Fort Benning
U.S. Army Fort Benning and The Maneuver Center of Excellence
4th Ranger Training Battalion Site
4th Ranger Training Battalion
History
Ranger Training began in September of 1950 at Fort Benning, Georgia with the formation and training of 17 Airborne Ranger companies during the Korean War. In October 1951, the Commandant of the United States Army Infantry School established the Ranger Department and extended Ranger Training to all combat units in the Army. The first Ranger class for individual candidates graduated on 1 March 1952. On 1 November 1987, the Ranger Department reorganized into the Ranger Training Brigade, and established four Ranger Training Battalions. Of those, three are still in operation.
The Ranger course is designed to further develop leaders who are physically and mentally tough and react effectively in stressful situations that are found in combat. The course is over nine weeks in duration and divided into three phases: Benning phase, at Fort Benning, Georgia; Mountain phase, in Dahlonega, Georgia; and Swamp phase, at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.
