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{{Infobox military award
{{Infobox award
|name=Ranger tab
|name=Ranger tab
|image=[[File:Ranger Tab.svg|175px]]
|image=[[File:Ranger Tab - Dress Metal.png|110px|Ranger Tab]][[File:Ranger Tab - Class A.png|240px]][[File:Ranger Tab - OCP.png|240px]]
|caption= '''1st:''' Miniature metallic badge variant<br>'''2nd:''' [[Army Service Uniform]] variant<br>'''3rd:''' [[Army Combat Uniform]] variant
|awarded_by=[[United States Army]]
|presenter=[[United States Army]]
|type=Tab
|type=Tab
|eligibility=
|eligibility=
|for= Graduation from U.S. Army Ranger School
|awarded_for=Graduation from [[Ranger school]]
|status=Currently awarded
|status=Currently awarded
|established=1950
|established={{start date and age|1950|11|06}}<ref name="qmmuseum">[http://www.qmmuseum.lee.army.mil/airborne/ranger_tab.htm Army Quartermaster Museum, Fort Lee, Virginia, U.S. Army Ranger Tab]</ref>
|year=
|first_award=
|year2=Current
|last_award=Ongoing
|total_awarded=
|total=
|total_awarded_posthumously=
|posthumous=
|total_recipients=
|recipients=
|individual=
|individual=
|higher=[[Special Forces tab]]<ref name="AR600-8-22">{{Cite web |date=5 March 2019 |title=Army Regulation 600-8-22 Military Awards |url=https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/ARN18147_R600_8_22_admin2_FINAL.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220512125349/https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/ARN18147_R600_8_22_admin2_FINAL.pdf |archive-date=12 May 2022 |publisher=[[United States Department of the Army|Department of the Army]]}}</ref>
|higher=[[Driver and Mechanic Badge]]<ref name="AR600-8-22">[http://www.apd.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/r600_8_22.pdf Army Regulation 600-8-22 ''Military Awards''] (25 June 2015) Table 8-1, U.S. Army Badges and Tabs: Orders of precedence</ref>
|lower=[[Special Forces Tab]]<ref name="AR600-8-22"/>
|lower=[[Sapper tab]]
|image2=
|image2=
|caption2=
|caption2=
Line 24: Line 25:
| help = no
| help = no
| filename = USA Ranger Tab.ogv
| filename = USA Ranger Tab.ogv
| title = Earning the Ranger Tab
| title = Earning the Ranger tab
| description = Official U.S. Army video about the Ranger Tab
| description = Official U.S. Army video about the Ranger tab
| pos = right
| pos = right
}}
}}
The '''Ranger tab''' is a service school qualification [[Tabs of the United States Army|tab]] of the [[United States Army]], awarded to any soldier who completes [[Ranger School]]<ref name="AR600-8-22" /> at the U.S. Army [[Fort Moore]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]. Soldiers who are awarded the Ranger tab are authorized to wear it for the remainder of their military careers.<ref name="AR600-8-22" /><ref name="DA PAM 670-1">{{Cite web |date=25 May 2017 |title=Guide to the Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia Pamphlet 670–1 |url=https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/ARN1575_DAPam670-1_Web_FINAL.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170911212154/https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/ARN1575_DAPam670-1_Web_FINAL.pdf |archive-date=11 September 2017 |access-date=2022-08-28 |publisher=[[United States Department of the Army|Department of the Army]]}}</ref> The Ranger tab is considered the pre-eminent award for soldiers in combat arms branches within the United States Army. It is considered an unwritten rule in the [[Infantry Branch (United States)|Infantry Branch]] that a Ranger tab is required to achieve full career success,<ref>{{cite journal |last=Allie |first=Scott |title=Elimination of 1994 Gender Restriction: Will Earning the Ranger Tab Achieve Full Career Potential for Women? |journal=Master of Military Art and Science |url=https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/ADA599115.pdf}}</ref> with the majority of commissioned and non-commissioned officers serving in battalion and above leadership roles (within brigade combat teams and infantry divisions) holding the award.
The '''Ranger Tab''' is a service school [[Military badges of the United States|military decoration]] of the [[United States Army]] signifying completion of the 61-day-long [[Ranger School]] course in small-unit infantry combat tactics in woodland, mountain, and swamp operations.


==Description and history==
Those graduating from Ranger School are presented with the Ranger Tab, which is worn on the upper shoulder of the left sleeve of the [[Army Combat Uniform]], as specified in Army Regulation 670–1, "Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia."<ref name="670-1">[http://www.armyg1.army.mil/hr/uniform/docs/r670_1.pdf AR 670-1: Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia]</ref> A smaller metal version of the tab is worn on the [[Army Service Uniform]].<ref>[http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2008/julqtr/32cfr578.98.htm 578.98 Ranger Tab]</ref> Wearing the tab is permitted for the remainder of a soldier's military career.
The Ranger tab was created in 1950 and is an embroidered quadrant patch worn on the upper left sleeve of a military uniform. The cloth tab is 2+3⁄8 inches (6.0&nbsp;cm) long, 11⁄16 inch (1.7&nbsp;cm) wide, with a 1⁄8 inch (0.32&nbsp;cm) yellow border and the word "RANGER" inscribed in yellow letters 5⁄16 inch (0.79&nbsp;cm) high. A metal Ranger badge is authorized for wear on mess/dress and class-B uniforms. The metal badge is black enameled background and gold letters and border.<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum: Ranger Tab |url=http://www.qmmuseum.lee.army.mil/airborne/ranger_tab.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080730083923/http://www.qmmuseum.lee.army.mil/airborne/ranger_tab.htm |archive-date=30 July 2008 |website=[[U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum]]}}</ref>


The original design of the tab had a black and red color scheme, spelling the word RANGERS. This design was an adaption of the traditional Ranger scroll, intended to recognize those who completed training for the Ranger companies that previously existed.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Lanning |first1=Michael |title=Blood Warriors: American Military Elites |date=December 18, 2007 |publisher=Random House Publishing Group |isbn=9780307414687 |page=62 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yg1E4wWlmsAC&dq=The+coveted+Black+and+Gold&pg=PA62}}</ref>
U.S. [[United States Marine Corps|Marines]] presented with the Ranger Tab are not authorized to wear it on their [[Uniforms of the United States Military|uniforms]]. U.S. [[United States Air Force|Airmen]] presented with the Ranger Tab are authorized to wear it on their uniforms pursuant to AFI 36-2903 (Dress and Appearance).<ref>[http://www.afpc.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-140814-096.pdf Air Force Guidance Memorandum to AFI 36-2903, Dress and Personal Appearance of Air Force Personnel], US Air Force, dated 12 August 2014, last accessed 23 October 2015</ref> The tab must be worn in a properly presented way on the upper crest of the left sleeve. {{As of|2014}}, about 300 airmen have successfully completed the Army Ranger School and have been awarded the Ranger Tab.<ref>[http://www.af.mil/News/ArticleDisplay/tabid/223/Article/494027/2-airmen-join-armys-elite.aspx Airmen join Army's elite], by Senior Airman Victor Caputo, dated 9 August 2014, last accessed 11 August 2014</ref>


At the time of its creation, the Ranger tab was retroactively awarded to any Army soldiers who previously completed a Ranger course conducted by the now-defunct Ranger Training Command. In addition, as set forth in Army regulations, veterans of certain categories of former wartime service are also eligible for retroactive awards of the tab. Among these are:<ref name="AR600-8-22" />
In the [[Canadian Army]], personnel who have attained the Ranger Tab are permitted to wear it on their green tunics.


* Any person who successfully completed a Ranger course conducted by the Ranger Training Command at Fort Benning, Georgia
⚫
==Award eligibility==
* Any person who was awarded the [[Combat Infantryman Badge|CIB]] while serving during World War II as a member of a Ranger BN (1st through 6th inclusive) or in the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) and 475th Infantry Regiment (Merrill's Marauders)
The Commandant of the [[United States Army Infantry School]] may award the Ranger Tab to any person who successfully completed a Ranger Course conducted by that school.<ref name="qmmuseum"/>


[[File:Reaper Airman fulfills dream of earning Ranger tab Image 1 of 5.jpg|thumb|867th Attack Squadron MQ-9 Reaper pilot wearing a Ranger tab]]
The Commander, [[United States Army Human Resources Command]], may award the Ranger Tab to any person who was awarded the [[Combat Infantryman Badge]] while serving during World War II as a member of a Ranger Battalion (1st Battalion – 6th Battalion inclusive) or in the [[Merrill's Marauders|5307th Composite Unit, Provisional (Merrill's Marauders)]], to any person who was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge while serving during the Korean War with the [[Eighth Army Ranger Company]] (11 October 1950 to 27 March 1951), or to any person who completed a Ranger Course conducted by the Ranger Training Command at Fort Benning, Georgia.<ref name="qmmuseum"/>
The Ranger Course was conceived during the Korean War and was known as the Ranger Training Command. On 10 October 1951, the Ranger Training Command was inactivated and became the Ranger Department, a branch of the Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia. From 1954 to the early 1970's, the Army's goal was to have one Ranger-tabbed NCO per infantry platoon and one officer per company. In an effort to better achieve this goal, in 1954 the Army required all combat arms officers to become Ranger qualified.<ref>{{cite web |title=Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade History |url=https://www.moore.army.mil/infantry/artb/History.html |website=US Army}}</ref>

Today, the Ranger tab is considered mandatory for all soldiers serving within leadership positions in the [[75th Ranger Regiment]].<ref>{{cite thesis |last=Scott |first=Allie |title=Elimination of 1994 Gender Restriction: Will Earning the Ranger Tab Achieve Full Career Potential for Women? |url=https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/ADA599115.pdf}}</ref> Outside of the 75th Ranger Regiment, it is considered a highly desired award for career progression. It is the goal of the infantry branch to provide all infantry lieutenants with the opportunity to earn the Ranger tab following Infantry [[BOLC]]. Earning the tab is considered an indication that an officer possesses the skills and stamina necessary to effectively lead soldiers in the infantry. All other branches also highly encourage their lieutenants to attempt to earn the Ranger tab. It is highly encouraged that those who will serve within an [[Infantry Brigade Combat Team]] or will serve as a Special Forces Officer have their Ranger tab.<ref name="DA PAM 600–3">{{Cite web |date=3 December 2014 |title=Commissioned Officer Professional Development and Career Management|url=https://api.army.mil/e2/c/downloads/376665.pdf|publisher=[[United States Department of the Army|Department of the Army]]}}</ref>

⚫
==Award eligibility==
Award eligibility as follows:<ref name="AR600-8-22" />
* Successful completion of a Ranger course conducted by the U.S. Army Infantry School
* Any person who successfully completed a Ranger course conducted by the Ranger Training Command at Fort Benning, Georgia
* Any person who was awarded the CIB while serving during World War II as a member of a Ranger BN (1st through 6th inclusive) or in the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) and 475th Infantry Regiment (Merrill's Marauders)


==Other tabs==
==Other tabs==
The Ranger Tab is one of four permanent individual skill/marksmanship tabs (as compared to a [[Badges of the United States Army|badge]]) authorized for wear by the U.S. Army. In order of precedence on the uniform, they are the [[President's Hundred Tab]], the [[Special Forces Tab]], the Ranger Tab, and the [[Sapper Tab]]. Only three may be worn at one time.<ref name="670-1"/>
The Ranger tab is one of four permanent individual skill/marksmanship tabs (as compared to a [[Badges of the United States Army|badge]]) authorized for wear by the U.S. Army. In order of precedence on the uniform, they are the [[President's Hundred tab]], the [[Special Forces tab]], the Ranger tab, and the [[Sapper tab]].<ref name="AR600-8-22" /> Only three may be worn at one time.<ref name="DA PAM 670-1" />


==See also==
==See also==
{{Portal|United States Army|Military of the United States}}
* [[Tabs of the United States Army]]
* [[Tabs of the United States Army]]
* [[United States Army Rangers]]
* [[Military badges of the United States]]


==References==
==Notes==
{{reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


{{US Army badges}}
{{US Army badges|state = uncollapsed}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Ranger Tab}}
[[Category:United States military badges]]
[[Category:United States military badges]]
[[Category:United States Army Rangers]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]
[[Category:Articles containing video clips]]

Latest revision as of 02:00, 26 September 2024

Ranger tab
Ranger Tab
1st: Miniature metallic badge variant
2nd: Army Service Uniform variant
3rd: Army Combat Uniform variant
TypeTab
Awarded forGraduation from Ranger school
Presented byUnited States Army
StatusCurrently awarded
Established1950
Last awardedCurrent
Precedence
Next (higher)Special Forces tab[1]
Next (lower)Sapper tab
Earning the Ranger tab (1:57)
Official U.S. Army video about the Ranger tab

The Ranger tab is a service school qualification tab of the United States Army, awarded to any soldier who completes Ranger School[1] at the U.S. Army Fort Moore, Georgia. Soldiers who are awarded the Ranger tab are authorized to wear it for the remainder of their military careers.[1][2] The Ranger tab is considered the pre-eminent award for soldiers in combat arms branches within the United States Army. It is considered an unwritten rule in the Infantry Branch that a Ranger tab is required to achieve full career success,[3] with the majority of commissioned and non-commissioned officers serving in battalion and above leadership roles (within brigade combat teams and infantry divisions) holding the award.

Description and history

[edit]

The Ranger tab was created in 1950 and is an embroidered quadrant patch worn on the upper left sleeve of a military uniform. The cloth tab is 2+3⁄8 inches (6.0 cm) long, 11⁄16 inch (1.7 cm) wide, with a 1⁄8 inch (0.32 cm) yellow border and the word "RANGER" inscribed in yellow letters 5⁄16 inch (0.79 cm) high. A metal Ranger badge is authorized for wear on mess/dress and class-B uniforms. The metal badge is black enameled background and gold letters and border.[4]

The original design of the tab had a black and red color scheme, spelling the word RANGERS. This design was an adaption of the traditional Ranger scroll, intended to recognize those who completed training for the Ranger companies that previously existed.[5]

At the time of its creation, the Ranger tab was retroactively awarded to any Army soldiers who previously completed a Ranger course conducted by the now-defunct Ranger Training Command. In addition, as set forth in Army regulations, veterans of certain categories of former wartime service are also eligible for retroactive awards of the tab. Among these are:[1]

  • Any person who successfully completed a Ranger course conducted by the Ranger Training Command at Fort Benning, Georgia
  • Any person who was awarded the CIB while serving during World War II as a member of a Ranger BN (1st through 6th inclusive) or in the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) and 475th Infantry Regiment (Merrill's Marauders)
867th Attack Squadron MQ-9 Reaper pilot wearing a Ranger tab

The Ranger Course was conceived during the Korean War and was known as the Ranger Training Command. On 10 October 1951, the Ranger Training Command was inactivated and became the Ranger Department, a branch of the Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia. From 1954 to the early 1970's, the Army's goal was to have one Ranger-tabbed NCO per infantry platoon and one officer per company. In an effort to better achieve this goal, in 1954 the Army required all combat arms officers to become Ranger qualified.[6]

Today, the Ranger tab is considered mandatory for all soldiers serving within leadership positions in the 75th Ranger Regiment.[7] Outside of the 75th Ranger Regiment, it is considered a highly desired award for career progression. It is the goal of the infantry branch to provide all infantry lieutenants with the opportunity to earn the Ranger tab following Infantry BOLC. Earning the tab is considered an indication that an officer possesses the skills and stamina necessary to effectively lead soldiers in the infantry. All other branches also highly encourage their lieutenants to attempt to earn the Ranger tab. It is highly encouraged that those who will serve within an Infantry Brigade Combat Team or will serve as a Special Forces Officer have their Ranger tab.[8]

Award eligibility

[edit]

Award eligibility as follows:[1]

  • Successful completion of a Ranger course conducted by the U.S. Army Infantry School
  • Any person who successfully completed a Ranger course conducted by the Ranger Training Command at Fort Benning, Georgia
  • Any person who was awarded the CIB while serving during World War II as a member of a Ranger BN (1st through 6th inclusive) or in the 5307th Composite Unit (Provisional) and 475th Infantry Regiment (Merrill's Marauders)

Other tabs

[edit]

The Ranger tab is one of four permanent individual skill/marksmanship tabs (as compared to a badge) authorized for wear by the U.S. Army. In order of precedence on the uniform, they are the President's Hundred tab, the Special Forces tab, the Ranger tab, and the Sapper tab.[1] Only three may be worn at one time.[2]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f "Army Regulation 600-8-22 Military Awards" (PDF). Department of the Army. 5 March 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 May 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Guide to the Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia Pamphlet 670–1" (PDF). Department of the Army. 25 May 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 September 2017. Retrieved 2022-08-28.
  3. ^ Allie, Scott. "Elimination of 1994 Gender Restriction: Will Earning the Ranger Tab Achieve Full Career Potential for Women?" (PDF). Master of Military Art and Science.
  4. ^ "U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum: Ranger Tab". U.S. Army Quartermaster Museum. Archived from the original on 30 July 2008.
  5. ^ Lanning, Michael (December 18, 2007). Blood Warriors: American Military Elites. Random House Publishing Group. p. 62. ISBN 9780307414687.
  6. ^ "Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade History". US Army.
  7. ^ Scott, Allie. Elimination of 1994 Gender Restriction: Will Earning the Ranger Tab Achieve Full Career Potential for Women? (PDF) (Thesis).
  8. ^ "Commissioned Officer Professional Development and Career Management" (PDF). Department of the Army. 3 December 2014.
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