The Korean War Ranger Companies were the

United States Army Rangers United States Army Rangers, according to the US Army's definition, are personnel, past or present, in any unit that has the official designation "Ranger". The term is commonly used to include graduates of the US Army Ranger School, even if t ...

of the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

History

At the outbreak of war in Korea, a unique Ranger unit was formed. Headed by

Second Lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

Ralph Puckett Ralph Puckett Jr. (born December 8, 1926) is a retired United States Army officer. He led the Eighth Army Ranger Company during the Korean War and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (United States), Distinguished Service Cross for his acti ...

, the Eighth Army Ranger Company was created in August 1950. It would serve as the role model for the rest of the Ranger units to be formed. Instead of being organized into self-contained battalions, the Ranger units of the Korean and Vietnam eras would be organized into companies and then attached to larger units, to serve as organic

special operations Special operations (S.O.) are military activities conducted, according to NATO, by "specially designated, organized, selected, trained, and equipped forces using unconventional techniques and modes of employment". Special operations may include ...

units. In addition to the special skills and techniques used by their forebears, the Ranger Infantry Companies added

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assault to their repertoire. All Rangers within the companies were airborne qualified. In total, eighteen additional Ranger companies were formed in the next seven months: Eighth Army Raider Company and First through Fifteenth Ranger Infantry Companies (Airborne) and Ranger Infantry Companies A & B. The Army Chief of Staff assigned the Ranger training program at

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to Colonel

John Gibson Van Houten John Gibson Van Houten (1904-1974) served as a major general in the United States Army and was an important figure in the rebirth of the United States Army Rangers during the Korean War. He was a commanding officer of the 60th Infantry Regiment ...

. The program would eventually be split to include a training program located in Korea. 3rd and 7th Ranger companies were tasked to train new Rangers. The 28 October 1950 would see the next four Ranger companies formed. Soldiers from the 505th Airborne Infantry RegimentDuring the late 1940s the separate, all-black 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion was merged into the 505th AIR to become the regiment's "new" 3rd Battalion. and the 82nd Airborne's 80th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Battalion volunteered and, after initially being designated the 4th Ranger Company, became the 2nd Ranger Company — the only all-black Ranger unit in United States history. After the four companies had begun their training, they were joined by the 5th-8th Ranger companies on 20 November 1950. During the course of the war, the Rangers patrolled and probed, scouted and destroyed, attacked and ambushed the Communist Chinese and Korean enemy. The 1st Rangers destroyed the 12th North Korean Division headquarters in a daring night raid. The 2nd and 4th Rangers made a combat airborne assault near

Munsan Munsan is a town of Paju, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. It lies on the south bank of the Imjin River, close to the edge of the Demilitarized Zone and near Panmunjom and the Joint Security Area. History Munsan has a heavy military presence beca ...

where

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reported that Allied troops were now patrolling north of the 38th Parallel. Crucially, the 2nd Rangers plugged the gap made by the retreating Allied forces, the 5th Rangers helped stop the Chinese 5th Phase Offensive. To provide manning slots for newly activated Special Forces units, all Ranger companies were inactivated in 1951, beginning with the Eighth Army Ranger Company on 28 March and ending with 6th Ranger Company on 1 December

Organization

References

{{United States Army Rangers United States Army Rangers Military units and formations established in 1950 United States Army units and formations in the Korean War