The United States Army Ranger School is an intense 9-week long combat leadership course, conducted in three 3-week phases - at Fort Benning, GA (woodland terrain, 'Benning Phase'), Camp Rogers , Georgia (Mountain Phase), and Camp Rudder (Eglin AFB) (Swamp Phase).

Students average only a couple hours of sleep every night, and two or fewer meals per day. This leaves them heavily fatigued throughout the course, and at the end of the course, many students, who were in the prime physical condition of their life upon beginning the course, can barely do one pushup. During field instruction, which composes the majority of the course, they carry loads up to 45 kg (100 pounds), spending each day planning and executing attacks on widely dispersed objectives, followed by a rapid movement to a new patrol base to begin the planning cycle yet again. Graduates of the school earn the coveted Ranger Tab, and are called U.S. Army Rangers.

Many Ranger students come from the 75th Ranger Regiment, where passing Ranger School is a requirement for any leadership position, but many other students come from regular Army units, and return with increased leadership skills. Passing Ranger school is a virtual requirement for success as an infantry officer in the U.S. Army.

External links

Official sites

• GoArmy.com Ranger Website
• Ranger Training Brigade
• US Army Rangers History
• Ranger Tab Information
• Ranger Handbook