Both the beret flash and oval (background trimming) approved for Soldiers in the 3rd Ranger Battalion, 75th Regiment employ the same design as the Regiment’s insignia but with the addition of three red notches on the left and right sides denoting the unit’s numeric designation.
Refer to
AR 670-1 for information on authorization to wear the organizational flash and oval. Complete wear guidance for both insignias can be found in
paragraph 21-32 of DA PAM 670-1.
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Also referred to as the 3rd Ranger Battalion, the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment traces its origins to 19 June 1943, when the success of the 1st Ranger Battalion inspired the Army to create another highly trained elite unit. It enjoyed great success during its first combat actions during the invasions of Sicily and Italy, but it was decimated during the Battle of Cisterna in late January 1944; depending on the source, it was the victim of either faulty military intelligence regarding the town’s defenses or German discovery of the unit’s infiltration attempt.
The Battalion was consolidated with Company F, 475th Infantry and redesignated under that name, fighting under that title in three campaigns in Korea before it was redesignated as Company F, 75th Infantry. The Company saw action in six Vietnam War campaigns before inactivation in March 1971, a status it held until October 1984 and its redesignation and activation as HQ and HQ Company, 3rd Battalion, 75th Infantry. In February 1986, its HHC was consolidated with former Company A, 3rd Ranger Infantry Battalion while retaining its designation; concurrently 3rd Battalion, 75th Infantry became 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment.
In addition to taking part in Armed Forces Expeditions in Panama and Somalia, the 3rd Ranger Battalion and/or its elements have deployed on numerous occasions in support of the War on Terrorism and Operations Iraq Freedom and Enduring Freedom, earning credit for an astonishing seven campaigns, including four in Iraq (and additional campaigns are yet to be determined).
It was in Iraq during the first few weeks of the war that several elements of the Battalion took part in a mission to seize the Hadithah Dam in Al Anbar Province. Between 30 March and 9 April 2003, the Battalion’s Company B, 3rd Platoon Company C, and a Detachment of its HQ and HQ Company fought in a series of bitter engagements in which their extraordinary heroism in clearing the dam and destroying enemy forces was later recognize with a Valorous Unit Award.
The 3rd Ranger Battalion is headquartered at Fort Moore in Georgia (formerly Fort Benning), which also serves as the home of the 75th Regimental HQ.