Sua Sponte: The Forging of a Modern American Ranger

by Dick Couch Narrated by Pete Larkin

Overview

The 75th Ranger Regiment is a unique and distinct culture among the American military establishment. They stand alone, even among our other Special Operations forces, as the most active brigade-sized force in the current Global War on Terrorism. Since 9/11, the Regiment has been the only continuously engaged unit in the Army, and has had 40 percent of its number deployed in harm's way for the last decade. Their mission is unique. Rangers do not patrol, they don't train allied forces, nor do they engage in routine counterinsurgency duties. They have a single-mission focus: they seek out the enemy and they capture or kill them. This sets Rangers apart as pure, direct-action warriors.

Army Rangers are not born; they are made. The modern 75th Ranger Regiment represents the culmination of 250 years of American soldiering. As the nation's oldest standing military unit, the Regiment traces its origins to Richard Rogers' Rangers during the pre-Revolutionary French and Indian War, through the likes of Francis Marion and John Mosby, to the five active Ranger battalions of the Second World War, and finally, to the four battalions of the current Ranger regiment engaged in modern combat. Over that period, a standard of professional excellence and the forging of that excellence is distilled in the selection, assessment, and training of today's Rangers.

Granted unprecedented access to the training of this highly restricted component of America's Special Operations Forces in a time of war, retired Navy Captain Dick Couch tells the personal story of the young men who begin this difficult and dangerous journey to become a Ranger. Many will try but only a select few will survive to serve in the 75th Ranger Regiment. Sua Sponte follows a group of these aspiring young warriors through the crucible that is ranger training and their preparation for direct-action missions in Afghanistan against the Taliban.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

A detailed and vivid look at how the Army Rangers train for war.”—Larry Bond, author of Exit Plan

"[Couch's] chronicle of the rigorous training that develops a young soldier into a young apprentice Ranger is detailed, accurate, and captivating."—General W. F. "Buck" Kernan, U.S. Army (Ret.)

"A great read that describes how the reputation of Rangers, now burnished with the exploits of the current generation in Afghanistan and Iraq, reflects the leaders that select and mold them."—General Stanley McChrystal, U.S. Army (Ret.)

"A wonderfully graphic account of the gut-busting ordeal of becoming a U.S. Army Ranger in the 75th Ranger Regiment...Earning the tan beret is, quite simply, a test of manhood—only those with ample stocks of strength, stamina, commitment, and valor need apply."—Linda Robinson, author of Masters of Chaos

"Granted unprecedented access, Couch follows a Ranger class through to its departure for the battlefield...An admiring, inspiring account of how the Army shapes and sharpens the tip of its spear."—Kirkus Reviews

Kirkus Reviews

A former Navy SEAL takes an inside look at how the Army selects and trains its elite warriors. Among the American military's special operations forces none has an older or more distinguished history than the Army Rangers. Couch (Chosen Soldier: The Making of a Special Forces Warrior, 2007, etc.) takes us briefly through these glittering annals, but quickly focuses on the unit's modern incarnation, the 75th Ranger Regiment, and its preparation of soldiers for their direct-action mission. A light infantry, mobile assault force that typically fights at night, the rapidly deployed Rangers conduct raids designed to kill or capture the enemy, to disrupt his operations, and to seize objectives like airports or embassies. To accomplish this mission, Ranger candidates, recruited from regular Army volunteers, undergo arduous training and merciless evaluation, all levels of which Couch examines. Granted unprecedented access, Couch follows a Ranger class through to its departure for the battlefield. He liberally sprinkles the narrative with interviews of the candidates and their trainers, paying due attention to the specific skills taught--shooting, breaching, mobility, hand-to-hand fighting, fast-roping, etc.--but focusing even more on a complete picture of the unique Ranger culture. The requisite physical fitness, intelligence, mental toughness, ethical maturity, patriotism and cultural suitability of each Ranger are always subject to proof in a regiment where you "have to earn your Scroll every day." The peer-review process will strike civilians as brutal, but the Rangers' candid assessment of their fellows, Couch makes clear, is crucial when lives depend on the creativity, cooperation, stability and reliability of each soldier. An admiring, inspiring account of how the Army shapes and sharpens the tip of its spear.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170957613
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	07/03/2012
Edition description:	Unabridged
Sales rank:	1,109,329

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