Ranger School

The United States Army Ranger School is an intense 61-day combat leadership course oriented toward small-unit tactics. It has been called the "toughest combat course in the world" and "is the most physically and mentally demanding leadership school the Army has to offer". It is open to soldiers (commissioned officer, warrant officer, or enlisted), sailors, airmen, and Marines in the US Armed Forces, as well as allied military students.

Ranger training began in 1950 and has undergone multiple changes to its training regimen. A Desert Phase was employed for about a decade between the 1980s and 1990s. Its removal left the three phases used in the 21st century: (1) Darby, (2) Mountains, and (3) Florida.

Overview

"Without a doubt, Ranger School is the most physically and mentally demanding course in the U.S. Army."

The course is conducted in various locations. Training in the Benning Phase occurs in and around Camp Rogers and Camp Darby at Fort Benning, Georgia. Training at the Mountain Phase is conducted at Camp Merrill, in the remote mountains near Dahlonega, Georgia. The Florida Phase is conducted at various locations near Camp Rudder, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The Desert Phase—conducted initially at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, and later relocated to Dugway Proving Ground, Utah and Fort Bliss, Texas, was eliminated in 1995.