The U.S. Army Rangers are an elite fighting force, known for their rigorous training and operational capabilities. Their history is rich with stories of dedication, sacrifice, and unparalleled skill. This article delves into the experiences and training that shape these exceptional soldiers.
Army Rangers in Afghanistan
Notable Figures in the Ranger Community
Several individuals have left an indelible mark on the Army Ranger community. Their leadership, dedication, and experiences provide valuable insights into the life of a Ranger.
Col. Chad Mixon
Col. Chad Mixon oversees operations that impact more than 264,000 people. He is a seasoned soldier with impressive credentials and natural leadership ability. Mixon's leadership skills are impeccable. The ROTC program was easy for him, and he thrived during his time in the program. Mixon’s speed and endurance were legendary, making him a standout cadet.
According to a fellow cadet, Mixon was an exceptional leader. “The ROTC program was easy for him. Mixon thrived from other cadets,” said Torre. He also shared some advice for students: “Get involved in something you enjoy early. Build on those experiences."
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Mixon also spoke at the university's Career Center Speaker Series. “It feels good to be back on campus,” Mixon said after meeting with students. He emphasized the importance of character and reputation. “Your character and reputation are everything in this world,” he said. He also encouraged students to approach their career with an open mind and to create conditions for a bright future.
Mixon also shared a quote from Einstein, "thinking we used when we created them".
CSM Chad B. Harness
Command Sergeant Major Chad B. Harness entered the Army in May 2001 and completed One Station Unit Training as an Infantryman from Fort Benning, GA. CSM Harness held numerous positions from Rifleman to Brigade Command Sergeant Major. He served as a Riflemen, Mortar Gunner, Rifle Squad Leader, Mortar Section Sergeant, Drill Sergeant, Rifle Platoon Sergeant, Ranger Instructor/Senior Instructor Writer, Basic Training First Sergeant, Rifle Company First Sergeant, Headquarters and Headquarters Company First Sergeant, Battalion Operations Sergeant Major, Battalion Command Sergeant Major, and Brigade Command Sergeant Major.
CSM Harness' assignments include Vicenza, Italy, Fort Benning, GA, Fort Riley, KS, Fort Campbell, KY, Fort Bliss, TX and Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, AK. CSM Harness' deployments include Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003-2004) and Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (2005-2006 & 2011-2012).
CSM Harness' military education includes the completion of the Basic Leaders Course, Advanced Leaders Course, Senior Leaders Course, Sergeants Major Academy, Nominative Leaders Course, Airborne School, Infantry Mortar Leader's Course, Drill Sergeant School, Ranger School, Jumpmaster School, Pathfinder School, Air Assault School, and Master Resiliency Training. He holds an Associate of Applied Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Purdue and a Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts from the University of Excelsior.
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CSM Harness' awards and decorations include: a Legion of Merit, Bronze Star w/ one OLC; Meritorious Service Medal w/ two OLC, Army Commendation Medal w/ two Valorous devices and seven OLC, Army Achievement Medal w/ seven OLC, Master Parachutist Badge w/ Bronze Star, Pathfinder Badge, Air Assault Badge, Combat Infantryman Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Drill Sergeant Badge, and the Ranger Tab. CSM Harness is also a recipient of the Order of Saint Maurice (Centurion award), the Order of Saint Michaels (Guardian), and is a Distinguished Member of the 502nd Infantry Regiment.
CSM Harness is married and has two daughters and two Siberian Huskies.
Lt. Chad Fleming
Lt. Chad Fleming volunteered for the Army in 1999 after several years as a sheriff’s deputy in Tuscaloosa County. Fleming was 27, seven years older than the average Army recruit, when he told Sexton he was volunteering for military service. He first enlisted in the Army Special Operations Airborne regiment, working his way to an officer’s commission by May 2003 and commanding dozens of fellow Rangers -- brothers, he calls them -- by 2004.
Fleming was stationed in Afghanistan in 2001, following the terrorist attack of 9/11. It was October 2005, and Fleming was only 18 hours away from returning to the US when he received a call. It turns out he won't be on a plane home in a few hours. Longing for home, Fleming and his team ventured into the sweltering 127-degree desert. As they nearly emptied their fuel tank while deep into Iraq, they decided to turn around and return to base, turning off the road underneath an overpass. An Iraqi taxi swerved in front of the convoy's lead vehicle, blocking the soldiers' path. According to Fleming, the first vehicle's driver should have rammed into that taxi and continued driving.
Chaos ensued as they were greeted with a storm of hand grenades and gunshots. Two grenades detonated inside Fleming's vehicle. He also sustained a gunshot wound on his leg soon after escaping from the vehicle. However, Fleming knew that quitting wasn't an option. His teammates, who wanted to go home as badly as he did, depended on him. So, Fleming tied a tourniquet on his leg and continued fighting.
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Fleming's leg was saved. But after a few years of surgery and physical therapy, his leg was still not the same. Fleming reached a point when he realized he was miserable. He couldn't run, and he was in constant pain. After a successful surgery, Fleming struggled to adjust to the amputee life. After amputation, Fleming had been redeployed five times. Some of the most critical lessons Fleming grappled with throughout his military career apply not just to service members but to everyone facing hardships.
Fleming reminded his listeners that there would be things in life that would be out of everyone's control. However, he admonishes that people need to figure out how to keep moving along in life "because everything happens for a reason," he said.
During an operation against a top insurgent leader, two grenades detonated inside their vehicle, which was then hit by fire from an AK-47. Lt. Fleming said the squad leader remains in Walter Reed and may not regain full use of his right hand.
The Rigorous Training of Army Rangers
Training for the Rangers is famously grueling. “It’s 90 days of pure hell," summarized the elder Fleming, a self-described military buff who tore into books on the topic after his son joined. “One meal a day, sleep deprivation. Out of 250 who go in, you probably have 50 who complete the course." The idea is to steel recruits against the worst.
The Army ROTC Advanced Camp at Fort Lewis, Washington, is focused on building critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. This installation is home to nearly 54,000 troops and 14,000 civilians.
The training aims to prepare soldiers for the mental and physical challenges they will face in combat situations. It emphasizes teamwork, resilience, and adaptability.
Fleming advised his listeners not to think "you're so good that nothing can happen."
Stories of Sacrifice and Resilience
Army Rangers often face life-threatening situations. Their ability to persevere and continue fighting is a testament to their training and mental fortitude.
Two weeks before, Chad had taken grenade shrapnel to his left arm and back while defending a wounded comrade in a firefight. But he was back on the job within days, to his father’s relief. Driving under a bridge in northern Iraq, Chad had been hit by more shrapnel and gunfire, this time ripping into his left leg. He might not walk again, but he was alive.
Thirteen surgeries later, 1st Lt. Chad Fleming, 33, returned this week to visit his native Tuscaloosa. Still working from a wheelchair but certain that he’ll be on his feet eventually, Fleming is now stationed at Fort Benning in Georgia. The Central High School graduate came home with a Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts, pinned on his jacket at Walter Reed Medical Center by Gen. Doug Brown, commander of the Army Special Forces.
“I think I’d give ’em all back, though, if I had my foot right now," Fleming said jokingly.
Lt. Fleming was first wounded after just two months in Iraq, during building-to-building urban warfare near the Syrian border. As he describes it, he and a squad leader had just left a target building when he heard gunfire inside. The pair hurried back inside and into enemy fire, which they returned while a doctor tended to a wounded companion down a short hallway. After a few minutes, four more soldiers arrived, and the group worked its way to the room that held their assailants and killed them. “It was up close and personal," Fleming said.
After proving himself, Fleming had been redeployed five times.
The Ranger Ethos
The Ranger Ethos is a set of principles that guide the behavior and decision-making of Army Rangers. It emphasizes loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage.
Nothing is worse for soldiers’ morale, Jack Fleming said, than the idea that their work won’t be understood when they return.
Lt. Fleming that once troops are deployed is the wrong time for questions. He said he knows progress in Iraq has been hard to detect. After all, one reason his unit’s activities remain confidential a year later is that fighting continues in the area. But Iraq is a new kind of war, not measured in territory won or lost. “You’re slowing them down," he said. “It’s just one of those time things."
“You can say what you want to say, but there hasn’t been a terrorist attack on our soil for three years now," he said.
Iraq also is different from past conflicts in another important way, Lt. Fleming said. “It’s an all-volunteer military, and people forget that," he said near the end of an evening interview, grimacing as he massaged his wounded foot. Life can change in a split-second.
Transitioning to Civilian Life
Transitioning from military to civilian life can be challenging for many veterans. The unique experiences and training of Army Rangers can make this transition particularly difficult.
Being put right back into civilian life like I never left and unprepared for the challenges that I faced, was not what I had imagined. I looked at the world entirely different and I was no longer the happy-go-lucky kid I was growing up. Add to the mix unresolved childhood issues and I was anxious, angry, and confused. I could no longer drive down the street, go to the movies, or sit in a restaurant without being on edge.
It wasn’t until 20 years later that my then girlfriend, now wife introduced me to TRE (Trauma Release Exercises). I was extremely skeptical about it all but gave it shot. I walked into a group session as the only man and felt very uncomfortable at first. The instructor made me feel as comfortable as possible and after the session was over, I knew this was something that could help me. I feel like I have finally found my passion and mission in life.
TRE is a useful tool for literally everyone, and my main focus was initially geared towards veterans and first responders, hence the name of Mental Joe. I am so thankful for my wife to introducing me to TRE and I can say without a doubt that I married my best friend. We have 2 little boys who have made me want to be an even better man and I plan to introduce TRE to them in the next year to help them cope with the crazy world that we live in today.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc - but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. There have been several struggles and setbacks some personally and some professionally trying to get a 501c3 Non-Profit up and running. TRE is highly recognized in other countries but it hasn’t caught on as quickly as I had anticipated in the states. It’s something that people have to try to understand and once they try it, they love it. We have two young boys so trying to get new business, let alone a non-profit has been slower than I had hoped.
Tension & Trauma Release Exercises (or TRE®) is a simple yet innovative series of exercises that assist the body in releasing deep muscular patterns of stress, tension and trauma. Created by Dr. David Berceli, Ph.D., TRE safely activates a natural reflex mechanism of shaking or vibrating that releases muscular tension, calming down the nervous system. When this muscular shaking/vibrating mechanism is activated in a safe and controlled environment, the body is encouraged to return to a state of balance.
I 'shook off' 40 years of TENSION in 20 minutes! (TRE Explained)
The Importance of Support and Understanding
Providing support and understanding to returning veterans is crucial for their successful reintegration into society. Recognizing their sacrifices and addressing their unique needs can help them lead fulfilling lives after their service.
Both Flemings support the war in Iraq, but they are intensely conscious of its growing unpopularity among Americans.
Jack Fleming draws on his experience in the 1970s, when he said he was literally spit upon when he wore his uniform on a visit to New York. “I can’t ask anybody to agree with war; nobody with any sane mind would agree with war," he said. “When it comes up, the biggest thing is to just remember the troops. Put aside your politics, your hatred for war, your hatred for guns, let the guys do the job and get home as soon as possible."
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