A Guide to the Army Rangers

What are Army Rangers?

In the United States, Army Rangers are prestigious and highly-skilled members of the United States Army. Army Rangers have served in recognized units of the Army Rangers or have graduated from the United States’ Ranger School.

The Army Rangers unit was first established in World War II when General George C Marshall authorized the creation of six modernized battalions of the rangers to employ the special units’ forces in wars in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, Panama, and Grenada.

Following the Vietnam War, the United States government determined that the U.S. Army needed an elite and rapidly deployable infantry. Following this declaration, the 2nd Ranger Battalion was constituted and in 1984 a 3rd battalion was formed and their regimental headquarters were created. Since this time, the unit has participated in numerous operations that revolved an assortment of methods and fundamental goals. Similar to other fighting units, Rangers in the United States are susceptible to the same forms of liability that govern other branches of the military. Furthermore, Rangers must also adhere to the legal implications and regulations instituted by various governing agents and authorities.

Military Law vs. Federal Law

The United States Department of Defense operates under Federal Law as per the guidelines expressed within the disbursement of a triune governmental oversight system, which allows for the United States Army rangers to exist under the jurisdiction of the Executive branch of the government; this results in the appointment of the President of the United States as the Commander in Chief of the entirety of the Armed Forces. However, Military Law – a legal field classified as a subgenre of Federal Law – typically addresses the activity and behavior of military personnel; this can include:

Absent Without Leave (AWOL): The unlawful desertion of a service member with regard to their respective commitment to the United States Army rangers; individuals deemed to have abandoned positions may be tried by military court and subsequently court martialed.

Martial Law: Martial Law is the instatement of Military rule over specific jurisdictions within a country or nation; in many cases with regard to the implementation of heightened security measures, the United States Army rangers may be appointed in the event that the acting body of civil law enforcement is unable to maintain sufficient order.

Judge Advocate General (JAG Corps): The JAG Corps - or Judge Advocate General Corps - are classified as the acting legal body within the United states Army rangers. JAG Corps not only oversee the court martial process, but also are responsible for upholding the maintenance of the protocols and parameters expressed within the UCMJ; in many cases, the legal issues addressed by the acting JAG Corps are specific – these include: war crimes, treason, sedition, refusal to obey orders, undue violence, and offenses directed against military personnel.

Punitive Recourse and the United States Army rangers

The procedures and legislative process implicit within the investigation - and prospective lawsuit - with regard to issues involving Military Law and the United States Army rangers may vary on an individual, case-by-case basis.

A court martial exists in the event that an offense is deemed to be under the jurisdiction of both military court judicial review, as well as military court oversight; court martials may mirror the legal process that exists within civil court, yet military personnel – service members and prisoners of war – are the only individuals able to be subject to such proceedings. Matters involving United States Army rangers service members may constitute overlapping legal fields with regard to the corresponding legal proceeding. Furthermore, in the event that an individual is brought before a military court with regard to matters concerning the United States Army rangers, service members should be made aware that military law – as well as the Uniform Code of Military Justice – varies on a locational basis.

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