RVNHS VIRTUAL MUSEUM: Insignia of the ARVN Rangers

Insignia of the ARVN Rangers

The Republic of Vietnam Rangers ( Biệt Ðộng Quân ) were one of the most predominant and well respected formations of the South Vietnamese military. Initially operating in the late 1950s/early 1960s as company level quick-action units, they were later reorganized into battalions and later groups and task forces under the control of each of the four military regions (corps) in the Republic of Vietnam. Rangers were involved in every major engagment in South Vietnam, and photographs of Rangers defending Saigon during the Tet Offensive have remained among the most iconic images of the Vietnam War. In the 1970s, following the "Vietnamization" campaign of the conflict, the Ranger formations were expanded in newly formed units comprised of former members of the Civilian Irregular Defense Group and various Popular Force/Regional Force units, and other local militias. Many of these new units were regarded as "Border Rangers", being situated mainly in the border regions, and typically did have the same training, equipment, or size as the traditional Ranger units.

The evolution of the Ranger branch over time consisting of the establishment, expansion, dissolution, and reassignment of different units resulted in the creation of a variety of different insignia. The items shown on this page are all original pieces and are held in the collection of the Republic of Vietnam Historical society. They do not show a complete overview, but rather a fraction of the insignia established. The items below are organized into six sections. Pocket insignia refers to items usually placed on the right or left pocket, badges refer to headgear and chest insignia, sleeve insignia was worn on the upper sleeve (the right usually displaying the military region designation), scrolls were worn above the sleeve insignia on the left sleeve, shoulder slides were worn on the epaulette, and sleeve tabs were worn either attached to the sleeve insignia or on their own. The wearing of insignia was not standardized throughout the Ranger branch, and different units/individuals displayed variations of wear. Photos of Rangers with a simple general sleeve insignia with no unit designation are prevalent as well as troops wearing pocket insignia and nothing else. Unit affiliations also changed over time with one battalion being reassigned between different Ranger groups. The colored tabs originally denoted which military region the unit was attached to. Green signified the first military region (I Corps), Red-II Corps, Maroon-III Corps, and Yellow-IV Corps. In 1973 the Ranger branch was reorganized as a general mobile assault force able to be inserted anywhere in the country, and a new universal Blue tab was adopted for all units to signify this change.

Most of the identifications below were made by Cecil B. Smyth in the 1970s, whose publications covering the insignia of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Vietnam remain the most profound cataloging of the subject.

Pocket Insignia

<> Ranger Pocket Patch

Ranger Pocket Patch Variant

Ranger Company (Early)w/Scroll

Ranger Commando Company

Ranger Pocket Patch Variant

Ranger Reconnaissance

Ranger Reconnaissance Force

2nd Corps 23rd Sector Artillery (Ranger/BDQ)

2nd Corps Intelligence

2nd Corps Ranger

2nd Corps Reconnaissance

3rd Corps Reconnaissance

3rd Corps Reconnaissance Variant

3rd Corps 3rd Sector

3rd Corps Recondo

3rd Corps Reconnaissance

3rd Corps Reconnaissance Variant

11th Battalion

21st Battalion

23rd Battalion Reconnaissance

33rd Battalion

33rd Battalion Variant

41st Battalion

44th Battalion

52nd Battalion

71st Battalion

74th Battalion

91st Battalion (Airborne Ranger)

92nd Battalion

Badges

Ranger Beret Flash (Bullion)

Ranger Beret Flash (Handmade)

Ranger Beret Flash (Metal)

Reconnaissance Qualification Badge

Ranger Branch Insignia

Ranger Qualification (Subdued)

Ranger Qualification Badge

Sleeve Insignia

Ranger School

Uncut Silk

Silk, Removed from Uniform

Handmade variant

Colored Variant

3rd Corps Headquarters

3rd Corps Command and Service

31st Group Artillery

3rd Corps Signals

32nd Group Administration

33rd Group Administration

33rd Group Artillery

32nd Group 30th Battalion

31st Battalion

32nd Battalion

32nd Group 33th Battalion

33rd Group 33rd Battalion

33rd Battalion

33rd Battalion Variant

6th Group 34th Battalion

3rd Group 36th Battalion (Subdued)

31st Group 36th Battalion

31st Group 36th Battalion (Subdued)

5th Group 38th Battalion

4th Group 42nd Battalion

4th Group 43rd Battalion

4th Group 44th Battalion

33rd Group 64th Battalion

64th Battalion

33rd Group 83rd Battalion

33rd Group 92nd Battalion

92nd Battalion

95th Battalion

Sleeve Scrolls

Biet Dong Quan (Ranger)

Biet Dong Quan (Ranger) Variant

English Text "Ranger"

AnLoc Battle Award

Binh Long Battle Award

2nd Corps Reconnaissance

3rd Corps Reconnaissance Force

3rd Corps Reconnaissance

3rd Corps "Lightning"/Reconnaissance

7th Group Reconnaissance

31st Group Reconnaissance

33rd Group Reconnaissance

33rd Group Reconnaissance Variant

33rd Battalion

3rd Corps 52nd Battalion

Ranger Border Defense

Ranger Border Defense Variant

Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol

Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol Variant

Shoulder Slides

7th Group 58th Battalion

7th Group 85th Battalion

7th Group Headquarters

7th Group 32nd Battalion

4th Group 42nd Battalion

4th Group 44th Battalion

Sleeve Insignia Tabs

RED: II Corps

21st Group Administration

21st Group 96th Battalion

22nd Group 11th Battalion

22nd Group 69th Battalion

22nd Group 76th Battalion

23rd Group Administration

23rd Group 23rd Battalion

24th Group 82nd Battalion

25th Group 67th Battalion

25th Group 76th Battalion

67th Battalion

76th Battalion

81st Battalion

MAROON: III Corps

3rd Corps Support and Transportation

2nd Group 32nd Battalion

6th Group Command and Service

5th Group 33rd Battalion

5th Group 34th Battalion

5th Group Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol

6th Group 34th Battalion

6th Group 35th battalion

6th Group 35th Battalion Variant

6th Group 51st Battalion

6th Group 54th Battalion

6th Group 83rd Battalion

30th Group

31st Group Administration

31st Group 52nd Battalion

33rd Group 29th Battalion

32nd Group 33rd Battalion

33rd Group Administration

33rd Group Administrative Company

33rd Group 92nd Battalion

65th Battalion

YELLOW: IV Corps

7th Group 32nd Battalion

7th Group 85th Battalion

BLUE: Ranger units in all regions, post-1972/3.

4th Group Artillery

4th Group

4th Group 43rd Battalion

4th Group 44th Battalion

4th Group Administration

4th Group AntiTank Battery

6th Group

6th Group Variant

6th Group Administration

6th Group 34th Battalion

6th Group 35th Battalion

6th Group 51st Battalion

7th Group

7th Group Administration

7th Group 32nd Battalion

7th Group 85th Battalion

7th Group AntiTank Battery

7th Group RADAR

8th Group

8th Group 84th Battalion

8th Group 87th Battalion

31st Group

31st Group Administration

32nd Group

33rd Group

33rd Group Administration

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