75th Ranger Infantry Regiment (Airborne)
| 75th Infantry Regiment (Ranger) | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1969–86 |
| Country |
 United States
|
| Branch | US Army |
| Type | Light infantry |
| Role |
Vietnam War: Post-Vietnam: |
| Size | 15 companies (1969–74) 3 battalions (1974–86) |
| Garrison/HQ | Fort Benning, Georgia (1984–86) |
| Engagements |
Vietnam War Operation Eagle Claw Invasion of Grenada |
Vietnam War:
Post-Vietnam:
The 75th Infantry Regiment (Ranger) (officially 75th Infantry Regiment or 75th Infantry) was initially a parent regiment for all the US Army Ranger units during the Vietnam War and the early 1980s and then the headquarters for the Ranger battalions.
On 1 February 1969, as part of the U.S. Army Combat Arms Regimental System (CARS), all U.S. Army Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol (or "Lrrp") units were reorganized as the 75th Infantry Regiment (Ranger). Fifteen Ranger companies were formed from reconnaissance units in Europe and Vietnam with lineage to Merrill's Marauders, the 5307th Composite Unit, The companies were designated C through I and K through P. There was no "J" Ranger Company; this is so there would be no confusion with the similar "I" (or India) designation on typed paperwork. Companies A and B were kept stateside as a strategic reserve in case they were needed overseas in Europe or the Americas.
The Ranger companies were composed of small, heavily armed long range reconnaissance teams that patrolled deep in enemy-held territory. Each independent company was attached to a division or separate brigade and acted as the eyes and ears of those units. Rangers collected intelligence, discovered enemy troop locations, surveilled trails and enemy hot spots, directed artillery and air strikes, did bombing damage assessment, performed ambushes, and sniper attacks. Additionally, Rangers attempted recovering prisoners of war, captured enemy soldiers for interrogation, tapped the wire communications of the North Vietnam Army and the National Liberation Front for South Vietnam (Vietcong) on the Ho Chi Minh Trail, and mined enemy trails and roads.
When they were redesignated on February 1, 1969, the average TOE strength of a Ranger company was of 3 officers and 115 enlisted men, bringing the total to 118 men divided into a company headquarters, operations section, communications platoon and two patrol platoons.
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