United States Army Ranger Regimental Reconnaissance Detachment “Rangers Lead the Way”

Unknown to many, the US Army’s elite 75th Ranger Regiment maintains it’s own tactical reconnaissance element know as the Regimental Reconnaissance Detachment, or RRD. Little known outside the ranks of the US SOF community the RRD was formally activated October 3, 1984 and assigned to the Regiment’s newly activated Regimental Headquarters. The unit is responsible for conducting short-duration reconnaissance of objectives for the Ranger Force Commander. This reconnaissance is routinely conducted in support of future strike or special light infantry operations. The recon teams can also be used by the ranger force commander to conduct deep target acquisition and designation, or to confirm or disprove information reported by other sources. Rarely will teams be used to attack enemy targets. The unit has three primary tasks: Active Reconnaissance, Surveillance, Direct Action. While performing these tasks, the teams can:

1. Infiltrate the objective area by parachute (HALO, HAHO, or static lines), helicopter, fixed-wing aircraft, SCUBA, small boat, foot, or other means.
2. Remain undetected in the vicinity of the objective area up to five days.
3. Perform reconnaissance operations employing a full range of night observation devices, infrared detection devices, unattended sensors, and photographic equipment.
4. Perform demolition target analysis.
5. Operate small watercraft and inflatable boats.
6. Emplace unattended ground sensors, omni-directional navigational beacons, hand-emplaced expendable jammers, and electronic target designation devices.
7. Collect combat information to satisfy priority information requirements and mission-essential elements of information. Teams report that information by use of long-range, secure, burst-transmission communications equipment.
8. Perform DZ selection, marking and reception duties.
9. Report objective area weather conditions.
10. Perform highly selective, limited attacks or ambushes when so tasked.
11. Link up with the main body of the ranger force in the objective area, or escape and evade the enemy in order to return to friendly lines.
12. Act as part of the AAT during airborne operations.

The Detachment is currently organized into 3- four man recon teams composed of a Team Leader and three scouts, one of whom is trained as a communications specialist; and a small four man headquarters section consisting of the Recon Platoon Leader, Senior Reconnaissance Sergeant, a Single Channel Radio Operator, and a Tactical Communications Systems Mechanic. The detachment’s recon teams are habitually associated with one of the Regiment’s three battalions. Unlike the other sub-units within the Regiment, only seasoned NCO’s (E-6/SSG or above) are eligible to join the detachment, although this was not always the case in the past.

Newly assigned Rangers undertake an intense 20-week training course, which includes instruction in Military Free Fall (MFF) operations, survival, evasion, resistance, and escape (SERE) (at Camp Mackall, NC), marksmanship, advanced navigation, and medical training. Several members of the detachment also skilled combat divers having completed the US Army Combatant Diver Qualification Course (CDQC).

The unit is known to have been operationally deployed on the following missions:

Reconnaissance platoon operations.

a. The reconnaissance platoon organic to the ranger regiment consists of a platoon leader, a senior reconnaissance sergeant, and three five-man reconnaissance teams that include a communications specialist in each team. This platoon is responsible for short-duration reconnaissance of objectives for the ranger force commander. This reconnaissance is routinely in support of future strike or special light infantry operations. The teams can also be used by the ranger force commander to conduct deep target acquisition and designation, or to confirm or disprove information reported by other sources. Rarely will teams be used to attack enemy targets.

b. The reconnaissance teams of the ranger regiment do not replace (or perform the same reconnaissance tasks associated with) long-range reconnaissance patrol (LRRP) units or long-range surveillance units (LRSUs) that may be organic to the corps or division. These units are organized, trained, and equipped for long-term passive surveillance and reconnaissance in enemy territory. The ranger reconnaissance teams are trained and organized to support the immediate intelligence-gathering needs of the ranger force commander. They are not to act as a human intelligence (HUMINT) collection asset for other operational headquarters.

c. The reconnaissance platoon headquarters trains, equips, and controls the employment of the three reconnaissance teams. It operates the communications stations needed to receive reports from deployed teams. In the absence of the S2, it debriefs team members upon extraction or exfiltration. It can provide one or more teams to support each ranger battalion on independent operations.

The reconnaissance teams can--

1. Infiltrate the objective area by parachute (HALO, HAHO, or static lines), helicopter, fixed-wing aircraft, SCUBA, small boat, foot, or other means.
2. Remain undetected in the vicinity of the objective area up to five days.
3. Perform reconnaissance operations employing a full range of night observation devices, infrared detection devices, unattended sensors, and photographic equipment.
4. Perform demolition target analysis.
5. Operate small watercraft and inflatable boats.
6. Emplace unattended ground sensors, omni-directional navigational beacons, hand-emplaced expendable jammers, and electronic target designation devices.
7. Collect combat information to satisfy priority information requirements and mission-essential elements of information. Teams report that information by use of long-range, secure, burst-transmission communications equipment.
8. Perform DZ selection, marking and reception duties.
9. Report objective area weather conditions.
10. Perform highly selective, limited attacks or ambushes when so tasked.
11. Link up with the main body of the ranger force in the objective area, or escape and evade the enemy in order to return to friendly lines.
12. Act as part of the AAT during airborne operations.

1. Mobility is normally restricted to foot movement in the area of operations.
2. Use of radio and other active electronic or optical devices makes the teams open to enemy detection.
3. All supplies and equipment needed by the team must be carried on the initial insertion, since resupply increases the probability of detection by the enemy.
4. Conduct of insertion and extraction operations deep in enemy-held territory is difficult due to the need for secrecy, timeliness, security, and accuracy of location.
5. Medical treatment of team casualties is limited to individual first aid. Casualty evacuation is difficult unless linkup with the main ranger force has been achieved.