History of the US Army Rangers

The history of the American Ranger is a long and colorful saga of courage, daring, and outstanding leadership. It is a story of men whose skills in the art of fighting have seldom been surpassed. Only the highlights of their numerous exploits are told here.

Rangers mainly performed defensive missions until, during King Phillip’s War in 1675, Benjamin Church’s Company of Independent Rangers (from Plymouth Colony) conducted successful raids on hostile Indians. In 1756, Major Robert Rogers, of New Hampshire, recruited nine companies of American colonists to fight for the British during the French and Indian War. Ranger techniques and methods of operation inherently characterized the American frontiersmen. Major Rogers was the first to capitalize on them and incorporate them into the fighting doctrine of a permanently organized fighting force.

The method of fighting used by the first Rangers was further developed during the Revolutionary War by Colonel Daniel Morgan, who organized a unit known as “Morgan’s Riflemen.” According to General Burgoyne, Morgan’s men were “….the most famous corps of the Continental Army, all of them crack shots.”

Francis Marion, the “Swamp Fox,” organized another famous Revolutionary War Ranger element known as “Marion’s Partisans.”

Marion’s Partisans, numbering anywhere from a handful to several hundred, operated both with and independent of other elements of General Washington’s Army. Operating out of the Carolina swamps, they disrupted British communications and prevented the organization of loyalists to support the British cause, substantially contributing to the American victory.

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TOOLS FOR ADAPTABILITY

TOOLS FOR ADAPTABILITY

10-48. Adaptability is an individual’s ability to recognize changes in the environment, identify the critical
elements of the new situation, and trigger changes accordingly to meet new requirements.
Adaptability is an effective change in behavior in response to an altered situation.

10-49. Adaptable leaders scan the environment, derive the key characteristics of the situation, and are
aware of what it will take to perform in the changed environment. Leaders must be particularly observant
for evidence that the environment has changed in unexpected ways. They recognize that they face highly
adaptive adversaries, and operate within dynamic, ever-changing environments. Sometimes what happens
in the same environment changes suddenly and unexpectedly from a calm, relatively safe operation to a
direct fire situation. Other times environments differ (from a combat deployment to a humanitarian one)
and adaptation is required for mind-sets and instincts to change.

10-50. Highly adaptable leaders are comfortable entering unfamiliar environments. They have the proper
frame of mind for operating under mission command orders in any organization (see FM 6-0). Successful
mission command results from subordinate leaders at all echelons exercising disciplined initiative within
the higher commander’s intent. All adaptable leaders can quickly assess the situation and determine the
skills needed to deal with it. If the skills they learned in the past are not sufficient for success in the new
environment, adaptable leaders seek to apply new or modified skills and applicable competencies.

Negotiating, Building Consensus and Resolving Conflicts

11-10. Leaders often must leverage negotiating skills to obtain the cooperation and support necessary to
accomplish a mission beyond the traditional chain of command. During complex operations, different joint,
interagency, and multinational contingents might operate under specific restraints by their national or
organizational chains. This can result in important negotiations and conflict resolution versus a simpler
process of merely issuing binding orders.

11-11. Successful negotiating involves communicating a clear position on relevant issues and integrating
understanding of motives while conveying a willingness to bargain on other issues. This requires
recognizing what is acceptable to the negotiating parties and achieving a workable compromise. Good
negotiators visualize several possible end states while maintaining a clear idea of the optimal end state
from the parent command’s perspective.

MILITARY AND PROFESSIONAL BEARING

5-5. Pride in self starts with pride in appearance. Army leaders are expected to look and act like professionals. They must know how to wear the appropriate uniform or civilian attire and do so with pride.
Soldiers seen in public with their jackets unbuttoned and ties undone do not send a message of pride and
professionalism. Instead, they let down their unit and fellow Soldiers in the eyes of the American people.
Meeting prescribed height and weight standards is another integral part of the professional role. How
leaders carry themselves when displaying military courtesy and appearance sends a clear signal: I am proud
of my uniform, my unit, and my country.

5-6. Skillful use of professional bearing—fitness, courtesy, and proper military appearance—can also aid in overcoming difficult situations. A professional presents a decent appearance because it commands
respect. Professionals must be competent as well. They look good because they are good.