Raiders or elite infantry? : the changing role of the U.S. Army Rangers from Dieppe to Grenada /

Hogan's sympathetic treatment of the Rangers examines why they have had an unstable existence. In theory, Ranger units are designed for raiding and long-range reconnaissance missions. In practice, however, many traditional commanders have not always understood this, leading to inappropriate use and negative results. Also, many officers oriented toward large-unit warfare opposed elite formations, believing that they attracted the best soldiers. Hence, Rangers often fell to force reductions. They were formed for WW II, to give Americans combat experience, and for Korea, to counter enemy infiltration tactics, but were disbanded after both wars. In the 1950s and during the Vietnam War, the Special Forces ("Green Berets," who were actually trained for guerilla warfare) and Long-Range Reconnaissance Patrols performed Ranger functions. Ranger units returned in 1974, along with confusion about their mission. At first, they were to be a quick-response force, then raiders, and finally, an antiterrorist unit. President Reagan expanded the Rangers and other special warfare forces in the 1980s but did not clearly define their roles. Hence, Hogan (US Army Center of Military History) believes that the Ranger question is still not settled. General; undergraduate; graduate; faculty; community college. P. L. de Rosa; Boston Center for Adult Education