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America’s War Machines -- Declassified
Saturday, November 3, 2001

"We’re always looking to equip the man and not man the equipment," explains Col. Ken Keen, 75th Ranger Regiment commanding officer. "We understand that the most lethal weapon on the battlefield is the individual Ranger, so we want to provide him with the best and most modern equipment but not to purchase equipment just for the sake of purchasing equipment."

Pressing toward the door of the C-130 transport after the short flight from Fort Benning’s Lawson Army Airfield, you catch a glimpse of the Chattahoochee River and the drop zone just beyond in Alabama. The knot in your stomach tightens when you see the jump light turn from red to green. In a heartbeat you are at the door, and ready to take the first step toward becoming a member of the legendary U.S. Army Airborne Rangers.

"Your first combat jump itself isn’t really all that different from peacetime," says Command Sgt. Maj. Douglas Greenway, thinking back to the night he earned the gold combat star on his own jump wings. "Because of all the events that are going on there’s a lot of stress -- thinking about the mission, your men, and so forth. But for the most part, you’re confident like these soldiers and noncommissioned officers [NCOs].

Because of the training and the attitude that they have, the worry is not what it would be in a unit that doesn’t have the money and the resources that we get to do our training here in the Ranger regiment. Those are what separate us. The great attitude. The resources. And the money and time that we get to do our training."
(More: Military.com News Source)
2001 © Military Advantage, Inc.

Dan