Fort Lewis, Washington
Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia
Motto(s) Sua Sponte (Of Their Own Accord): (75th Ranger Regiment)
Rangers Lead the Way: (Army Ranger-qualified soldiers)
Engagements American Revolutionary War
War of 1812
Black Hawk War
Civil War
World War I
World War II
Korean War
Vietnam War
Operation Eagle Claw
Grenada
Panama
Gulf War
Operation Gothic Serpent
Kosovo War
Iraq War
War in Afghanistan

The United States Army Rangers are an elite rapid-deploymentmilitary formation of the United States Army, that serve in designated U.S. Army Ranger units or are graduates from the U.S. Army Ranger School.[2] The term ranger has been in use unofficially in a military context since the early 17th century. The first military company officially commissioned as rangers were English soldiers fighting in King Philip’s War (1676) and from there the term came into common official use in the French and Indian Wars. There have been American military companies officially called Rangers since the American Revolution.
The 75th Ranger Regiment is an elite airborne light infantry combat formation within the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC). The six battalions of the modern Rangers have been deployed in wars in KoreaVietnamAfghanistan, and Iraq, and saw action in several conflicts, such as those in Panamaand Grenada. The Ranger Regiment traces its lineage to three of six battalions raised in World War II, and to the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional)—known as “Merrill’s Marauders“, and then reflagged as the 475th Infantry, then later as the 75th Infantry.
The Ranger Training Brigade (RTB)—headquartered at Fort Benning—is an organization under the U.S. Army’s Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) and is separate from the 75th Ranger Regiment. It has been in service in various forms since World War II. The Ranger Training Brigade administrates Ranger School, the satisfactory completion of which is required to become Ranger qualified and to wear the Ranger Tab.

Colonial period[edit]

Colonel Benjamin Church: Father of American Ranging

Rangers served in the 17th and 18th-century wars between colonists and Native American tribes. The British regulars were not accustomed to frontier warfare and so Ranger companies were developed. Rangers were full-time soldiers employed by colonial governments to patrol between fixed frontier fortifications in reconnaissance providing early warning of raids. In offensive operations, they were scouts and guides, locating villages and other targets for taskforces drawn from the militia or other colonial troops.
In Colonial America, “The earliest mention of Ranger operations comes from Capt. John “Samuel” Smith,” who wrote in 1622, “When I had ten men able to go abroad, our common wealth was very strong: with such a number I ranged that unknown country 14 weeks.”[3] Robert Black also stated that,

In 1622, after the Berkeley Plantation Massacre … grim-faced men went forth to search out the Indian enemy. They were militia—citizen soldiers—but they were learning to blend the methods of Indian and European warfare…As they went in search of the enemy, the words range, ranging and Ranger were frequently used … The American Ranger had been born.[4]

The father of American ranging is Colonel Benjamin Church (c. 1639–1718).[5] He was the captain of the first Ranger force in America (1676).[5]:33 Church was commissioned by the Governor of the Plymouth Colony Josiah Winslow to form the first ranger company for King Philip’s War. He later employed the company to raid Acadia during King William’s War and Queen Anne’s War.
Benjamin Church designed his force primarily to emulate Native American patterns of war. Toward this end, Church endeavored to learn to fight like Native Americans from Native Americans.[5]:35 Americans became rangers exclusively under the tutelage of the Indian allies. (Until the end of the colonial period, rangers depended on Indians as both allies and teachers.)[5]:34–35
Church developed a special full-time unit mixing white colonists selected for frontier skills with friendly Native Americans to carry out offensive strikes against hostile Native Americans in terrain where normal militia units were ineffective. His memoirs Entertaining Passages relating to Philip’s War is considered the first American military manual (published 1716).[citation needed]
Under Church served the father and grandfather of two famous rangers of the eighteenth century: John Lovewell and John Gorham respectively.[5]:38 John Lovewell served during Dummer’s War (also known as Lovewell’s War). He lived in present-day Nashua, New Hampshire. He fought in Dummer’s War as a militia captain, leading three expeditions against the Abenaki Indians. John Lovewell became the most famous Ranger of the eighteenth century.[5]:50
During King George’s WarJohn Gorham established “Gorham’s Rangers”. Gorham’s company fought on the frontier at Acadia and Nova Scotia. Gorham was commissioned a captain in the regular British Army in recognition of his outstanding service. He was the first of three prominent American rangers–himself, his younger brother Joseph Gorham and Robert Rogers—to earn such commissions in the British Army. (Many others, such as George Washington, were unsuccessful in their attempts to achieve a British rank.)[5]:76
Rogers’ Rangers was established in 1751[6] by Major Robert Rogers, who organized nine Ranger companies in the American colonies. These early American light infantry units, organized during the French and Indian War, bore the name “Rangers” and were the forerunners of the modern Army Rangers. Major Rogers drafted the first currently-known set of standard orders for rangers. These rules, Robert Rogers’ 28 “Rules of Ranging”, are still provided to all new Army Rangers upon graduation from training, and served as one of the first modern manuals for asymmetric warfare.

American Revolution[edit]

When the American Revolution began, Major Robert Rogers allegedly offered his services to General George Washington.[citation needed] Fearing that Rogers was a spy, Washington refused. An incensed Rogers instead joined forces with the Loyalists and fought for the crown. While serving with the British, Col. Rogers was responsible for capturing America’s most famous spy in Nathan Hale. Not all of Rogers’ Rangers went with him, however, including such notable figures as Israel Putnam.[citation needed] Later on during the war, General Washington ordered Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Knowlton to select an elite group of men for reconnaissance missions. This unit was known as Knowlton’s Rangers, and is credited as the first official Ranger unit (by name) for the United States. This unit, however, carried out intelligence functions rather than combat functions in most cases, and as such are not generally considered the historical parent of the modern day Army Rangers. Instead, Knowlton’s Rangers gave rise to the modern Military Intelligence branch (although it was not a distinct branch until the 20th century).[citation needed]
Francis Marion, the “Swamp Fox” Revolutionary commander of South Carolina, developed irregular methods of warfare against the British army. As one of the fathers of modern guerrilla warfare, he is credited in the lineage of the Army Rangers, as is George Rogers Clark who led an irregular force of Kentucky/Virginia militiamen to capture the Bristish forts at Vincennes and Kaskaskia, Illinois.

War of 1812[edit]

In January 1812 the United States authorized six companies of United States Rangers who were mounted infantry with the function of protecting the Western frontier. Five of these companies were raised in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky. A sixth was in Middle Tennessee, organized by Capt. David Mason.[7] The next year, 10 new companies were raised. By December 1813 the Army Register listed officers of 12 companies of Rangers.[8] The Ranger companies were discharged in June 1815.

Black Hawk War[edit]

During the Black Hawk War, in 1832, the United States Mounted Ranger Battalion, an early version of the cavalry in the U.S. Army was created out of frontiersmen who enlisted for one year and provided their own rifles and horses. The battalion was organized into six companies of 100 men each that was led by Major Henry Dodge. After their enlistment expired there was no creation of a second battalion.[9] Instead, the battalion was reorganized into the 1st Dragoon Regiment.

American Civil War[edit]

The most famous Rangers of the American Civil War fought for the Confederate States Army. In January 1863, John S. Mosby was given command of the 43rd Battalion, Partisan Rangers, a fast-striking cavalry unit. Mosby’s Rangers became infamous among Union soldiers due to their frequent raids on supply trains and couriers. Mosby believed that by resorting to aggressive action he could compel his enemies to guard a hundred points. He would then attack one of the weakest points and be assured numerical superiority. Their reputation was heightened when Mosby and 29 of his Rangers performed a raid deep into Union territory on March 9, 1863, and captured Brigadier General Edwin H. Stoughton and two other officers.[10] Weeks after the surrender of the Confederate Army Mosby disbanded his unit rather than formally surrender.[11]
Another Virginian Confederate commander, Turner Ashby, led an irregular cavalry unit known as the Mountain Rangers, who became known for their ability to harass Union soldiers. Terry’s Texas Rangers was another famous Confederate cavalry force which incorporated ranger tactics, as did similar units led by John Hunt MorganJ.E.B. Stuart, and Nathan Bedford Forrest. Because of the daring exploits and intrepidity of these Confederate rangers, the Confederate Battle flag was incorporated into the official Ranger crest and insignia for many years, until a modern revision replaced it.
The most successful attacks against Mosby’s Rangers were carried out by the Union Army’s Mean’s Rangers. Mean’s Rangers became famous when they successfully captured General James Longstreet‘s ammunition train. They later fought and captured a portion of Mosby’s force.

World War II[edit]

Major General Lucian Truscott of the U.S. Army was a liaison officer with the British General Staff. In 1942 he submitted a proposal to General George Marshall that an American unit be set up “along the lines of the British Commandos“.

European theater[edit]

World War II “lozenge” patch.

On June 19, 1942 the 1st Ranger Battalion was sanctioned, recruited, and began training in Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland.[12] 80 percent of the original Rangers came from the 34th Infantry Division.
A select fifty or so of the first U.S. Rangers were dispersed through the British Commandos for the Dieppe Raid in August 1942; these were the first American soldiers to see ground combat in the European theater.
Together with the ensuing 3rd and 4th Ranger Battalions they fought in North Africa and Italy commanded by Colonel William Orlando Darby until the Battle of Cisterna (29 January 1944) when most of the Rangers of the 1st and 3rd Battalions were captured. Of the 767 men in the battalions 761 were killed or captured. The remaining Rangers were absorbed into the Canadian-American First Special Service Force under Brigadier General Robert T. Frederick. They were then instrumental in operations in and around the Anzio beachhead that followed Operation Shingle.[13]

D-Day, Pointe du Hoc

The 29th Ranger Battalion was a temporary unit made of selected volunteers from the 29th Infantry Division that was in existence from December 1942 to November 1943.
Before the 5th Ranger Battalion landing on Dog White sector on Omaha Beach, during the Invasion of Normandy, the 2nd Ranger Battalion scaled the 90-foot (27 m) cliffs of Pointe du Hoc, a few miles to the west, to destroy a five-gun battery of captured French Canon de 155 mm GPF guns. The gun positions were empty on the day and the weapons had been removed some time before to allow the construction of casements in their place. (one of the gun positions was destroyed by the RAF in May—prior to D-day—leaving 5 missing guns).[14] Under constant fire during their climb, they encountered only a small company of Germans on the cliffs and subsequently discovered a group of field artillery weapons in trees some 1,000 yards (910 m) to the rear. The guns were disabled and destroyed, and the Rangers then cut and held the main road for two days before being relieved. All whilst being reinforced by members of the 5th Ranger Battalion who arrived at 6pm on the 6th of June from Omaha Beach. More 5th Ranger units arrived by sea on the 7th of June when some of their wounded along with German prisoners were taken away to the waiting ships.[15]
Currently no memorial exists at Pointe du Hoc to commemorate the actions of the 5th Rangers at Pointe du Hoc—only one to the members of the 2nd Battalion. However, the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) have said that they will correct this error in the near future. The 5th Rangers along with members of the 2nd Btn (with 2 × 75 mm mobile half tracks) then went on to attack the Maisy battery which was still firing on both Omaha and Utah beaches. The 23 members of the 5th Battalion who reached and re-enforced the 2nd Battalion men at Pointe du Hoc on the 6th of June won the Presidential Unit Citation for the 5th Rangers—for the “Deepest penetration of any combat unit on D-day”.[citation needed] Major Richard Sullivan (officer commanding) won the Distinguished Service Cross for three actions in Normandy: the landings on Omaha Beach, the relief of Point du Hoc and the successful capture of the Maisy Battery.

Pacific theater[edit]

Rangers en route to liberate allied soldiers in the Cabanatuan POW camp.

Two separate Ranger units fought the war in the Pacific Theater. The 98th Field Artillery Battalion was formed on 16 December 1940 and activated at Fort Lewis in January 1941. On 26 September 1944, they were converted from field artillery to light infantry and became 6th Ranger Battalion. 6th Ranger Battalion led the invasion of the Philippines and executed the raid on the Cabanatuan POW camp.[16][17] They continued fighting in the Philippines until they were deactivated on 30 December 1945, in Japan.
After the first Quebec Conference, the 5307th Composite Unit (provisional) was formed with Frank Merrill as the commander, its 2,997 officers and men became popularly known as Merrill’s Marauders. They began training in India on 31 October 1943. Much of the Marauders training was based on Major General Orde Wingateof the British Army who specialized in deep penetration raids behind Japanese lines. The 5307th Composite Group was composed of the six color-coded combat teams that would become part of modern Ranger heraldry, they fought against the Japanese during the Burma Campaign. In February 1944, the Marauders began a 1,000-mile (1,600 km) march over the Himalayan mountain range and through the Burmese jungle to strike behind the Japanese lines. By March, they had managed to cut off Japanese forces in Maingkwan and cut their supply lines in the Hukawng Valley. On 17 May, the Marauders and Chinese forces captured the Myitkyina airfield, the only all-weather airfield in Burma. For their actions, every member of the unit received the Bronze Star.[18]

Motto[edit]

On 6 June 1944, during the assault landing on Dog White sector of Omaha Beach as part of the invasion of Normandy, then-Brigadier General Norman Cota (assistant CO of the 29th ID) approached Major Max Schneider, CO of the 5th Ranger Battalion and asked “What outfit is this?”, Schneider answered “5th Rangers, Sir!” To this, Cota replied “Well, goddamnit, if you’re Rangers, lead the way!” From this, the Ranger motto—”Rangers lead the way!”—was born.[19]

Korean War[edit]

At the outbreak of the Korean War, a unique Ranger unit was formed. Led by Second Lieutenant Ralph Puckett, the Eighth Army Ranger Company was created in August 1950. It served as the role model for the rest of the soon to be formed Ranger units. Instead of being organized into self-contained battalions, the Ranger units of the Korean and Vietnam eras were organized into companies and then attached to larger units, to serve as organic special operations units.
In total, sixteen additional Ranger companies were formed in the next seven months: Eighth Army Raider Company and First through Fifteenth Ranger Company. The Army Chief of Staff assigned the Ranger training program at Fort Benning to Colonel John Gibson Van Houten. The program eventually split to include a training program located in Korea. 3rd Ranger Company and the 7th Ranger Company were tasked to train new Rangers.[20]
The next four Ranger companies were formed 28 October 1950. Soldiers from the 505th Airborne Regiment and the 82nd Airborne‘s 80th Anti-aircraft Artillery Battalion volunteered and, after initially being designated the 4th Ranger Company, became the 2nd Ranger Company—the only all-black Ranger unit in United States history. After the four companies had begun their training, they were joined by the 5th–8th Ranger companies on 20 November 1950.
During the course of the war, the Rangers patrolled and probed, scouted and destroyed, attacked and ambushed the Communist Chinese and North Korean enemy. The 1st Rangers destroyed the 12th North Korean Division headquarters in a daring night raid. The 2nd and 4th Rangers made a combat airborne assault near Munsan where Life Magazine reported that Allied troops were now patrolling north of the 38th Parallel. Crucially, the 2nd Rangers plugged the gap made by the retreating Allied forces, the 5th Ranger Company helped stop the Chinese 5th Phase Offensive. As in World War II, after the Korean War, the Rangers were disbanded.

Vietnam War[edit]

Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (LRRP) and Long Range Patrol companies (commonly known as Lurps) were formed by the U.S. Army in the early 1960s in West Germany to provide small, heavily armed reconnaissance teams to patrol deep in enemy-held territory in case of war with the Soviet Union and its Warsaw Pact allies.[21][22]

April 7, 1968. Company E LRP team at LZ Stud awaiting Khe Sanh patrol.

In Vietnam LRRP platoons and companies were attached to every brigade and division where they perfected the art of long-range patrolling.[21] Since satellite communications were a thing of the future, one of the most daring long-range penetration operations of the Vietnam War was launched on April 19, 1968, by members of the 1st Air Cavalry Division‘s, Company E, 52nd Infantry (LRP), (redesignated Co. H, Ranger), against the NVA when they seized “Signal Hill” the name attributed to the peak of Dong Re Lao Mountain, a densely forested 4,879-foot (1,487 m) mountain, midway in A Shau Valley, so the 1st and 3rd Brigades, slugging it out hidden deep behind the towering wall of mountains, could communicate with Camp Evans near the coast or with approaching aircraft.[23]
On 1 January 1969, under the new U.S. Army Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS), these units were redesignated “Ranger” in South Vietnam within the 75th Infantry Regiment (Ranger) and all replacement personnel were mandatory airborne qualified.[24][25] Fifteen companies of Rangers were raised from “Lurp” units—which had been performing missions in Europe since the early 1960s and in Vietnam since 1966. The genealogy of this new Regiment was linked to Merrill’s Marauders.[26] The Rangers were organized as independent companies: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, K, L, M, N, O and P, with one notable exception, since 1816, U.S. Army units have not included a Juliet or “J” company, (the reason for this is because, in olden times, the letter ‘J’ looked too similar to the letter ‘I’).[27] Companies A and B were respectively assigned to V Corps at Fort Hood, Texas, and VII Corps at Fort Lewis, Washington.[25]
In addition to scouting and reconnoitering roles for their parent formations, Ranger units provided terrain-assessment and tactical or special security missions; undertook recovery operations to locate and retrieve prisoners of war; captured enemy soldiers for interrogation and intelligence-gathering purposes; tapped North Vietnamese Army and Vietcong wire communications lines in their established base areas along the Ho Chi Minh trail; and mined enemy trails as well as motor-vehicle transport routes.[28] To provide tactical skills and patrol expertise all LRRP/Ranger team leaders and most assistant team leaders were graduates of the 5th Special Forces Group Recondo School at Nha Trang Vietnam.[21]

Ranger School[edit]

Ranger students in their final week of U.S. Army Ranger School.

Ranger Training began in September 1950 at Fort Benning Georgia “with the formation and training of 17 Airborne Companies by the Ranger Training Command”.[29] The first class graduated from Ranger training in November 1950.”[30] The United States Army’s Infantry School officially established the Ranger Department in December 1951. Under the Ranger Department, the first Ranger School Class was conducted in January–March 1952, with a graduation date of 1 March 1952. Its duration was 59 days.[31]:28–29 At the time, Ranger training was voluntary.
In 1966, a panel headed by General Ralph E. Haines, Jr. recommended making Ranger training mandatory for all Regular Army officers upon commissioning. “On 16 August 1966, the Chief of Staff of the Army, General Harold K. Johnson, directed it so.” This policy was implemented in July 1967. It was rescinded on 21 June 1972 by General William Westmoreland. Once again, Ranger training was voluntary.[31]:28–29 In August 1987, the Ranger Department was split from the Infantry School and the Ranger Training Brigade was established, commanded by Brigadier General (R) James Emory Mace.
The Ranger Companies that made up the Ranger Department became the current training units—the 4th, 5th and 6th Ranger Training Battalions.[31]:29 These units conduct the United States Army’s Ranger School at various locations at Fort BenningGeorgia, Camp Frank Merrill, near Dahlonega, Georgia, and Camp James Rudder at Eglin Air Force Base‘s Auxiliary Field No. 6/Biancur Field, in northwest Florida. As of 2011, the school is 61 days in duration.
In August 2015, two women graduated from Ranger School; they were the “…first females to successfully complete the notoriously gruelling program”.[32]

Modern Ranger Regiment[edit]

75th Ranger Regiment Scroll.

After the Vietnam War, division and brigade commanders determined that the U.S. Army needed an elite, rapidly deployable light infantry, so on January 31, 1974 General Creighton Abrams asked General Kenneth C. Leuer to activate, organize, train and command the first battalion sized Ranger unit since World War II. Initially, the 1st Ranger Battalion was constituted; because of its success, eight months later, October 1, 1974, the 2nd Ranger Battalion was constituted, and in 1984 the 3rd Ranger Battalion and their regimental headquarters were created.[33]In 1986, the 75th Ranger Regiment was formed and their military lineage formally authorized. The 75th Ranger Regiment, comprising three battalions, is the premier light-infantry of the U.S. Army, a combination of special operations and elite airborne light infantry. The regiment is a flexible, highly trained and rapid light infantry unit specialized to be employed against any special operations targets. All Rangers—whether they are in the 75th Ranger Regiment, or Ranger School, or both—are taught to live by the Ranger Creed. Primary tasks include: direct action, national and international emergency crisis response, airfield seizure, airborneair assault operations, special reconnaissanceintelligence & counter intelligencecombat search and rescuepersonnel recovery & hostage rescue, joint special operations, and counter terrorism.[34]

75th Ranger Regiment members

The 4th, 5th, and 6th Ranger Battalions were re-activated as the Ranger Training Brigade, the cadre of instructors of the contemporary Ranger School; moreover, because they are parts of a TRADOC school, the 4th, 5th, and 6th battalions are not a part of the 75th Ranger Regiment.
The Rangers have participated in numerous operations throughout modern history. In 1980, the Rangers were involved with Operation Eagle Claw, the 1980 second rescue attempt of American hostages in Tehran, Iran.[35] In 1983, the 1st and 2nd Ranger Battalions conducted Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada. All three Ranger battalions, with a headquarters element, participated in the U.S. invasion of Panama (Operation Just Cause) in 1989. In 1991 Bravo Company, the first platoon and Anti-Tank section from Alpha Company, 1st Battalion was deployed in the Persian Gulf War (Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield). Bravo Company, 3rd Ranger Battalion was the base unit of Task Force Ranger in Operation Gothic Serpent, in Somalia in 1993, concurrent with Operation Restore Hope. In 1994, soldiers from the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Ranger Battalions deployed to Haiti (before the operation’s cancellation. The force was recalled 5 miles (8.0 km) from the Haitian coast.). The 3rd Ranger Battalion supported the initial war effort in Afghanistan, in 2001. The Ranger Regiment has been involved in multiple deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom since 2003.

War on Terror[edit]

Rangers from 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, operating in Ghazni ProvinceAfghanistan, 13 February 2012.

In response to the September 11 terrorist strikes, the United States launched the War on Terror with the invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001. Special operations units such as the Rangers, along with some CIA officers and Navy SEALs were the first U.S. forces on Afghan soil during Operation Enduring Freedom. This was the first large Ranger operation since the Battle of Mogadishu. The Rangers met with success during the invasion and, along with the other U.S. Special Operations forces, played an integral part in overthrowing the Talibangovernment. They also participated in the biggest firefight of Operation Anacondain 2002 at Takur Ghar.[36]
In 2003, when the United States invaded Iraq, the Rangers were among those sent in. During the beginning of the war, they faced some of Iraq’s elite Republican Guard units.[37] Rangers were also involved in the rescue of American prisoner of war POW Private First Class Jessica Lynch. The 75th Ranger Regiment has been one of the few units to have members continuously deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.[38]

Ranger Creed[edit]

Recognizing that I volunteered as a Ranger, fully knowing the hazards of my chosen profession, I will always endeavor to uphold the prestige, honor, and high esprit de corps of my Ranger Regiment.
Acknowledging the fact that a Ranger is a more elite soldier who arrives at the cutting edge of battle by land, sea, or air, I accept the fact that as a Ranger my country expects me to move further, faster, and fight harder than any other soldier.
Never shall I fail my comrades. I will always keep myself mentally alert, physically strong, and morally straight and I will shoulder more than my share of the task whatever it may be, one hundred percent and then some.
Gallantly will I show the world that I am a specially selected and well trained soldier. My courtesy to superior officers, neatness of dress, and care of equipment shall set the example for others to follow.
Energetically will I meet the enemies of my country. I shall defeat them on the field of battle for I am better trained and will fight with all my might. Surrender is not a Ranger word. I will never leave a fallen comrade to fall into the hands of the enemy and under no circumstances will I ever embarrass my country.
Readily will I display the intestinal fortitude required to fight on to the Ranger objective and complete the mission, though I be the lone survivor.
Rangers, lead the way.[39]

“Ranger”[edit]

Organizations both use and define the term “Ranger” in different ways. For example, the annual Best Ranger Competition, hosted by the Ranger Training Brigade, the title “Best Ranger” can be won by any Ranger qualified entrants from any unit in the U.S. military. For an individual to be inducted into the U.S. Army Ranger Association’s “Ranger Hall of Fame” they “must have served in a Ranger unit in combat or be a successful graduate of the U.S. Army Ranger School.” The Ranger Association further clarifies the type of unit: “A Ranger unit is defined as those Army units recognized in Ranger lineage or history.”[2] Acceptance into the U.S. Army Ranger Association is limited to “Rangers that have earned the U.S. Army Ranger tab, WWII Rangers, Korean War Rangers, Vietnam War Rangers, all Rangers that participated in Operations Urgent Fury, Just Cause, Desert Storm, Restore Hope, Enduring Freedom, and all Rangers who have served honorably for at least one year in a recognized Ranger unit.”[40] The term “Ranger” can therefore be found deployed in quite subtle phrasing such as, Ranger qualified, Ranger unit, Ranger mission, etc.

Notable Rangers[edit]

Colonial period[edit]

American Revolution[edit]

American Civil War[edit]

World War II to present[edit]

Honors[edit]

75th Ranger Regiment Distinctive Unit Insignia.

The 75th Ranger Regiment has been credited with numerous campaigns from World War II onwards. In World War II, they participated in 16 major campaigns, spearheading the campaigns in French Morocco, Sicily, Naples-Foggia, Anzio and Leyte. During the Vietnam War, they received campaign participation streamers for every campaign in the war.
In modern times, the regiment received streamers with arrowheads (denoting conflicts they spearheaded) for Grenada and Panama.
To date, the Rangers have earned six Presidential Unit Citations, nine Valorous Unit Awards, and four Meritorious Unit Commendations, the most recent of which were earned in Vietnam and Haditha, Iraq, respectively.

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Another Fine Gun shop to see if you are in Glendale California (The People's Republic of ) American Gun Works

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Address1837 W Glenoaks Blvd, Glendale, CA 91201
Hours: Tuesday thru Saturday 10AM–4PM

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Now I have been trekking over to this Excellent Gun Shop for more years than I want to admit & for some very Simple Reasons.
So here they are!
1. They have the right idea about customer service.
2. They have always been squared away and VERY HONEST with me.
3. They do not have the Virus of a Shitty Attitude that most Gun Shops sadly suffer from.
(We all have our own Personal War Stories on that issue!)
4. They have an excellent & changing inventory of guns at reasonable prices. Plus a good stock of the various calibers of ammo for sale.
5. They have a really good Gun repair program. Willie is a Maestro of  fixing our mistakes.
6. It usually is a very pleasant experience for me and more importantly for my wife. Thanks Laura!
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Here is some more information about this Model of a Great Gunshop!
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Rednecks and their toys. I can say that since deep down I'm one also!

Ok Students!
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Today Class, we have a video in class. There will be a Test both Oral and written on what will be shown to you now. So stay awake and don’t kill each other!
 

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I have been Told that I now have CRS!

 
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Some Gun Humor

(11) Twitter Save those thumbs & bucks w/ free shipping on this magloader I purchased mine http://www.amazon.com/shops/raeind No more leaving the last round out because it is too hard to get in. And you will load them faster and easier, to maximize your shooting enjoyment.
This is easily the most “Don’t Mess With Texas” picture I have ever seen… | Young Conservatives
I quit getting "gun roses" about 10 guns ago....

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Mauser Model 71/ 84 Service Rifle in 11mm

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Over the years, I have seen a few of these for sale at various Gun Shows. (But none at any Gun Shops for some reason. Go figure!)
Of course being the idiot that I am. I always passed up the chance to buy one. Now their costs are really out of my price league. (It was over a Grand!)
The last one I saw. Looked liked it had been dragged across Africa a couple of time by a pack of vicious baboons. Oh well!
Image result for Mauser Model 71/ 84 Service Rifle in 11mm
Now I have not yet been lucky enough to shoot one of these old timers.
But since it shoots a black power backed bullet. The recoil hopefully would be more of a shove. Instead of the World Heavyweight Champion giving out his Sunday best.
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All I know is that I would NOT want to get hit by one of these heavy, slow rounds!
No Thank you sir!
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But hopefully one day! I shall run across one for sale & have the funds to pay for it also.
Here is some more information about this Early Bolt Action. Thanks for the time!                                                           Grumpy
 

Mauser Model 1871

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mauser Model 1871 / Gewehr 71
Infanteriegewehr m-1871 Mauser - Tyskland - kaliber 10,95mm - Armémuseum.jpg

Mauser Model 1871
Type Service rifle
Place of origin German Empire
Service history
In service 1872–1918 (Germany)
Used by Germany
See Operators
Wars Satsuma Rebellion,
First Boer War,
Serbo-Bulgarian War
First Sino-Japanese War,
Second Boer War,
Boxer Rebellion,
Balkan Wars,
Serbo-Bulgarian War,
Easter Rising,
World War I (limited)
Production history
Designer Mauser
Designed 1866–1872
Manufacturer Mauser
Variants Jägerbüchse
Carbine
M1878/80(Serbia)
G.A.G. M1879(Border Guards)
M71/84
M1887(Turkey)
M80/07C(Serbia)
Specifications
Weight 4.5 kg (9.92 lbs)
Length 1350 mm (53.15 in)
Barrel length 855 mm (33.66 in)

Cartridge 11.15×60mmR
10.15×63mmR
11.15×37mmR
9.5×60mmR
11×59mmR Gras
7×57mm
7.65×53mm
6.5×53.5mmR
Caliber .43
Action Bolt action
Muzzle velocity 1,430 ft/s (440 m/s) (11×60mmR)
Feed system Single-shot
M71/84: 8-round tubular magazine
M80/07: 5-round stripper clip, internal magazine
Sights Iron sights

German Empire, 1871–1918; the rifle was adopted by the German Empire excluding Bavaria. This included areas that were annexed by France, Poland and Russia during the 20th Century.

The Mauser Model 1871 adopted as the Gewehr 71 or Infanterie-Gewehr 71, or “Infantry Rifle 71 (“I.G.Mod.71” was stamped on the rifles themselves) was the first rifle model in a distinguished linedesigned and manufactured by Paul Mauser and Wilhelm Mauser of the Mauser company and later mass-produced at Spandau arsenal.[1]

History and design

Paul Mauser developed his bolt-action rifle from 1866 to 1871.[2]During 1870–71 trials with many different rifles took place, with the “M1869 Bavarian Werder” being the Mausers’ chief competitor. The Mauser was provisionally adopted on 2 December 1871, pending the development of an appropriate safety. With support from the government’s Spandau arsenal, the improvements to the safety mechanism were completed and the rifle was formally accepted on 14 February 1872 as Infantry Rifle Model 1871 by the German Empire excluding Bavaria. The action was not based on its predecessor, the Dreyse needle gun which had seen service during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71, and which was found to have a number of weaknesses.[1]
The now well known Mauser “wing” type safety lever was developed for the Gewehr 71. The Gewehr 71 is a conventional looking bolt action chambered in 11mm using black powder cartridges. The action included only a bolt guide rib as its single locking lug, locking forward of the receiving bridge. The original design was a single-shot. The design was updated in 1884 with an 8-round tubular magazinedesigned by Alfred von Kropatschek, making this Germany’s first repeating rifle. This version was designated the Gewehr 1871/84.[3]A version of this repeater was adopted by the Ottoman Empire. Designated the M1887, it differentiated from the M71/84 in that it had a side mounted cleaning rod, a second locking lug on the rear of the bolt, and it was in caliber 9.5×60mmR, which Paul Mauser touted as the most efficient (black powder) cartridge. In the early 20th century a few were converted to 7.65×53mm smokeless by the arsenal in Ankara.
A shorter version of the Model 1871, the M1879 Grenzaufsehergewehr, was issued to the border guards in 1880. It shot a unique 11.15×37.5mmR cartridge, a trimmed down version of the full-power military cartridge.[4]
Serbia adopted a more up-to-date version of the rifle in 1881, the M1878/80, still single-shot, but chambered in its own 10.15×63R caliber. It had unique additions in that it had a bolt guide (much like the M1870 Italian Vetterli) and the “progressive rifling” (rifling which increases in twist rate as the bullet travels up the bore, to more gradually impart spin) developed by the Serbian Major Kosta “Koka” Milovanović (Коста “Кока” Миловановић), and it is commonly known as “Mauser-Koka“, “Mauser-Milovanović”, or “Kokinka” (“Кокинка”). The muzzle velocity of the Mauser-Koka was 1,680 feet per second (510 m/s). It saw first combat in the Serbo-Bulgarian War. Approximately 110,000 Mauser-Koka rifles entered the Serbian arsenal. Starting 1907, about half of these were converted in Kragujevac to shoot the 7×57mm from a 5-shot box magazine; the new barrels were purchased from Steyr. Both the old and new guns (designated M80/07) saw action in the Balkan Wars and World War I.[5] The converted M80/07 are often referred to as “Đurić Mausers” (Ђурић-Маузер).[6]
The M71 was used by the Korean Empire Army (especially Guard units—this rifle replaced the Russian Berdan rifle). The number of rifles used is uncertain but the Korean Empire manufactured ammunition for them, which means that the Korean Empire used a respectable number of them.
In 1894, Uruguay had their stockpile of M71 rifles converted to 6.5×53.5mm SR by Société Française d’Armes Portatives Saint Denis in France. They were given new stocks, barrels, sights, bands, and side mounted cleaning rods. These were unsatisfactory due to weak springs, and many were thrown away.[citation needed]
Irish Republicans imported some 900 single-shot 1871 Mausers in the Howth gun-running for the nationalist militia called the Irish Volunteers in 1914. They were used in action by the Volunteers in the Easter Rising of 1916, an unsuccessful insurrection aimed at ending British rule in Ireland. The 1871 Mauser became known in Ireland as the “Howth Mauser”.[7]

Comparison with contemporary rifles

Calibre System Country Velocity Height of trajectory Ammunition Source
Muzzle 500 yd (460 m) 1,000 yd (910 m) 1,500 yd (1,400 m) 2,000 yd (1,800 m) 500 yd (460 m) 1,000 yd (910 m) 1,500 yd (1,400 m) 2,000 yd (1,800 m) Propellant Bullet
.433 in (11.0 mm) Werndl Austria-Hungary 1,439 ft/s (439 m/s) 854 ft/s (260 m/s) 620 ft/s (190 m/s) 449 ft/s (137 m/s) 328 ft/s (100 m/s) 8.252 ft (2.515 m) 49.41 ft (15.06 m) 162.6 ft (49.6 m) 426.0 ft (129.8 m) 77 gr (5.0 g) 370 gr (24 g) [8]
.45 in (11.43 mm) Martini–Henry United Kingdom 1,315 ft/s (401 m/s) 869 ft/s (265 m/s) 664 ft/s (202 m/s) 508 ft/s (155 m/s) 389 ft/s (119 m/s) 9.594 ft (2.924 m) 47.90 ft (14.60 m) 147.1 ft (44.8 m) 357.85 ft (109.07 m) 85 gr (5.5 g) 480 gr (31 g) [8]
.433 in (11.0 mm) Gras France 1,489 ft/s (454 m/s) 878 ft/s (268 m/s) 643 ft/s (196 m/s) 471 ft/s (144 m/s) 348 ft/s (106 m/s) 7.769 ft (2.368 m) 46.6 ft (14.2 m) 151.8 ft (46.3 m) 389.9 ft (118.8 m) 80 gr (5.2 g) 386 gr (25.0 g) [8]
.433 in (11.0 mm) Mauser Germany 1,430 ft/s (440 m/s) 859 ft/s (262 m/s) 629 ft/s (192 m/s) 459 ft/s (140 m/s) 388 ft/s (118 m/s) 8.249 ft (2.514 m) 48.68 ft (14.84 m) 159.2 ft (48.5 m) 411.1 ft (125.3 m) 75 gr (4.9 g) 380 gr (25 g) [8]
.408 in (10.4 mm) Vetterli Italy 1,430 ft/s (440 m/s) 835 ft/s (255 m/s) 595 ft/s (181 m/s) 422 ft/s (129 m/s) 304 ft/s (93 m/s) 8.527 ft (2.599 m) 52.17 ft (15.90 m) 176.3 ft (53.7 m) 469.9 ft (143.2 m) 62 gr (4.0 g) 310 gr (20 g) [8]
.397 in (10.08 mm) Jarmann Norway and Sweden 1,536 ft/s (468 m/s) 908 ft/s (277 m/s) 675 ft/s (206 m/s) 504 ft/s (154 m/s) 377 ft/s (115 m/s) 7.235 ft (2.205 m) 42.97 ft (13.10 m) 137.6 ft (41.9 m) 348.5 ft (106.2 m) 77 gr (5.0 g) 337 gr (21.8 g) [8]
.42 in (10.67 mm) Berdan Russia 1,444 ft/s (440 m/s) 873 ft/s (266 m/s) 645 ft/s (197 m/s) 476 ft/s (145 m/s) 353 ft/s (108 m/s) 7.995 ft (2.437 m) 47.01 ft (14.33 m) 151.7 ft (46.2 m) 388.7 ft (118.5 m) 77 gr (5.0 g) 370 gr (24 g) [8]
.45 in (11.43 mm) Springfield United States 1,301 ft/s (397 m/s) 875 ft/s (267 m/s) 676 ft/s (206 m/s) 523 ft/s (159 m/s) 404 ft/s (123 m/s) 8.574 ft (2.613 m) 46.88 ft (14.29 m) 142.3 ft (43.4 m) 343.0 ft (104.5 m) 70 gr (4.5 g) 500 gr (32 g) [8]
.40 in (10.16 mm) Enfield-Martini United Kingdom 1,570 ft/s (480 m/s) 947 ft/s (289 m/s) 719 ft/s (219 m/s) 553 ft/s (169 m/s) 424 ft/s (129 m/s) 6.704 ft (2.043 m) 39.00 ft (11.89 m) 122.0 ft (37.2 m) 298.47 ft (90.97 m) 85 gr (5.5 g) 384 gr (24.9 g) [8]

Operators[edit]

In fiction and popular culture[edit]

11-mm Mauser is the service rifle of the Martian Army in The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut.[10] Though, the book states these were bought as surplus from the Spanish–American War, which would in fact make them Model 1893 7×57mm Mauser.
In the film The Last Samurai, the Japanese Imperial Army carries German bolt-action Mauser M1871/84 rifles, in spite of the fact they were supposedly being armed by the United States. The 1884 models were altered in appearance by film makers to resemble the more period accurate 1871 models.

Gallery[edit]

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The US Army's Oldest Active Duty Unit

Bet you did not know about these dandies? HUH?
Grumpy
Image result for First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry
Image result for First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry

First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Captain Joseph Lapsley Wilson of the First City Troop circa 1894

First Troop Armory in 1863

The First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry, also known as the First City Troop, is a unit of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. It is the oldest military unit in the United States still in active service and is among the most decorated units in the U.S. Army. Accordingly, the Troop operates under a number of principles of self-governance unique in the U.S. military, including the election of unit members and officers, voluntarily forgoing pay for their military service to the country, continuing to practice horse cavalry skills and tactics, and recruiting a high percentage of its members from veterans of prior active duty service across all branches (many of whom resign past officer commissions to join), as well as older civilian mid-career professionals.[1]

Facade of the First Troop armory

It is the only U.S. military unit that owns its own armory building, built with private funds in Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Squareneighborhood.
As of 2014, the troop had 35 active members, down from 86 in 2000.[1]

History[edit]

The First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry, or “First City Troop”, was organized in 1774 as the Light Horse of the City of Philadelphia, often referred to as the Philadelphia Light Horse, one of the first patriotic military organizations established in the American Revolution.
Abraham Markoe was the founder and the first Captain[2] of the Philadelphia Light Horse, known today as the First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry.[3]
Early members came from a number of local social organizations, including the Schuylkill Fishing Company, the Schuylkill Company of Fort St. Davids, the St. Andrew’s Society of Philadelphia, the Society of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, the Society of the Sons of St. George, and especially the Gloucester Fox Hunting Club. Captain Samuel Morris was Gloucester’s first president and Captain Robert Wharton its last.
During the Revolution, the troop fought in the battles of TrentonPrincetonBrandywine, and Germantown. It often served as George Washington‘s personal bodyguard. The unit also saved James Wilson at the “Battle of Fort Wilson” riot.
During the American Civil War, the First City Troop was called into active duty several times, beginning with the 1861 Campaign that led to the First Battle of Bull Run. During the Gettysburg Campaign, the company, under the command of future U.S. Speaker of the House Samuel J. Randall, performed scouting duties leading into the Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, in late June before being redeployed to York County following a brief skirmish on June 26, 1863. The company later screened Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge against the Confederateforces of John Brown Gordon.
John J. Pershing said that “no National Guard organization in the country did more, relatively, in the First World War than” the First City Troop.[4]
Today, the First City Troop deploys overseas with the Pennsylvania National Guard in support of Army operations. Since 9/11, the unit has deployed to Bosnia, Iraq, Egypt, and Kuwait, with elements of the unit additionally deploying to Afghanistan, the Persian Gulf, Europe, and Latin America. Membership is by election. Soldiers on the active roll continue to donate their drill pay back to the unit, in order to maintain a tradition of voluntary service.
The troop draws its membership from Troop A, 1st Squadron, 104th Cavalry Regiment28th Infantry Division (United States)Pennsylvania Army National Guard.

References[edit]

  1. Jump up to:a b Phillips, Michael (October 15, 2014). “Philadelphia Is Looking for a Few Good Gentlemen”. New York. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
  2. Jump up^ “History:Philadelphia (1774–1775)”FTPCC web site. First Troop, Philadelphia City Cavalry. Archived from the original on 18 August 2010. Retrieved 2010-09-01Abraham Markoe, a Danish subject, was chosen to be the first Captain because of his energy in organizing the Troop and his previous Danish military experience. Though prevented from open participation in the War as a result of the Neutrality Edict issued by then King Christian VII of Denmark, Captain Markoe took an active part in the defeat of the enemy by all other available means.
  3. Jump up^ Johnson, Robert (2006). Saint Croix 1770–1776: The First Salute to the Stars and Stripes. AuthorHouse. p. 20. ISBN 978-1-4259-7008-6This same Abraham Markoe, in 1775, organized the Light Horse Troop of Philadelphia, and presented the troop with what is considered the first flag with thirteen stripes representing the thirteen colonies.
  4. Jump up^ Hudson, Richard L. 1980. “At Ease, Troopers: Fall Out for Caviar and Pickled Herring. That’s the Order Often Heard at Elite Philadelphia Club, A Unit of the National Guard.” Wall Street Journal. February 29, 1980. Page A1
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If you are in the Duarte California Area!

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Because if you are in the area.
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There is a pretty good gunshop there called Gunrunners. I have been going there for the past couple of years. Where I have picked up some pretty good deals in that time.Image result for gunrunners duarte
So again if you are in the area. It might behoove one to stop by and say hello!
Grumpy
https://www.gunrunnerstactical.com/
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Phone: (626) 358-7711   Fax: (626) 358-2831

Email: sales at gunrunnerstactical

2160 E. Huntington Dr, Suite D, Duarte CA 91010 USA

in the San Gabriel Valley, just west of the 605
use Mt Olive exit from the 210
Parking in front, also behind the restaurant next door.
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Healthy Looking Ladies NSFW

Enjoy!                                                                                     Grumpy
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I'm speechless...