Rangers and Delta

[pmulcahy11b]

At least since the abortive raid in Iran to rescue our hostages there (IIRC 1978), Rangers have been working closely with Delta. RDF Sourcebook doesn't seen to have the two units working together; the Rangers have their own deep recon-type missions, while Delta conducts deep recon itself as well as deep penetration raids. I realize that by 2000, the age of the "great raids" is largely over, but would that sever the traditional linkage between the Rangers and Delta?

[oldschoolgm]

When T2K was written the Rangers and Special Forces didn't work together like they do these days. The Rangers in the 80's were looked upon more like shock troops with a individual role to play. When terrorism and other brush wars began popping up in the 90's the connection began changing as the various commanders realized that the two groups had good synergy. I don't know when but at a certain point they reworked the Rangers operational MO to where they became the main support force for Delta and Special Forces missions.

If my memory serves me right the incident in Mogudishu (Black Hawk Down) was the pivotal incident that prompted this change of operational structure and role Rangers.

I know that the Rangers have often been a supportive unit for Delta (Iran Hostage rescue and Grenada) I don't believe the military had the kind of tight knit command structure and operational guidelines like they do and have had in the last decade.

Again, my mind is real fuzzy on this info right now so I could be completely wrong.

[Tegyrius]

Paul, you may want to ping Ed T. through email if he doesn't chime in here. He should be able to offer some insight.

- C.

[rcaf_777]

In Rick Atkinson Book "Crusade, the untold story of Persian Gulf War" (90-91) he states in the book that Rangers were operating with Delta to patrol inside the "Scud Box" looking for lunchers can could used agianist Israel, they were attack is possible or to call in airstrikes. He also states the Rangers brought in due to storage of Delta Personel.

Durring Operation Eagle Claw in 1980 the Ranger were used to secure the Desert One location and were used to secure an airfield to permit C-141 transports to land in advance of the rescue to transport the contingent from Iran under the protection of fighter planes, after Delta has stormed the embassy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Eagle_Claw

I could see the Rangers being used a replacments for some SF troops already in AOR, not to Delta unless is present in the AOR, and I though cannon had guarding the JCS, which would make sense to best troops aviable as strategic reserve to used to fill holes in other formations.

[pmulcahy11b]

Originally Posted by rcaf_777

...that Rangers were operating with Delta to patrol inside the "Scud Box" looking for lunchers...

A whole weird adventure could be worked up from that mistyping.

"Sir, we have been short of rations, lately."
"What has that got to do with planning operations?"
"Colonel, if someone's lunching out there, we need to take that food for ourselves!"

[LAW0306]

This is what changed the role of rangers and delta. this was done after the books were written and took years too work out.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldwat...%93Nichols_Act

[Snake Eyes]

Thanks for the link, Law. I knew there was a realignment of combat commands after Grenada and before Panama, but I didn't know there was a specific act of Congress behind it.

[LAW0306]

yes snake it changed everyway we do things. The writters of T2k left this out hence the errors in cannon we see today. not their fault. there was limited information and computers then. good smart people,just limited info.