Veteran position

Veteran Ranger Community Position

The rest of the world should know, the veterans of the Ranger Community are saddened to see the Black Beret go to the rest of the Army. We fought hard to keep it in order to honor our brothers who were lost to some of the fiercest fighting our Nation has asked any soldier to participate in.

Please understand that we, the veteran community DO NOT regard this so called "compromise" as a victory at all.

We are disappointed in those who might suggest that the contributions of a single soldier, the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, could possibly outweigh the contributions of the over 25,000 Rangers who have served our nation since 1951 and who overwhelmingly opposed his decision to eliminate the Army Traditions under which we served.

We are very disappointed that the Chief of Staff's office used disinformation extensively, to mislead the public, the media, the Congress and Senate to argue the merits of his action.

We know that transforming the Army into a more lethal and deployable force has no logical connection with ending a 50 year tradition, removing the heraldry of one active duty unit, and assigning it to others.

We are disappointed that the review Deputy Secretary of Defense Wolfowitz was to conduct may not be conducted, as specifically requested by both President Bush and Senator Warner, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.

We strongly believe that a beret of any color worn by soldiers serving in the United States Army should be manufactured in America only.

To all our supporters in the public, lawmakers who have represented us when we asked, we greatly appreciate all of your assistance and advocacy. We hope that those who opposed this action will continue to aspire towards a higher calling: the truth.

Veterans of the 75th Ranger Regiment will always have a reverence for the Black Beret.