UNSC Army Ranger Command (UNSC Refined)

Ranger Command is the UNSC Army's premier elite light airborne infantry unit within Army Special Operations Command. Fulfilling the role of elite light infantry, Ranger units also fulfil a number of other roles with the most relevant being that of supporting resistance forces behind enemy lines. 
The UNSC Ranger Command comprises 6 Ranger Divisions and an independent Ranger Brigade, each Division is supported by combat arms and is capable being deployed to anywhere in their respective colonies within 12 hours. It's specialised training meaning it's Brigades are usually equipped as quick reaction units for UNSC Army units as well as providing raiding and deep penetration operations. UNSC Ranger Command has it's origins as far back as the 1700s in various British and American Militia units, it's lineage heralding many well researched and taught about Ranger units ranging from the United States 75th Rangers, Malaysian Sarawak Rangers, Irish Rangers and Vietnamese Rangers. The UNSC Rangers are amongst the most battle heralded units, it's 81st Brigade having over 1,400 battle honours making it the 3rd highest decorated UNSC Army unit.
==History==
===Origins===
UNSC Army Rangers have their roots in various volunteer units raised by British forces during King George's War and the Indian Wars, these units were small lightly armed skirmish infantry who aimed to disrupt enemy forces prior to them deploying to battle and also skirmish with other similar units. Robert Roger's Rangers were the most well known of theses units, the man himself writing the 28 rules of Ranging and created the Ranger as independent units to operate far from the main force. Robert Rogers is well known today amongst Rangers as the man who created the Rangers as a unit, as their forefather and creator.These units performed well and became an integral part to British Army units during the American Revolution and the War of 1812. The opposing Americans and the supporting Canadians also raised their own units, the most famous being the Queen's Rangers. These units proved themselves as useful in helping disguise larger unit movements, providing reconnaissance and causing enemy units to be tied down to deal with these units. Such Light Infantry was well emulated in later years, the lineage of Rangers in the British Army being passed down to various Rangers including the Sherwood Rangers and the Connaught Rangers. However, Rangers became superseded in the skirmish infantry role during the Napoleonic Wars of the 19th and 18th Century by the British Rifle units with the Ranger name only remained with a few units as units given the "Rifle" name taking the skirmish role during the Crimean War of the mid-18th Century.
Similarly, in the United States, Rangers and similarly tasked groups were used extensively in the American Revolutionary and Civil Wars. Militia and volunteer units such as McNeill's and Terry's Texas Rangers during the Civil War as well as the Green Mountain Boys, during the Revolutionary War, were tasked with harassing Union and British forces respectively and attacking their supply lines. Union Forces also used similar light infantry units however none were given the "Ranger" name, soon after the war the Ranger concept was soon dropped as men became equipped with more advanced weaponry. 
===Creation of the modern Ranger===
Whilst the Ranger concept widely died out by the start of the 20th Century, with the skirmish and reconnaissance role being folded into specialised recon units, the Second World War was seen as the advent of the Ranger concept with is still widely used by the UNSC Army Rangers. During the war, the British and American armies created new Special Forces units designed with raiding and light infantry warfare in mind. Designed to be lightly equipped and extremely well trained, they would act as elite infantry able to be deployed in all forms. The most notable units of the war being the British Commandos and Chindits and the US Army Rangers and Special Service Force. 
These units were formed for the task of undertaking infant Special Operations missions such as raiding and demolitions. British Commandos were formed on the order of Prime Minister Winston Churchill, these specialist raiding units formed much of Britain's European operationss during the 1941-1943 period and found much success. The Chindits formed in 1942 performed a similar task, acting as columned raiding forces in Burma during WW2 against the Japanese, these units punched through enemy lines and operated far behind enemy lines to destroy infrastructure such as train lines, bridges and communications areas whilst only supplied by air drop from the Royal Air Force. Whilst popular with the public, Chindits and Commandos were well known for their high casualty rates and varying success.
The US Army also formed similar units, 1st Special Service Force and the 1st Ranger Battalion were formed on the lines of the British Commandos. However US Army Rangers were used also as elite shock infantry, assaulting fortified enemy positions such as Point Du Hoc as well as Arzew in Algeria. After these examples, Ranger units widely began to die out. The British Army gave the special forces tasks to that of Royal Marine Commandos and the Special Air Service whilst the US Army largely phased out their Special Forces units after the Korean War of 1950s. 
Rangers later became at the forefront during the Vietnam War of the 1960s and 70s, the US Army realised a deficit in elite light infantry and created the 75th Infantry Regiment (Rangers) to support their forces in the field by providing deep reconnaissance units. These forces proved effective and were also formed in the South Vietnamese Army with many battalions such as the 81st Rangers, whose traditions are carried on in the 81st Ranger Brigade, being formed in this period. These units proved to be amongst the most effective during the war, conducting interdiction and counter-intelligence warfare. These proved to make Rangers a core component of future US Army operations with the 75th Rangers remaining as the longest lasting Ranger Regiment to this day.
===Rangers of the 21st Century===
Following the end of the Cold War, Rangers became a more used asset as the need for special operations units began to become more common with the advent of the Global War on Terrorism. Units such as the US 75th Rangers, the British Ranger Regiment and Irish Army Ranger Wing were regularly deployed to zones as the world became embroiled in conflicts fought by radical religious organisations, these conflicts proved Rangers are some of the most competent counter-insurgency direct action forces. These units were well trained and equipped yet large in size and were able to execute number of assignments with startling regularity. 
Ranger units were not just deployed in counter-insurgency operations, during the late 21st Century, a number of large scale conflicts broke out in Europe and East Asia. These conflicts proved the Rangers as forces capable of light infantry and special operations actions. Rangers were involved in many areas of conflict, from cities to mountains and became well known for their presence in some of the most combat intensive regions in the world. These helped cement the Rangers of the 21st Century into legend, something that still persists in the UNSC today. 
Ranger units were involved in various other conflicts throughout the age, including those in South East Asia where the Malaysian Royal Ranger Regiment and attached Japanese Ranger units fought against many extremists in Malaysia.
===Origins of the UNSC Ranger===
The Rangers had to evolved with the times, the advent of space travel and the early colonisation of Mars and other such planets proved a difficult issue for the Ranger as the Navies of the world began to reform into space faring organisations with their Marines acting as their light infantry. This caused most of the world to disband their Ranger units, the British, Italian and Malaysian Ranger units were soon disbanded as funding moved to Marine forces with only the American and the Irish Ranger units being left as the prestigious Special Forces units with the title of "Ranger", this caused the Rangers to lose their status in the world as the premier light infantry units as this was given to various Marine units.
However, soon the Rangers began to grow a new identity under the UN forces, the 75th Ranger Regiment still remained and soon after formed itself as the premier force in undertaking deep reconnaissance and raiding missions. It's battalions were self sufficient and skilled enough to conduct successful raiding operations on multiple worlds. The Karmen Raid against Frieden forces on Mars where Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 75th (American) Rangers conducted a raid that saw the destruction of 56 tanks and armored vehicles and allowed UN forces to quickly dismantle local Frieden forces. Another example was Operation: Diamondstick where Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st (Irish) Rangers conducted a lightning raid with vehicles and light infantry over a 4 day period which saw them seize and destroy multiple Koslovic bases and command centers, crippling local Koslovician command and destroying ammunition, food and supplies meant for those forces. This helped Rangers to fight back themselves into the UN structure and form themselves up as an elite raiding force.
The Rangers, pushed forward by the 75th and the 1st, underwent a new vision. No longer just an elite light infantry force capable of multiple tasks, they became an elite raiding force. Their Battalions penetrating into enemy lines and operating for months on end, conducting lightning attacks with light vehicles that crippled aircraft, fuel and supply stations as well as causing many casualties. They became known by many as "The UN's Poisoned Dagger." as their ability to thrust into enemy lines and causing them to collapse from within as UN forces attacked from the outside. This led to an increase in the number of Ranger units formed by many of the UN Nations and soon, most countries in the world has a "Ranger" unit, a self sufficient deep penetrating force capable of extreme damage from within.
===Formation of the UNSC Ranger Divisions===
After the interplanetary wars, the creation of the UNSC was the advent of the UNSC Army Ranger Divisions. Formed with the nucleus of the 75th and 1st Ranger Regiments, which were soon reflagged as the 75th and 1st Ranger Brigades respectively, the UNSC Army Ranger Divisions were created to form the light infantry raiding force that the Army felt it needed for long term operations. Only 2 Divisions were formed initially and whilst the idea of raising the Rangers to a Division size, HIGHCOM didn't see them as flexible enough compared to ODST units and the Army was soon forced to disband the Ranger Divisions under increasing scrutiny 
However during the Chrissy Campaign the ODSTs proved their shortcomings as poor understanding in their usage meant that they were being sent on assignments they were not able to handle. The Chrissy National Guard easily overcame the lightly equipped ODSTs, dropped with little organic logistical support due to the lack of specialist technicians and supply specialists to handle their supplies from air drops effectively. ODST units soon became overrun by armored units from the Chrissy National Guard. This was in comparison to the 81st Ranger Brigade who had dropped in via airborne, they had their light vehicles and organic supply units with many specialist maintenance personnel and long range radio equipment. The 81st Brigade undertook logged 11 operations during the Chrissy Campaign despite being far from frontline UNSC forces, 81st Rangers operated with Golf Company, 5th ODSTs who formed the remainder of ODST forces as well as the local resistance.
The poor performance of the ODSTs (later attributed to the lack of knowledge of their use by UNSC High Command) meant that Rangers found new allies in the Army. Soon, the Army expanded it's Ranger Divisions to 4 Divisions, with the Division becoming an administrative formation which held Brigades which became subordinate to various Army Corps and Corps Groups, this general structure of the Ranger units remains to this day. However, with the dying down in overall large scale combat operations, the Army Rangers soon began to become stagnant with their role of deep penetrating raids and operations becoming less needed as the UNSC transitioned into quelling small rebellions, this meant that the Rangers began conducting more direct action raids and small scale operations, a role that their forefathers of the 75th, Irish and Malaysian Rangers had been pressed into during the Global War on Terrorism of the 2000s as the need for direct action trained units massively increased.
===Ranger Command is created===
Following the Chrissy Campaign, few rebellions popped up to the same scale with entire worlds rebelling. Soon the UNSC Army Rangers were being tasked with more small scale tasks such as anti-piracy operations where Ranger units conducted direct action raid against pirate locations on worlds or in space in order to kill to take prisoner many high value targets. During this period, the Rangers became well known for their extremely rapid movement in these operations, public attention being given to many famous raids such as Operation: Greenheart where Rangers undertook a 2 minute raid in a space station that saw 9 pirates being killed and 4 taken prisoner. Against the wishes of the Rangers, soon knowledge of this operation was released as a propaganda coup for the Army to demonstrate the capabilities of their special operations units.
This revamped public interest in the Army Rangers and soon the Army Rangers found themselves in a new unique position, with the formation of Army Special Warfare Command a few years prior, Lieutenant General Robin Hamilton commanding 4th Ranger Division began to push for a proper Ranger Command under Army Special Operations Command with support from Colonel Surgei Kuznetsov, commanding Army Special Warfare Command, and Deputy Commander of Army Special Operations, Brigadier General Eric Dier. This push met initial opposition from the Army Pathfinders, a Special Operations unit that was eventually folded into Army Special Forces, as well as the Operations Chief of Army Special Operations Command. Despite this, UNSC Ranger Command was eventually formed into existence on the 8th September, 2353 with 4 allocated Ranger Divisions and 12 Ranger Brigades between them.
The first test for Ranger Command was to incorporate the new Divisions into their roster, an expansion of 2 Divisions saw many experienced Rangers being transferred to train the new men. The new Divisions, the 7th and the 3rd, soon saw their initial combat with component formations being sent off on counter-piracy operations. Soon these Divisions gained a reputation for cutthroat treatment of enemy personnel, a famous incident taking place where 8 Rangers from 73rd Brigade executed 5 pirates in the streets whilst they were surrendering, an event that elicited a public outcry at the treatment of the prisoners. Despite this, the Army investigation found no one was found guilty of war crimes and the charged members continued in active service with one of them eventually becoming the 73rd's Brigade Sergeant Major.
===Rangers during the Insurrection===
The Insurrection presented new opportunities and challenges for the Army Rangers, once again entire worlds started to turn on the UNSC and the UNSC Army Rangers once again found themselves conducting their historic mission of raiding enemy forces. Army Ranger Battalions were deployed with modified Warthogs equipped with heavy machine guns and rocket launchers, they began raiding enemy bases and disrupting insurgent operations whilst awaiting for an organised Marine and Army response to the rebellions. The 81st Brigade became well known for their raiding units, it's 812th Battalion becoming the most decorated battalion unit in the history of the UNSC Army with over 800 individual battle streamers on their standard. 
During these times, the Rangers managed to push for even more expansion to their numbers and by the turn of the century, in 2500, the Rangers could be bolstered to 10 Divisions with 30 Ranger Brigades now being deployed to hundreds of worlds on counter-insurgency operations throughout the UNSC. These operations saw the Rangers conduct some of their most notable operations, one of the key ones being Operation: Inherent Defiance where 33rd Battalion were engaged in heavy fighting whilst defending Camp Rogae, an important UNSC Logistics hub on Paris IV, Charlie Company held off more than 12,000 Insurrectionists and took hundreds of casualties until they were relieved by 17th Armored Brigade, this battle became well known as the "Siege of Rogae" and cemented the 33rd Battalion into the halls of military fame, an impressive defence which saw a far outnumbered force being defeated by a much smaller Ranger force holding out against all odds with little support from any other units.
Whilst the Marines were focused on Operation: TREBUCHET, the Army was involved with Operation: HAMMER on the planet of Yureki. 3rd Ranger Brigade was supporting III Corps was deployed as the forward reconnaissance force for the Corps and deployed 2 months prior to collect information with the help of the Yurekian Defence Corps. 3rd Ranger Brigade undertook a number of sabotage and reconnaissance missions to prepare a mission brief and lay of the land for when III Corps arrived with it's heavy support and great numbers. However, ONI Agents were also undertaking assignments in the region, one of these was a false flag attack on a Yurekian Hospital in the capital of Ohu. This incensed the local government enough to declare a full secession from the UNSC. III Corps wouldn't be arriving for another month and with communications being cut off to the UNSC, the ONI team being wiped out during their false flag attack and the interplanetary radios being destroyed when the Yurekian soldiers with the 3rd Ranger Brigade attacked their headquarters, meant that the 3rd Ranger Brigade were stuck on world until reinforcements from III Corps would arrive with support from the Navy. During this period, 3rd Ranger Brigade was forced to make an impromptu alliance with the Yureki Liberation Force and fought an unconventional war against the Yurekian Defence Corps. During this period, 3rd Brigade destroyed 186 aircraft, 323 armored vehicles as well as killing 5,013 Yurekian soldiers and capturing 826 with help from the Yurekian Independence Force which included a regional governor, 3 generals and multiple senior officers. This month long unconventional war came to an end when III Corps arrived with the Sixth Fleet supporting them. III Corps then conducted an attack directly on the three major cities with it's divisions wiping out the Yureki Defence Corps who had been strung out in an attempt to defend multiple locations from 33rd Brigade. The 33rd's commander, Colonel Jake Solomon, was awarded the Colonial Cross with the Brigade receiving over 400 decorations for valor between it's nearly 3,000 members. 
===The Human-Covenant War===
The Human-Covenant War presented unique strategic issues for the UNSC Army Rangers, their entire ethos was based on raiding into enemy lines and disrupting their long term operations. Whilst during long campaigns such as Arcadia or Jericho VII they were able to conduct limited hit and run missions, the technology superiority of the Covenant and their indescriminate usage of glassing meant that soon the Rangers were being relegated to acting as elite infantry, holding the line as the UNSC became increasingly desperate for experienced manpower that special operations units were being pushed into line infantry roles due to the mounting casualties of the UNSC. Similarly, the opposite became true and Rangers soon found their flanks protected by reservist forces who were ill equipped and trained. This led to a number of Ranger Brigades becoming encircled as their flanks were rapidly overrun by Covenant forces. Ranger Brigades and Airborne Divisions received reputations for being the most surrounded units, even when they were not conducting airborne operations, as their tenacious defences refused to give up in the face of encirclement. Notable examples were the 4th Ranger Brigade on Arcadia which became encircled by Covenant forces in Dunwich after the 83rd and 5th Reserve Brigades became overrun by Covenant forces after only a few days fighting, the 4th Brigade held out for 8 days with no resupply and limited communications with the rest of the UNSC forces on Arcadia until they were finally overrun by increasingly large Covenant forces. 
The Ranger's abilities to conduct their deep penetration missions meant they were soon adopting missions usually assigned to Army Special Forces, mainly building up resistance forces within Covenant territory. Again, however, these were stymied by the Covenant's lack of willingness to seize territory as they were to simply just glassing it meaning that resistance forces were small and soon it was more of the case that Rangers were supporting insurrectionist forces behind Covenant lines than any organic resistance forces. Soon, an entire Ranger Brigade became dedicated to supporting insurrectionist forces who were helping the UNSC against the Covenant, this being the 12th Ranger Brigade, these operations were largely deemed a strategic burden as the resources needed to fund the insurrectionist movements was prohibitively expensive compared to other means of disrupting the Covenant with the insurrectionists having caused little damage in comparison to the regular UNSC forces. By the 2540s, the Rangers had largely pulled out of supporting insurrectionist forces and rerolled as elite infantry to bolster the UNSC's defenses against the Covenant. During this period, Ranger Command suffered from serious manpower shortages and soon massive cuts in training were being undertaken as entire Brigades were being loss in each campaign. By 2548, 7 Brigades were loss to Covenant forces with a further 4 undergoing serious reinforcement and refitting due to their losses sustained. These meant that even the Rangers were taking in reservist forces which massively decreased the combat capabilities of the Rangers.
Towards the end of the war, the UNSC Army Ranger Command was largely manned by conscripts and reservists with most of the regular Army personnel having been killed. However, despite their relative lack of experience personnel, the Ranger ethos remained and the drafted men of the Rangers remained as resolute as their regular and reservist companions. The Rangers were on the backfoot as the war went on, whilst some Ranger units still remained behind enemy lines with resistance forces, disrupting Covenant supplies and, in one notable incident of Halbek V, destroyed a Covenant base housing senior Covenant officers including a Marshal undergoing a meeting. This suicidal attack was conducted by 3rd Platoon, Dog Company, 42nd Ranger Battalion along with members of the Halbek V Resistance group that saw the group nearly utterly destroyed with only 18 survivors from the 132 who conducted the attack. Whilst the Airborne's elite infantry saw them thrive in this environment despite their lack of airborne capabilities, the Rangers suffered as the raiding operations they were designed for were not designed for combat against the Covenant and it wasn't until the 2550s that new doctrine and capabilities were drafted, greater usage of Gauss Warthogs and a focus on mounted combat to take advantage of their superior speed and not have to meet combat with the vastly superior Elites in close combat meant that towards the end of the war, some Ranger Brigades had returned to raiding enemy with their vastly improved equipment and tactics. This was best shown at Reach where the 81st Ranger Brigade undertook multiple raiding operations against the landed Covenant forces, disrupting their supplies and reinforcements which led to a more prolonged campaign. Despite this, the remains of the 4th Ranger Division who were stationed on Reach, were largely destroyed with only the 83rd Ranger Battalion from the 8th Ranger Brigade escaping during the evacuation of the planet. Over 8,000 Rangers were killed in combat during the Reach Campaign which included those who remained on world when the Covenant glassed it. The 24th Ranger Brigade was the only one stationed on Earth during the invasion and was tasked with supporting the UNSC Army's XX Armored Corps in it's defense. The Brigade performed admirably and notably held around the Sydney Bay area with it's commander, Colonel Sam Huginot, taking the Sydney Opera House as his Command Post. The 24th Ranger Brigade was the last unit to be in combat with the Covenant prior to the Schism and the end of the war with Army Rangers mopping up the last of the Covenant forces in Australia by December 2nd, 2552.
The UNSC Army Rangers took some of the highest casualty figures during the war, their highest numbers were in the early stages when their ineffective tactics that had been employed against human forces for hundreds of years proved unfruitful against the Covenant. Notably, many Ranger Brigades were deemed ineffective and have since been retired as numbered Brigades in memory of those who died. The UNSC Army Ranger Command took, in total, 38,927 killed in action with a further 48,917 considered seriously wounded and 12,817 lost in action. In the immediate aftermath, UNSC Army Ranger Command became preoccupied with refilling their ranks with new members and properly training their force which had since been filled with draftees and reservists meaning that Ranger Brigades were, overall far less capable than they had been in the beginning of the war.
===Post-Covenant War Campaigns===
Following the end of the war, the UNSC Army Ranger Command took quite a bloody beating during the war and ended up with a rather bloody nose the Rangers have taken large proportions of casualties with only 254 members of the pre-war Rangers remaining, all of whom were in command positions. A post-war census took that the UNSC Army Rangers consisted of 21% regulars, 61% reservists and 18% conscripts. When the war ended, most of the reservists and the conscripts were demobilised with over 70% of the UNSC Army Rangers being lost. This meant serious reductions in the UNSC Army Rangers with the wartime 14 Ranger Divisions being reduced to 6 and the 9 Independent Brigades being reduced to 2. Divisions also had their manpower reduced with 3 Brigades from the wartime number of 4. This caused much change as the Army Rangers had to be reintroduced to their pre-war special operations and raiding operations after spending decades as elite light infantry due to the massive casualties in the regular infantry and marines.
The post-war structure of the UNSC Army Rangers massively changed with end of the war with the Rangers being amongst the biggest proponents of brand new equipment. The UNSC Army Rangers were the first unit to start to fully replace their aged Warthogs which they had armored during the war and modified for better raiding performances. The Rangers worked to introduce the Euphrates Light Tactical Vehicle, a fully enclosed vehicle with a remote weapons system rather than the pre-war human mounted gunner used on the Warthog. Not only that but the Rangers were amongst the most avid introducers of advanced technologies. Rangers were amongst the first to introduce the Falconscan Drone System as well as brand new jammers built for working against Covenant systems which the UNSC had broken apart and worked to counter. The best example was the usage of the Mk V Jammer system, used by 12th Ranger Battalion during the Hurt Campaign against Jul 'Mdama's Covenaent forces. Major Starke, leading the 12th, successfully conducted a raiding attack on Covenant Headquarters positions with 2 of his companies by jamming Covenant communications and detection system to smash through Covenant picket defenses and caused the collapse of local Covenant forces with command and control collapsing and forces unable to properly respond to UNSC counter-attacks.
Not only had the Covenant remained as a threat but with the invasion of the Covenant, a few colonies had lost contact with the UNSC and a few had escaped the Covenant's grips. These planets were no longer of the desire to be within the UEG's space anymore and many began to revolt against UNSC forces that had been stationed on those worlds. Some of the worst became Talitsa, Irash and Lymo which all had large URF forces which soon rebelled a few years after the end of the war. The Irash and Lymo conflicts involved heavy deployment of the remaining Ranger forces. The 73rd Ranger Brigade, deployed to Irash, became well known for their brutality during the war. George Company, 733rd Ranger Battalion became notorious for their actions amongst UNSC forces on the planet. In 1 incident, the Company brutally slaughtered hundreds of URF separatists who had wished to surrendered after the company had come across UNSC Marines who had been tortured and killed. This prompted a court martial of the commander, Captain Willy Grant, however the case was soon pushed under the rug by the Army High Command who got the charges dropped. Willy Grant, however, was soon discharged with the political issue of his actions making his position untenable. 
By 2557, the UNSC Rangers had largely recovered from it's manpower issues of the end of the war. The remaining 6 Ranger Divisions became consistent of mostly regular forces, many Army soldiers having undertaken Ranger training due to the increase pay that UNSC Army Rangers received compared to the regular army. The UNSC Army Rangers leading into 2558 were, by far, the most advanced and well equipped light infantry force in the UNSC Army and were arguably more well equipped than the even more lightly equipped ODSTs. This helped foster the already well known rivalry between the "Dropped Kids" and the "Car fuckers" which became renowned in the UNSC. 
== Structure==
===Control===
Prior to the creation of Ranger Command, the UNSC did not have any large Ranger units. With the advent of the ODSTs, UNSC Army units were mostly rerolled as defensive units with only long term operations in mind. This meant that the standing of a large Ranger force was seemed surplus to requirement and the UNSC Ranger only maintained a pair of division sized Ranged units. These Divisions operated much like regular Army divisions until the 2272 Reform after the Chrissy Campaign which led to a new structure for Ranger Divisions which is kept to this day. 
Ranger Divisions are not traditional. Whilst the main combat fighting unit of the Division is the Brigade, UNSC Ranger Divisions primarily are an administrative unit and the Division commander exists primarily to train and supply his Ranger Brigades. The UNSC Ranger Brigade is the basic unit of the Ranger Divisions, each Brigade being assigned to a Corps unit on a temporary basis. Operational control remains with the Corps Group, this allows Corps Group to: 
* Organize and employ commands and forces
*Assign tasks
*Designate objectives
*Give authoritative direction necessary to complete a mission
Tactical control can be exercised by subordinate commanders to the UNSC Corps Groups, Corps and Divisional commanders are given full license for tactical control of Ranger Battalions attached to them, subordinate to that of the Ranger Brigade, Ranger Brigades are not organic to the Corps or Divisional structure but is instead held with the Corps Groups Special Tasks Group, a division sized element that includes the Ranger Brigades as well as additional signals and logistics capabilities. Tactical control has little difference from operational control except for the fact that Corps Commanders are not able to designate tasks for the Rangers.
Whilst operational and tactical control lays with the Corps Groups and Corps respectively, administrative control lays with the Ranger Division. Ranger Divisions are thus required to handle administrative matters but may not exercise control of Ranger units that are attached to Corps or Corps Groups , 
Some of these tasks are the following: 
* Control of equipment and resources
*Organization of combat service and support units
*Personnel management
*Unit logistics
*Individual and unit training
*Mobilization
*Discipline
===Capabilities and Tasks ===
The task of the UNSC Army Rangers is primarily to: provide special reconnaissance, raiding, unconventional operations, light infantry and close combat capabilities in support of UNSC Army Corps Groups, Corps, Divisions, Task Forces as required. These units are capable of performing forward reconnaissance in support of advance force operations (AFO), Corps Group operations, Corps operations and Divisional operations. UNSC Army Rangers use specialized insertion, patrolling, close combat, reporting, raiding, direct action, reconnaissance and extraction techniques in support of the Corps Groups.
The traditional Ranger role has been defined by their self sustaining capabilities, their extensive usage of Warthogs mean that the raiding and long range penetration missions have always been their forte. Rangers are well known for their incredible physical stamina and ability, their well known reputation as survivalists meaning many Rangers have prided themselves on being able to operate in harsh environments for months on end with little supplies with them and still produce the best results.
==Organization==
Ranger Divisions is the administrative organization tasked with ADCON of Ranger Brigades, Brigades are the basic deployable unit of the UNSC Ranger Command and consists of a Ranger Infantry Brigade as well as as it's combat service and support units. Traditionally, Ranger Brigades would be commanded by an O-6 Colonel however, during the Human-Covenant War, heavy officer casualties meant that O-5 Lieutenant Colonels and even O-4 Majors would be tasked with commanding the Brigades. 
===Ranger Brigade===
Ranger Brigades are the primary deployable and combat unit in the UNSC Ranger Command. Uniquely, the Army Rangers did not adopt the "Brigade Group" change in name that the rest of the Army adopted. Ranger Brigades are traditionally supported by Corps and Divisional Artillery during light infantry operations whilst also being able to receive support from Army Special Operations Aviation Command during special operations tasks. These are aimed to make Rangers into flexible units who can support units by providing regular infantry capabilities rather than just being tasked with special operations capabilities.
The Ranger Brigade is authorized 2,828 men with it being broken down into 274 Officers, 105 Senior Non-Commissioned Officers and 3,449 Enlisted. Ranger Brigades are typically organised as light infantry forces, being deployed by rotary and transport craft as well as light vehicles such as Warthogs. However, a few Ranger Brigades assigned to Armored Corps are also trained in using Mastodon Armoured Personnel Carriers. All Ranger Brigades are also airborne and orbital drop trained, although the latter is rarely employed on anything above the Company level.
The Ranger Brigade typically consists of: 1 Ranger reconnaissance company, 3 Ranger battalions, 1 Brigade combat service battalion, 1 Brigade combat support battalion and 1 Brigade Headquarters company
Ranger Battalion (x3) [RB] 
*Battalion headquarters company
*Ranger company (x3)
*Combat support company
Ranger Reconnaissance Company [RRC] 
*Company headquarters detachment
*Ranger Reconnaissance platoon (x2)
* Ranger ground surveillance platoon
Combat Support Battalion [CSB]
* Battalion headquarters company
*Military intelligence company
* Transportation company
*Interplanetary signals company
* Field maintenance company
*Medical company
*Pioneer company
===Ranger Battalion===
The Ranger Battalion is the basic maneuver unit of the Army Rangers and is designed to be a self contained unit capable of fighting for short periods of time without the need for supply and logistics units from the Brigade. This is achieved with an organic Combat Support Company which is a permanent fixture of the Ranger Battalion, unlike in Infantry Battalions which have a Combat Support Company made of assets from the Brigades' Combat Support Battalion which means the Battalions rely on the Brigade to supply them giving them less strategic flexibility. This is the same system employed by UNSC Army Airborne units. This means the Ranger Battalion and Company is a far more flexible unit than anything else that the UNSC Army has, other than the airborne, meaning they can be assigned tasks usually given to an organisation just above them and also permits them for long term operations within enemy lines without the need for support from the Brigade.
The Ranger Battalion is authorized 32 officers and 475 enlisted, consisting of:
Battalion Headquarters [RBHQ]
*This consists of: 
**Battalion Command Section, consisting of 5 men including the Battalion CO, their XO and the Battalion Sergeant Major as well as 2 Signallers.
**Headquarters Section, consisting of 12 men including the the company clerks, intelligence personnel and a 4 man sniper team.
**Staff Sections, consisting of 10 men including the Battalion Staff Officers such as the Battalion Operations, Personnel, Administration and Intelligence officers as well as their supporting NCOs such as the Intelligence and Operations Sergeant.
**Communication Section, consisting of 15 men and holding the Battalion's long range radio equipment, they are kept close to the Command Section and also have the control of the Battalion's 2 Jammers as well as the Battalion Radar system.
**UNSC Air Force Tactical Air Control Party, consisting of 5 men, these are sourced from the UNSC Air Force and are lead by a Technical Sergeant. They are tasked with coordinating strikes from aircraft of the UNSC Air Force as well as the UNSC Navy.
**Battalion Fire Support Team, consisting of 10 men broken down into 3 Fire Support Sections consisting of 3 men led by a Sergeant. This team is led by a Captain from a Field Artillery Regiment and are tasked with coordinating fires from artillery of the UNSC Army and Marines. Typically 1 Fire Support Section is assigned to a Ranger Company.
Ranger Company (x3) [RC] 
*This consists of: 
**Company Headquarters, consisting of 9 men including the Company CO, their XO and the First Sergeant. It also consists of 2 signallers as well as a Company Senior Medic and 3 supply specialists. The Section is allocated 1 Warthog Scout and 2 Mongooses.
**3 Rifle platoons, consisting of 29 men broken down into 3 squads of 9 men as well as the Platoon Leader and Sergeant. The Rifle platoons are only equipped with small arms such as rifles and light machine guns, however each squad is allocated a M57 Pilum anti-tank weapon as well as 3 disposable light anti-tank Weapons. A single combat medic is assigned to each squad. Each Platoon is allocated 3 Warthog Light Recon Vehicles armed with the M41 Light AA Weapon and, 4 Warthog Scout vehicles.
**Weapons Platoon, consisting of the Company's heavy anti-tank weaponry, heavy machine guns and mortars, the Platoon consists of a 9 man Anti-Tank section made of 4 M41 SPNKR Teams, a 9 Machine Gun section made up of 4 M247 GPMGs with tripod mounts as well as a 11 man, 3 tube 60mm Mortar team. The platoon is allocated 5 Warthog Scout Vehicles and a Mongoose.
Combat Support Company [CSC] 
* This consists of: 
**Company Headquarters, consisting of 11 men including the Company CO, their XO and the First Sergeant. It also consists of 4 Clerks, 3 Supply Specialists and a Signaller.
**Supply and Transportation Platoon, consisting of 24 as well as 4 Warthogs and 10 Mongooses and broken down into a Supply section and a Transportation section. The Supply Section monitors and handles the Battalion's supplies whilst the Transportation uses mobile Warthog and Mongoose transports rather than trucks of the regular infantry to transport supplies and have an organic vehicle component in the Battalion.
**Field Maintenance Platoon, consisting of 23 men broken down into 2 Maintenance Sections. They have the task of repairing the Battalion's vehicles as well as maintaining the Battalion's miscellaneous equipment such as extra helmets, bipods and sights.
** Electrical Systems Maintenance Platoon, consisting of 17 men similarly broken down into 2 Sections. They have the task of repairing and maintaining the Battalion's advanced electronics such as radars, helmet systems, computers and the Battalion's electronic warfare equipment.
===Combat Formations===
Unit 	Current commander 	Location of headquarters 	Subordinate to
1st Ranger Division 	BG Ana Gaiman 	Camp Kuzerov, Russia 	UNSC Army Sol
2nd Ranger Division 	BG Korra Wilde 	Joint Base Lucius C. Mannus, Cascade	UNSC Army Outer Colonies
3rd Ranger Division 	BG Kaila Rendon 	Joint Base Malarkey, Desdoron 	UNSC Army Outer Colonies
7th Ranger Division 	BG Kane Stein 	Camp David, Beta Gabriel 	UNSC Army Inner Colonies
11th Ranger Division	BG Jake Solomon 	Fort Burke, Mars 	UNSC Army Sol
26th Ranger Division	BG Christian Pariska 	Fort Frost, Capella 	UNSC Army Inner Colonies
81st Ranger Brigade 	COL Mireille Rochefort	Fort Yoro, Shield World 0183 	UNSC Army Installations
Brigade 	Current commander 	Location of headquarters 	Subordinate to
11th Ranger Brigade 	COL Asami Hayasaki 	Camp Kuzerov, Russia 	1st Ranger Division
12th Ranger Brigade 	COL Guang Xi Peng 	
Air Force Base Liuk, Mars 	1st Ranger Division
13th Ranger Brigade 	COL Matt Stryker 	Lavarack Barracks, Commonwealth of Australia	1st Ranger Division
21st Ranger Brigade 	COL Snow Speke 	Joint Base Lucius C. Mannus, Cascade 	2nd Ranger Division
22nd Ranger Brigade 	COL Jon Shudra 	Joint Base Takeda, Concord 	2nd Ranger Division
23rd Ranger Brigade 	COL Scarlet Moon 	Fort Yun, Chi Ceti IV 	2nd Ranger Division
31st Ranger Brigade 	COL Merlynn Churchill 	Joint Base Malarkey, Desdoron 	3rd Ranger Division
32nd Ranger Brigade 	COL Cassandra Whitmore	Joint Base Norrbotten, Draco III 	3rd Ranger Division
33rd Ranger Brigade 	COL Lucille Riggins 	Fort Bluestone, Lagodan 	3rd Ranger Division
71st Ranger Brigade 	COL Haiqa Parsa 	Camp David, Beta Gabriel 	7th Ranger Division
72nd Ranger Brigade 	COL Zhou Jieqiong 	Joint Training Field Howe, Sigma Octanus IV 	7th Ranger Division
73rd Ranger Brigade 	COL Lienna Bjorklund 	Fort Un, Cut 	7th Ranger Division
111th Ranger Brigade 	COL Adam Damico 	Fort Burke, Mars 	11th Ranger Division
112th Ranger Brigade 	COL Liliana O'Rourke 	Fort William, India 	11th Ranger Division
113th Ranger Brigade 	COL Nico Rymer 	Samandıra Army Air Base, Turkey 	11th Ranger Division
261st Ranger Brigade 	COL Charlie Ambrose 	Fort Frost, Capella 	26th Ranger Division
262nd Ranger Brigade 	COL Jay Amber 	Joint Base Krel, Demetri 	26th Ranger Division
263rd Ranger Brigade 	COL William McKenny 	Joint Base Keel, Oban 	26th Ranger Division
1st Battalion, 81st Rangers	LTCOL Abdul Sharif 	Fort Yoro, Shield World 0183 	81st Ranger Brigade
2nd Battalion, 81st Rangers	LTCOL Zarya Kalinski 	Camp Hull, Shield World 0183 	81st Ranger Brigade
3rd Battalion, 81st Rangers	LTCOL Joseph Palmer 	Camp McKenny, Shield World 5341 	81st Ranger Brigade
==Equipment==
Weapon 	Image	Type
MA37K Carbine 	 	Carbine
MA37 ICWS 	 	Assault Rifle
MA6-E MCR 	 	Assault Rifle
VK78 Commando Rifle 	 	Assault Rifle
M7/S SMG 	 	Submachine Gun
M45D Tactical Shotgun	 	Shotgun
M120 SAW 	 	Light Machine Gun
M247 GPMG 	 	General Purpose Light Machine Gun
M395 DMR 	 	Designated Marksman Rifle
BR85 DMR 	 	Designated Marksman Rifle
SRS99-S7 AM 	 	Anti-Material Rifle
SRS99-S5 AM 	 	Anti-Material Rifle
M6C/SOCOM 	 	Handgun
M6HA2 	 	Handgun
M41 SPNKR 	 	Multi Purpose Weapons Systems
M57 Pilum 	 	Anti-Tank Weapon
M87 LAW 	 	Disposable Light Anti-Tank Weapon
M82 Mortar 	 	Light Mortar
==Gallery==
File:Ranger Drop Training.jpg|2nd Platoon, How Company, 13th Battalion, 1st Ranger Brigade conducting a orbital drop training exercise.
File:Ranger VR Training.jpg|Rangers from 42nd Battlion, 4th Ranger Brigade undertaking virtual training at Fort So-Chuk in Incheon, Unified Korea. 
File:Ranger VR LZ.jpg|Rangers from 63rd Battalion, 6th Ranger Brigade practicing their all-round defense at their landing zone.
File:Armored Rangers.jpg|Platoon from 71st Ranger (Armored) Battalion attacking URF positions with Bison IFVs.
File:Ranger Ambush.png|Ambush conducted by 92/9 Rangers in 2538 against a Covenant column.
File:Rangers Breaching.jpg|Team from 72/7 Rangers preparing to breach into a room to take out a HVT during the Insurrectionist conflict in 2503.