US Army Rangers 1989–2015

Leigh Neville is an Australian national who has written a number of books on both modern conventional military units and special operations forces serving in Afghanistan and Iraq, their weapons and their vehicles, including six titles for Osprey with several more in development. He has also consulted on military topics for several wargame companies and television documentary makers. He lives in Sydney with his wife and two dogs. He can be contacted via his website at www.leighneville.com.

Introduction – the ‘ranger’ in history, as a behind-the-lines guerrilla soldier – the US Army Rangers, from World War II to Vietnam and after/ Changes in structure and operational remit since the 1980s – Ranger Indocrination Program, Ranger Assessment & Selection Program, Ranger School, and the Ranger Regiment/ Operation Just Cause: Panama, 1989 – the Rangers’ last ‘conventional war’/ Op Desert Storm: Iraq, 1991 – from combat search-and-rescue to long-range heliborne assault/ Op Gothic Serpent: Somalia, 1993 – the lessons of ‘Black Hawk Down!’/ Op Enduring Freedom: Afghanistan, 2001-present – the wide range of missions accomplished, and coordination with other special units/ Op Iraqi Freedom, 2003-1010 – from hunting Scuds, to hunting down al-Qaeda as part of the JSOC Task Force – comparisons with Afghanistan/ The evolution of the modern Ranger – the Ranger Reconaissance Company & Regimental Special Troops Battalion/ The future/ Weapons, equipment and vehicles/ Bibliography