Fort Benning
U.S. Army Fort Benning and The Maneuver Center of Excellence
75th Ranger Regiment Site
75th Ranger Regiment
3rd Battalion
Following operation "Urgent Fury", in Grenada, the Department of the Army ordered the activation of the 3rd Battalion. In April 1984, a small cadre arrived at Fort Benning, GA to begin the selection process.
Rangers from all over the world were interviewed, selected and moved to Fort. Benning. On October 3, 1984 at York Field, Fort Benning, GA, the Secretary of the Army, the Honorable John O. Marsh, presented the colors and activated the 75th Ranger Regimental Headquarters and the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. The activation of the Regimental Headquarters and the 3rd Battalion marked the first time since World War II that such a large Ranger force had been activated.
On December 20, 1989, 3rd Ranger Battalion was committed to Operation "Just Cause", in Panama. The Battalion’s successful airfield seizure of the Rio Hato Airfield, its participation with 1st Battalion at Torrijos/ Tocumen Airfield, and subsequent combat operations contributed significantly to the United States victory in Panama.
In August 1993, Elements of Company B, 3rd Ranger Battalion and the Battalion Headquarters deployed to Somalia as part of Task Force Ranger, were on October 3, 1993 exactly nine years from the activation of the unit, they performed a courageous daylight assault where they engaged in the most intense ground combat since the Vietnam war. In commemoration of the Rangers who fought and died in Somalia, several members of Company B deployed to Morocco in 2001 to appear in the movie "Blackhawk Down".
After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, 3rd Ranger Battalion was deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. On the night of October 19,2001 Components of Companies A, and C conducted a daring low level parachute assault onto Objective Rhino, a desert airfield in south western Afghanistan, in order to capture key logistical information. During follow on missions, company B, 3rd Battalion minus accomplished a successful night parachute assault into Bastogne DZ to secure a desert landing strip in support of a special operations raid.
Due to growing terrorist attacks and terrorism overall throughout the world, the President of the United States, George W Bush, Jr. declare war on terrorism and the Global War on Terrorism campaign begins in the early months of the year 2002. Once again 3rd Battalion was called upon to fight against terrorism, but this time it would be to aid in Operation Iraqi Freedom. A few weeks later, company A 3rd battalion and sections of HHC 3rd Battalion carried out a successful parachute assault on H2 Airfield in Western Iraq. On the night of March 31, 2003, Company B 3rd Battalion gained a foothold of the Hadithah Dam complex and fought off elements from the Iraqi Republican Guard’s Hammurabi Division over the course of the next week.