At Camp Frank D. Merrill, nestled in the rugged terrain of Northern Georgia, the U.S. Army's 5th Ranger Training Battalion, Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade, leads the mountain phase of the U.S. Army Ranger Course. This three-week segment forms one of three distinct phases in the nine-week U.S. Army Ranger Course, a program designed to produce the Army's most adaptable and lethal small-unit leaders.
The mountain
The core mission at 5th RTB is to impart the fundamental skills of military mountaineering. The mountain phase comprises four stages: lower mountaineering, upper mountaineering, mountain techniques, and tactical operations. Students master mountain navigation, execute day and night rappels, construct rope bridges, and conduct combat missions across tough terrain. This intensive training hones their fighting and leadership abilities in a demanding setting.
Sgt. 1st Class Michael Whalen, the mountaineering non-commissioned officer in charge at 5th RTB, explains the need for this type of training best, “Rangers in particular are expected to be able to traverse and fight in any kind of terrain across the world.” Whalen’s responsibilities include managing the vast array of equipment—from ropes to specialized hardware—and maintaining the "lowers" area, a key training site.
Learning the mountain
Alongside Whalen, Staff Sgt. Austin Moore, who has served over five years at 5th RTB, plays a key role in the direct instruction of these critical skills.
Students spend their initial four days immersed in these basics, receiving what Moore describes as their “basic sets to identify how to traverse different classes of terrain and how to navigate obstacles.” This includes challenging features like the water source in the immediate training area and the more complex level class four and five terrain found in the surrounding mountains.
Following this foundational instruction, students transition to a challenging 10-day Field Training Exercise. During the FTX, they apply their newly acquired mountaineering skills in a series of simulated combat operations, integrating them into complex tactical scenarios. A significant challenge, for example, is crossing substantial water sources like the approximately 80-foot-wide Toccoa River. Students must identify the best method with their platoon, such as establishing a two-rope bridge, and ensure “all their equipment is retrievable so they can get themselves and all their equipment across,” Moore explains. He notes that a common initial struggle for students is “just the basic understanding how to actually navigate it,” as it’s often their first day of putting newly learned skills to use, he said.
The importance of this training is underscored by the global nature of future conflict. As Whalen and Moore explained, “this training is vital, because it equips Rangers with the ability to “come up with solutions to complex problems” faced when navigating obstacles in any part of the world, whether evacuating casualties or moving an entire element across challenging terrain.
According to Whalen, “given that a significant portion of the Earth’s surface is mountainous, the ability to operate effectively in such environments can mean the difference between success and failure in real-world operations in the future.” The training ensures Rangers possess the foundational knowledge to navigate and dominate diverse operational landscapes.
Climbing the mountain
“The hardest thing for [students] is probably just the volume of information,” Whalen said.
What might be taught over several weeks in other military mountaineering programs is condensed into just four days in the mountain phase of the Ranger Course. Physically, the most demanding event is often considered the march up Yonah, where Ranger students, with 85–90-pound rucksacks, must ascend Yonah Mountain in approximately 45 minutes, followed by two more days of advanced mountaineering, including lead climbing, sport climbing, and rappelling.
Beyond mountaineering, Camp Merrill is a hub of comprehensive training. It supports extensive aviation operations, coordinating with various Army National Guard units and Air Force fixed-wing assets from across the eastern United States. These operations include air assault missions, where students are transported by helicopter for tactical insertions, and extensive casualty evacuation training, using aircraft to practice evacuating casualties from challenging mountain environments.
The Ranger Course draws a diverse pool of candidates from across the U.S. Army, sister services, and beyond, including young officers beginning their careers, Soldiers from the 75th Ranger Regiment, and individuals from various military occupational specialties stationed globally. Regardless of their background, all come to the mountain phase to build essential combat leadership. As Whalen emphasizes, while technical skills are taught, the Ranger Course is “first and foremost a combat leadership school,” dedicated to developing “the future leaders of America's Army.”
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