Erik Larsen - Ranger Knowledge: The All-Inclusive Study Guide for Rangers

The All-Inclusive Study Guide for Rangers

Erik Larsen, Jack Murphy, and SOFREP

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The 75th Ranger Regiment is a peculiar animal. Its culture is far different from a conventional Army infantry unit, but it is also much different than other special operations units. There are extremely high standards that must be met, whether you are a brand-new Ranger or a seasoned first sergeant with thirteen deployments under your belt. The environment is stressful in and of itself, and for a new guy, especially so. Just because you graduate from Ranger Assessment and Selection Program (RASP) or Ranger School does not mean anything. You must prove yourself, day in and day outphysically, mentally, and emotionally as well as in all technical aspects of the job. This study manual is meant to help the aspiring Ranger prepare for the rigors ahead, the newly scrolled Ranger become technically proficient, and the seasoned Ranger to maintain his proficiency. It should be noted that this manual is not meant to prepare you for the Armys premier leadership courseRanger School, but for the nations premier special operations direct action raid forcethe 75th Ranger Regiment. There is some material that is applicable in both places, but those getting ready for Ranger School would be best served by sticking to the Ranger Handbook.

So there I was, a brand-new Ranger in processing on my first day at 1st Ranger Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. I had spent the majority of the day performing various feats of physical training while being shuffled around with paperwork in hand. It was late afternoon and I finally found out what company I would be assigned to. We were then taken to the company and met the first sergeant as well as all the platoon sergeants. It was like a draft, us new guys lined up against a wall, being hammered with questions about our background, our military performance thus far, PT scores, GT scores, etc. After I was selected for a platoon, I was taken down to meet my new squad. Everyone was just getting off work, and having everyone around as I walked in was nerve-racking, to say the least. I was surrounded by combat-hardened Ranger veterans who looked at me like they wanted nothing more than to rip my head from my shoulders for even breathing the same air as them.

I was brought into what would be my new room, and my new team leader gave me my initial counseling. My team leader was a tall but muscular 64, shaved head, and sporting sleeve tattoos. To say he was an intimidating guy would have been a serious understatement. Our conversation went like this:

TL: So do you even know what Rangers do?

Me: Roger, Sergeant.

TL: No you fucking dont. If you lie to me one more time Im going to RFS [released for standards] you so fast you wont even have a chance to unpack your toothbrush.

Me: Roger, Sergeant.

TL: We kill bad guys. Thats all you need to know, since Im going to RFS you anyway. Im going home. Its Friday. If you do anything stupid over the weekend, dont bother coming to work on Monday morning. If you make it through the weekend, and you do show up to work Monday morning, then you better be prepared for a quiz. If you dont pass the quiz, Im going to kill you. Does it look like Im joking?

Me: Negative, Sergeant.

TL: Specialist Smith will be by to give you your study material. Go stare at the wall until he comes in.

Me: Roger, Sergeant.

So, my team leader left and Specialist Smith came in with a green notebook that was filled with handwritten notes. He didnt say much other than I hope for your sake you know everything in here by Monday. It was a daunting task. I had just a little over two days to memorize a books worth of handwritten, smudged information. I was determined, though. In between driving the senior privates downtown, getting lost in Savannah in the middle of the night and trying to get my stuff squared away for my first week of training, I studied like my life depended on it. Monday morning when I woke up, I was nervous to the point of panic. As my squad started to roll in, all I received was stares. Finally, my team leader walked in, looked straight at me, and said, What the fuck are you doing here? Not really knowing what to say, I told him that I was told to be here at 0550 in PT uniform. Then the barrage of questions started. It was like a blur, but I think he hammered me with about twenty questions in a row. He never said I was right or wrong, but just replied with a new question after I answered the last. Finally, he stopped and looked at me square in the eye. What the fuck is wrong with you, are you some kind of fucking nerd? I took that to mean that I had answered the questions correctly and replied Negative, Sergeant. Somehow, some way, I managed to escape certain death via physical correction that morningor at least temporarily, anyway. I didnt know everything in that book yet, but I was lucky enough to receive questions on the stuff that I had memorized. I wouldnt be so lucky in the future, but such is life for a new guy in one of the Ranger Battalions.

Throughout my almost five years in the 75th Ranger Regiment, I saw many different variations of Ranger Knowledge. It seemed everyone had a different weight for the M-4, and every squad had different things they deemed important to know. For an organization that prides itself on attention to detail, this was always surprising to me. So this manual is an attempt to solidify the Ranger Knowledge packet by compiling pages and pages of notes and fact checking them against various different sources. This work has been edited so as to not compromise any information that is not meant for public viewing, so there will still be a learning curve even for the guy who memorizes this whole book. I can promise you one thing, though. If you do memorize this whole manual, you will be very far ahead of the curve, and envied by Rangers past because of your advantage going into the fray of the 75th Ranger Regiment.

Erik Larsen

C co 1/75

Blackside Concepts

Introduction: The 75thRanger Regiment

Ranger Mission: The 75th Ranger Regiments mission is to plan and conduct special missions in support of U.S. policy and objectives.

The 75th Ranger Regiment is a direct action special operations raid force that conducts forcible entry operations and special operations raids across the entire spectrum of combat. The Regiment is capable of planning and executing complex worldwide operations in high-risk, uncertain, and politically sensitive areas. It is constantly transforming to meet future operational requirements without sacrificing mission success.

The Regiments four battalions geographically located throughout the United States can deploy anywhere in the world for no-notice missions. Their capabilities include direct action raids in limited visibility, adverse weather, varied terrain, and complex operating environments to capture or kill designated targets and/or seize terrain and strategic installations. Capable of infiltrating by land, sea, or air, the 75th Ranger Regiment is trained on a wide variety of mobility platforms and operates fully integrated with supporting agencies and other special operations forces as required.