SERVICE BRIEF

    Specialist James A. Butcher recently graduated in class 06-08 from the U.S. Army Ranger School at Ft. Benning, Georgia. The Airborne Rangers are an elite, special operations force of the U.S. Army Infantry. Butcher completed the nine-week school, which includes three 21 day phases held under severe mental and physical stress. Phase I is a course in the forests of southwestern Georgia that includes indoctrination, intense physical training and squad combat. Phase II takes place in the mountains of northern Georgia where candidates learn the ropes of upper and lower mountaineering, mountain techniques and tactical operations. Phase III is conducted in Florida. Called the swamp phase, training here focuses on leadership and survival.
    Ranger graduation is highly dependent upon the soldier’s performance on graded positions of leadership. Only about 50 percent of those entering Ranger School complete the course and only about 20 percent complete the training on their first attempt. Butcher entered the class on May 3, 2008 and graduated on July 3, 2008. Butcher earned the right to wear the coveted Ranger Tab on his left shoulder above his company designation for the entirety of his military career.
Butcher is the son of Grant and Margaret Butcher of Dodge City and is a 2006 graduate of Dodge City High School. He currently serves in the Old Guard of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, Ft. Myer, Virginia. He and his wife, Kimberly, reside in Alexandria, Va.