Operation Eagle Claw / Desert One: The Iranian Crisis
The frustrating pattern of activating then deactivating Ranger units after the current crisis had past came to a halt in 1973. Army Chief of Staff General Abrams called for the establishment of a permanent Ranger presence in the Army - the 1st Ranger Battalion was activated on February 8, 1974 at Fort Stewart, Georgia after originally forming at Fort Benning. The 2nd Ranger Battalion would be formed on October 1, 1974. The 1st Battalion would establish headquarters at Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia, while 2nd Battalion would settle at Fort Lewis, Washington.

According to a letter, Secretary of the Army Howard H. Callaway to General Creighton W. Abrams, Chief of Staff, 22 August 1974: Tells Abrams (who is hospitalized with what turns out to be a terminal illness, leading to his death on 4 September) that he had just participated in the activation ceremony for the 1st Battalion (Ranger), 75th Infantry at Fort Stewart. "I just want to tell you that, in my judgment, the Rangers are everything that you had hoped they would be. I've never seen a unit that looked better or one which had a higher sense of mission, professionalism, and pride than this battalion of Rangers. I had an opportunity to talk individually to a great many of the soldiers. Every one of them believes that the Ranger battalion is the greatest thing that's ever happened in the Army."

According to a General Walter T. Kerwin, Jr. MFR on General William E. DePuy's report of "a long informal talk with CSA" [the Chief of Staff of the Army, General Creighton W. Abrams]: "The Ranger Battalion(s) should be the best Infantry battalions in the world. They should be so good it is apparent to everybody--friend and foe." He [General Abrams] envisions a Ranger battalion doing Son Tay, Dieppe, or San Nazaire, i.e., go in fast without all the trappings of the 82d Division and TAC." "CSA sees this as an example of his 'philosophy of excellence.' It would show others how to get excellence in combat units." Date of MFR unknown (forwarded in email from General Downing, 11 Feb 02).

The ill-fated attempt to rescue the American Embassy personnel held hostage in Teheran, Iran, code-named Desert One, was primarily a Special Forces Operation. It is not generally known that Rangers were also to take part. While 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment Delta was to perform the actual rescue, Company C, 1st Battalion, 75th Infantry Regiment (Ranger), was to provide security for the men and equipment. The Rangers knew the mission as "Operation Eagle Claw".

The rescue force assembled in Egypt on 21 April 1980. Three days later, a fleet of C-141s carried the 120 man force to Masirah Island, off the coast of Oman, where they transferred to three MC-130s accompanied by three fuel bearing EC-130s. They landed 200 miles southeast of Teheran at 2200 hours and waited for the arrival of eight RH-53D Sea Stallion helicopters from the aircraft carrier Nimitz. A twelve man road watch team, composed primarily of Rangers, was along to secure the site while the helicopters refueled. the team would return to Egypt on one of the MC-130s.

Delta was to be flown to a hide site before dawn on 25 April by the RH-53Ds, which would remain at their own hide site until the assault on the compound where the hostages were held. The plan was to use the helicopters to ferry the hostages to waiting transport.

The task of C 1/75, was to secure a landing area for the transports. The Rangers were to fly from Egypt to Manazariyeh, Iran, and take the airfield there. They would land, if possible, or jump if resistance was offered. Once the airfield, which was thirty-five miles south of Teheran, was secure, the Rangers would hold it while C-141s arrived to airlift the hostages and their rescuers back to Egypt. The Rangers would then "dry up," or remove all signs of their presence, render the field useless, and be airlifted out themselves.

Taking and securing a hostile airfield within enemy territory is one of the primary components of the Ranger mission. They were prepared to hold the field as long as necessary if there were not enough transports to take everyone out in one trip. During training, the Rangers worked out all probable scenarios on a mock-up of the type of airfield in Iran.

Desert One was aborted at the first stage when the mission suffered excessive mechanical problems and lost too many helicopters to continue the mission. After the abort order, one of the RH-53D choppers crashed into a C130, creating a huge fireball. Five Air Force crewmen and three Marines perished. A second mission was never attempted.