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ROTC Ranger beret flash.


Mike34charlie
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Mike34charlie

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TIOH only has a JROTC beret flash. Every site advertises this as a senior ROTC Ranger beret flash. Do any universities or colleges authorize their Ranger qualified cadets to wear this item? Please provide image in use, I can not find any.

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militariaone

Greetings,

 

We had several small boxes of these (as posted) unused flashes in our supply room when I served as an ROTC instructor (1999-2000). Having served both in the 75th REGT and RGR TNG BDE, I was intrigued by these and asked our civilian supply representative, “what are these for?” He explained they had been used in previous years as team flashes for the organization’s Ranger Challenge Team’s participating Cadets.

 

The issue with not seeing them in use, is simply very few ROTC detachments bothered with using the beret’s flashes as the Ranger Challenge uniform tabs were an adequate enough heraldry item. As the Ranger Challenge teams wore soft caps not berets at any time in their training/competition, there was no real use for a distinctive beret flash for them (the soft cap fit that bill). The posted beret’s flash indicated the individual was a member of the current year’s Ranger Challenge team and not that the individual was U.S. Army Ranger School qualified.

 

My best guess is before the Army mass adopted the Black Beret, some ROTC detachments issued their Cadets Black Berets for Ranger Challenge team activities, but once everyone possessed a black beret… utilizing the Ranger Challenge beret flash fell out of favor, for the soft cap. Additionally, if you have a smaller ROTC detachment, it is simpler for uniformity purposes to keep the entire Cadet Corp’s beret flashes the same (i.e. for color guards and other high visibility activities). Hope this helps, for obvious reasons I have no photos of the flash in use.

 

RLTW!

 

Lance

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Mike34charlie

I figured it was the Ranger Challenge teams. Good looking out, thanks for the info. RLTW!

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VolunteerArmoury

TIOH did have info of this flash on their website at one point. The link I had for it isn't functional any longer. I had it printed out at one point but doubt I could find it. When I was in ROTC in the 90s it was a Ranger Challenge team flash however I also saw some who went through jump school wear it on maroon berets. Do not know if it was individually chosen to wear like that or if authorized locally by cadre or such or what.

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  • 2 months later...
  • 5 years later...

Hi.  I went through Army ROTC at San Jose State University from 1982 to 1986.  One of the first cadet activities I signed up for was the cadet Ranger program. It was six weeks long, first two weeks was the tough phase- PT at 0 dark thirty, learning some basics like using a CEOI, PRC 77 radio, assembly disassembly of the M16, patrolling techniques, hand and arm signals, etc. All this was completed between 0450 and 700 during the first two weeks,Monday through Friday. Then we went to our college classes. After the first two weeks, we then went to Fort Ord for a weekend of "instructor led" patrols.  We then returned to campus where went into the patrolling phase, patrolling in local parks (with San Jose Police permission) twice a week, 0500 to 0700, and then back to Fort Ord for three days of evaluated patrols. This exercises even included air assault missions. We used blanks and MILES gear. After that, we had a written and hands-on exam, and then a board. If we were successful, we would be presented a black beret with a yellow and green flash and we wore the SJSU ROTC Spartan crest on the flash, along with a blue and gold Ranger tab to be worn on the uniform.  It was very popular but as someone said above, this sort of thing may have fallen out of favor with everyone wearing a beret now and with the addition of Ranger Challenge. This cadet training I received did help me later on at the Infantry Officer Basic Course and  the real Ranger school at Fort Benning where I earned my tab.  I went on to serve 28 years as an infantry officer.  I still have that black beret from my cadet days. I have attached a picture. Rangers Lead the Way!

sjsu beret.png

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easterneagle87
On 7/12/2020 at 9:16 AM, garayg said:

Hi.  I went through Army ROTC at San Jose State University from 1982 to 1986.  One of the first cadet activities I signed up for was the cadet Ranger program. It was six weeks long, first two weeks was the tough phase- PT at 0 dark thirty, learning some basics like using a CEOI, PRC 77 radio, assembly disassembly of the M16, patrolling techniques, hand and arm signals, etc. All this was completed between 0450 and 700 during the first two weeks,Monday through Friday. Then we went to our college classes. After the first two weeks, we then went to Fort Ord for a weekend of "instructor led" patrols.  We then returned to campus where went into the patrolling phase, patrolling in local parks (with San Jose Police permission) twice a week, 0500 to 0700, and then back to Fort Ord for three days of evaluated patrols. This exercises even included air assault missions. We used blanks and MILES gear. After that, we had a written and hands-on exam, and then a board. If we were successful, we would be presented a black beret with a yellow and green flash and we wore the SJSU ROTC Spartan crest on the flash, along with a blue and gold Ranger tab to be worn on the uniform.  It was very popular but as someone said above, this sort of thing may have fallen out of favor with everyone wearing a beret now and with the addition of Ranger Challenge. This cadet training I received did help me later on at the Infantry Officer Basic Course and  the real Ranger school at Fort Benning where I earned my tab.  I went on to serve 28 years as an infantry officer.  I still have that black beret from my cadet days. I have attached a picture. Rangers Lead the Way!

sjsu beret.png

 

That is pretty amazing. The fact that your Ranger Challenge program was that intense shows credit to SJ St U. I did Ranger Challenge at Eastern Wash U, but it was a small contingent. We were given black berets to set us apart from the other cadets. We didn't even have flashes at the time. A couple years later they acquired (not through official sources) a red/white flash (school colors). My "Ranger" tab was red/white as well. After my first year they got the black/yellow Ranger Challenge tab, but I wasn't on the team any more.   

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Thanks for posting. So much of this history is lost. San Jose St. lost it's ROTC program in 1995, and now only has a satellite program that is connected to the Bronco Battalion at Santa Clara. The Spartan Battalion is long gone. And with it, all that ROTC Ranger history. We didn't have Ranger Challenge until I was a junior. Up until then, we wore a blue and gold Ranger tab over our school patch which was worn on the right side. We used to get  picked on by the active duty cadre about having been in the battle of San Jose since we wore that where one would wear their combat patch.  The Ranger program had been started by an SF captain who had been an Armor officer, so I think that's why we used the flash we had- I think it was the 73rd Armor flash. But we put the Spartan crest on it. And back then, the officers wore the DUI, no cadet rank on the flash. If I can find my stuff I will take a photo and post. Thanks again for sharing your memories, cool stuff from another time. 

 

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On 7/12/2020 at 9:16 AM, garayg said:

Hi.  I went through Army ROTC at San Jose State University from 1982 to 1986.  One of the first cadet activities I signed up for was the cadet Ranger program. It was six weeks long, first two weeks was the tough phase- PT at 0 dark thirty, learning some basics like using a CEOI, PRC 77 radio, assembly disassembly of the M16, patrolling techniques, hand and arm signals, etc. All this was completed between 0450 and 700 during the first two weeks,Monday through Friday. Then we went to our college classes. After the first two weeks, we then went to Fort Ord for a weekend of "instructor led" patrols.  We then returned to campus where went into the patrolling phase, patrolling in local parks (with San Jose Police permission) twice a week, 0500 to 0700, and then back to Fort Ord for three days of evaluated patrols. This exercises even included air assault missions. We used blanks and MILES gear. After that, we had a written and hands-on exam, and then a board. If we were successful, we would be presented a black beret with a yellow and green flash and we wore the SJSU ROTC Spartan crest on the flash, along with a blue and gold Ranger tab to be worn on the uniform.  It was very popular but as someone said above, this sort of thing may have fallen out of favor with everyone wearing a beret now and with the addition of Ranger Challenge. This cadet training I received did help me later on at the Infantry Officer Basic Course and  the real Ranger school at Fort Benning where I earned my tab.  I went on to serve 28 years as an infantry officer.  I still have that black beret from my cadet days. I have attached a picture. Rangers Lead the Way!

sjsu beret.png

Do you recall if the Flashes the school used were locally produced or did they make use of the 4th BN (LT)(ABN) 68th Armor flahse?

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We received them with the flash already on them so I don't know where they came from.  All we added was the Spartan crest. In those days, even the officers wore the crest- so we did not put cadet officer rank on the flash. My senior year I was Cadet/Captain and company commander of the Rangers at SJSU.  I didn't find out until later that it was an armor flash. Another school nearby, Sacramento State I believe, used a totally different flash. I don't think there was any standardization then. Hope this helps. I am in contact with one of our old ROTC instructors, a retired MP and he was the primary advisor when I went through. I'll contact him and ask. He might know more. 

 

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  • 3 years later...
Goosenheimer

Great thread.  As a member of the AROTC Ranger Company at the University of Wyoming, I wore this locally made gold metallic thread on brown wool flash for a year or two in 1986-1987.  It was replaced by the fully embroidered, standardized, black and gold flash at the same time the SSI changed from the red, white and blue school house to the black and gold “LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE” SSI.

IMG_1138.jpeg

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