On October 3rd, 2014, the 75th Ranger Regiment will celebrate its 30th anniversary. On that day, they will also officially don the Army’s recently adopted Operational Camouflage Pattern as their garrison dress. This event will mark the first time that an Army unit will be seen in OCP in garrison and they chose their most elite Infantry unit for the honor.
Members of the Regiment have long relied on OCP clothing and equipment while deployed for combat operations as well as during training. Initially, they used Crye Precision MultiCam kit procured with MFP 11 SOF dollars. When the Army adopted the commercial MultiCam pattern as Operations Enduring Freedom Camouflage Pattern in 2010 the Rangers began to receive Rapid Fielding Initiative equipment such as the FR ACU which was used to augment their existing gear.
Sources say the Army plans to completely outfit the Regiment’s ACUs in the new OCP variant (Scorpion W2) featuring updates such as improved upper arm pockets in November.
Hopefully, this move will usher in an across-the-board approval by the Army for all Soldiers to begin to wear their OCP clothing already issued under RFI. According to industry sources, the Army still plans to offer the new OCP ACUs for sale at Military Clothing Sales Stores beginning May, 2015.
Tags: 75th Ranger Regt
Special Operations: because why the hell even bother with the rest of the Army anymore.
Did you not read the most recent counseling on SSD?
https://ssdaily.tempurl.host/2014/09/29/time-quarterly-counseling/
Well played sir, well played.
I’m not sure what smack I’m talk about SSD or anyone. I was just commenting it seems like their is an even larger divide between SOF and the rest of the Army than ever before. This just makes it very apparent visually as they will be walking around in a different uniform from the rest of the Army for more than a few months. This isn’t a comment on SSD, or even the Ranger Regiment but on big army and the DOD thinking SOF is the only thing that matters.
You would be surprised to see how few guys in RGR RGT actually walk around post in uniform. I’m betting any post they are on more people from other units are in OCP. I just did three years on JBLM and rarely saw a tan beret, they are well versed at keeping to their own.
Jon, OPT
They may not walk around post in uniform, but they certainly aren’t quiet about who they are. Last time I was at JBLM I must have seen two dozen cars with tab and scroll body art and some variation of “2/75RGR” license place.
Awesome at what they do, but I have never heard Rangers referred to as quiet professionals.
No disagreement on that. Their leadership is good at limiting their visibility in uniform, what they do on their free time is an individual task. Group is no better if you know what to look for. I can spot a team guy in any crowd, find the hottest chick, its the dude she’s with ;).
Jon, OPT
Hahaha, splash out.
You can tell the group guys down here by looking for the giant that can deadlift a tank. They seem to have slightly longer hair than the rest of the base population too.
This has been going on since as far as I can remember. For example, we had the Carl Gustav recoilless rifle in the early 1990’s. The rest of the Army didn’t get them till much later.
The Rangers have always been the proponent for the Infantry, Infantry the proponent for the Army (how about them Weasels? Remember those?).
As for the Goose, the Army got the TOW, which rode on vehicles, the Airborne additionally used Dragons, and Javelins later on. The Rangers got the M3 because, well, they are the fucking Rangers, and it replaced the 90mm. Yeah, there’s more involved, but the RGT tends to use what works better and cling to it longer, for example using OG-107s far after the rest of the Army switched to the BDU.
As far as I know the M3 RAAWS is still not on any unit MTOE within the Army other than the RGT, though down range you find them everywhere.
Jon, OPT
Also keep in mind that big Army has less animosity with Regiment than it does with the rest of ARSOF as Regiment at least resembles a normal unit from an organizational standpoint. GPF vs SOF-different tools for different jobs.
If anything I could see this turning into a nudge for big Army to accelerate things or to work out any issues that may or may not be present with Crye Precision.
Big Army is who is putting the Regiment in OCP.
It’s not just the organization. It’s the approach to business. Discipline is even higher as are appearance standards.
Then there’s the healthy back and forth officers and some NCOs do with parent Army. Note: when these Ranger Reg’t leaders serve in their parent branch they aren’t belittling the service for not doing things the same way as Regiment. They understand you give up something for quantity and it takes leadership to get average soldiers to achieve when you simply can’t kick them to the curb. The same soldiers that get little credit or respect from some on the SOF side.
They are assuredly a part of the Army and have long enjoyed support from both Army and SOCOM.
No I just think its a slap in the face to the rest of us stuck in UCP when the Ranger Regiment gets to walk around in OCP stateside before the rest of the Army. Like we’re all just benchwarmers for the SOF war. They were already wearing multicam in garrison over the summer as I saw them in June at Ft Knox and Louisville in OCP (gen 1?) and tan berets.
So where should they have started? You left your suggestion out of your last posts.
AZNG,
The Army – or DoD for that matter – doesn’t wait till everyone has a new set before they start the transition to a new uniform. They never have.
Its not about uniformity or anyone’s self esteem one way or another. Someone has to be first. Why shouldn’t it be a unit with a continuously high deployment OPTEMPO?
Besides, most units in the Army will not be ISSUED the new OCP anyway. Individuals will buy the uniforms when available and authorized for wear by local commanders..
As mentioned here that may include people who were issued OCP for Afghanistan. Either way there will be mixed formations OCP / UCP for the next few years.
Finally, I’m not sure why you made a point to mention the Regiment wearing Tan Berets. That is their authorized garrison headgear.
Knox is for PMT, units in PMT typically wear the deployed uniform.
Jon, OPT
Yes you did see us in Kentucky in OCP’s.. But guaranteed you did not see anyone with a beret. No one even brought a beret to Kentucky, wasn’t even part of the packing list.
Selection’s open to everyone. Except chicks.
It is open to chicks now: http://www.armytimes.com/article/20140929/CAREERS/309290020/Women-Ranger-School-New-details-application-deadlines
Ranger School isn’t selection for anything.
*Like*
Hey, plenty of females out in town have been through “selection” in support of the 75th.
Some might have received their EIB award.
aka had more Rangers in em than Normandy…
The Batt only started wearing wht the rest fo the Army was wearing in October 1998. ie Woodland BDUs, back in my day it was OG107s. The Batt has alsways be above the rest fo the Infantry Units in the Army and the US Military due to it’s role. The OpTempo of the Batt (Rgr Rgt) is very high, and these guys are called on more often then any other military unit. Their equipment must be the top. Wouldn’t you want the latest and best of everything if you were the first out? Anyway, just happy the Army is getting away from the Digital Mess, and start issuing our soliders with a proper camo uniform. Seeing picture of our soldiers trainign with other Armies looking like a sore thumb is wrong. Although the Army has been issuing MC for th epast years for the combat zones, everyday Joe needs to be sorted too.
Good start, wonder how long before the rest of USASOC changes?
Hopefully soon.
Nice, now go seize some airheads in Syria for follow on SOF/Merc forces, let’s turn this shit up, RLTW.
A man can dream, can’t he?
Jon, OPT
You dream for all men my good sir.
Is that a picture from a ceremony? Anyone else notice they are wearing the full color ranger scroll combat patch?
Yes
Ceremony for the unveiling of a memorial. No meaning other than a warehouse full of pristine Class A patches, co-incident with a shortage of clean OCP patches.
Other units–notably 1st ID–have traditions associated with the wear of the dress patch with the field uniform.
Exactly, looks like smart recycling, a patch that is not used on the ASU being converted to a ceremonial field uniform item. Fiscally smart, and it looks sharp.
Jon, OPT
I’m in 1ID and we were authorized the full color patch for a few months last year but then the CG decided that he didn’t like it anymore, kind of a bummer. now its just for ceremonies again.
I saw a ceremony with in Rgt last year and the Rgrs were sporting full colour scrolls and tabs. Looked great. This would look great for everyday wear through out the army in fact. Then when in the field the troopers would just sport the subdued patches. good point. and would look sharp.
That picture is from an awards ceremony at 1/75 back in 2010. The color scrolls literally showed up about an hour before it started. They handed them out and told us to wear them. The rumor after that trip was no more UCP Garrison uniforms. Obviously that wasnt the case. RR has been pushing for a long time to have OCP as the garrison uniform.
A little over a year ago, I frequently saw them in Multicam while I was at Benning. I’m pretty sure OCP is already semi-officially worn.
My buddy was in 1/75 at the time and he has pictures of not only colored scrolls, but his Ranger Tab, CIB, and pathfinder wings were colored as well, and he had silver jump wings. Are you sure the colored scrolls was a last-minute thing? It seems pretty well planned.
it was for a change of command ceremony. That shit was dumb and it will never happen again.
The second to last sentence, “Hopefully, this move will usher in an across-the-board approval by the Army for all Soldiers to begin to wear their OCP clothing already issued under RFI.” That’s the one I’m waiting on. With all the OCP I received from RFI, and ordered through ADO, it would be nice if I could start wearing it in garrison now instead of UCP. Of course, that would mean that big Army would have to make a decision in a timely manner, and we all know how good they are at that.
What I have been waiting on all along. All it takes is approval and an ALARACT message. It really is that simple, easier than calling fire down range…
However there are those so mired in the process they see it as a huge wall of politics and personalities in between, people who fight for individual leverage, juice, and favors instead of the common good and common sense.
Saying “Execute” is three syllables, growing the balls to do it, oh dear God, we can’t just do that, what if, what if, what if???? Second order, third order, feelings, blahhhh, blah blah.
Jon, OPT
1st Cav is wearing old OCP in Latvia as we speak. 173rd is still in UCP in the Baltics but they put through paperwork for OCP.
I’m in Poland for ANAKONDA14 and we’re wearing OCP. What’s silly is that we were issued the full kit before the trip and we will have to turn it back in to CIF as soon as we return…… Yes the 173rd is in UCP and they’re in the field while our team is in garrison back in Warsaw. We live in a strange world.
I’ve been following the 173rd Facebook page – they stick out like chem-lights in those UCP ACUs! SMFH
Oh believe me, I’ve been asked several times by foreign troops here why we’re in UCP. The Estonians in particular were making comments about how bad it blends in.
It was reported way back in April-May that the 173rd was the first conventional unit EVER to deploy in multicam/OCP outside Afghanistan. Where you in the initial deployment? Was the report wrong?
Report was wrong. No elements of 173rd wore OCP. All we did was put on the IR flag and swap maroon beret for PC. However S4 did take all of our sizes etc. for OCP uniforms, I presume through RFI. They’re apparently going to get them to us soon, so the rumors go. But I’ll believe it when I’m wearing it. Still kills me to see the 1st Cav guys hanging around the Latvian post in clean OCP while we’re coming out of the field after a few months in ratty old UCP.
Apparently so. Sometimes you get a source that you can no longer rely upon. In this case, it was two sources.
It happens, the rumor mill gets the best of us sometimes. Hopefully they pull through and get us (173rd) in OCP within the month like they say. The nessecary paperwork etc. has been done according to my sources, but I’ll believe it when I’m wearing it. It irritates me that forward deployed infantry cats like us don’t get to wear it, albeit not being in a red zone but all the stateside based units here are. The 1st Cav LTC who sewed my split lip up was wearing OCP with skill badges and a full color flag, garrison style!
Why does it look like there is tape over the ELCAN lenses?
Squirrel
And their (faded pre-2010 OCP?) helmet covers look a lot like Arid Multicam.
Someone needed to kick the door open!
Good on the Rangers, those lucky bastards.
I’m hearing that very soon it won’t just be them.
On a somewhat unrelated subject, is the “Analog vs Digital” camouflage testing on task to start, or did they cancel it?
Just an FYI AZNG you are a bit late to this party. I was in the old scroll battalions and we have worn different uniforms all along. In 1981 we wore cammies. When BDUs came out we wore og107.. What exactly is the big deal. If you want to be different join the regiment..
RLTW
nice threads
Never heard anyone whine so much about a uniform. Does it really matter. The pattern isn’t new, it’s not a revolutionary break through so who cares who gets to wear it first. And yes senior Army leadership decided on fielding this new item with the Regiment as they have done many times. You can always voice your concern with special correspondence to the White House or congressional leaders instead of an Internet forum. FYI: HRC actions 1200 special correspondence letters every year. So get to typing but I highly encourage no whining or subjectivity. RLTW
It doesn’t look like the 75th got the new uniforms. They are wearing the FR multicam’s though.
That’s what the article says.
Yeah I was hoping we would get to see the new OCP on these guys.
Which article are you talking about?
This article.
So Batt is authorized to start wearing OCP (multicam) today and they will be slowly replaced in November with OCP (scorpion w2). Is that how the plan is laid out, sorry It can be confusing at times with both being always called OCP
Yes
OCP is OCP, that’s all that really matters.
SSD: Any idea as to when we should expect to see an ALARACT come out with wear in and wear out dates?