Gen. John Abizaid, who commanded the lead Ranger company in the opening stages of operations in Grenada in 1983, and Gen. Stanley McChrystal, who moved through the 75th Ranger Regiment's leadership ranks to become the unit's 10th commander, were enshrined along with other honorees including Medal of Honor recipients and veterans of conflicts dating back to World War II.

Inductees must be out of uniform for at least three years to be eligible, and must have served in a Ranger unit in combat or have graduated from Ranger school, according to the Hall of Fame's website.

Background on the Class of 2015, including biographical information provided by the Hall of Fame:

  • Abizaid went on to lead U.S. Central Command from July 2003 to March 2007. Previous assignments included command of 1st Infantry Division, which he led during action in Kosovo.
  • Lt. Gen. Steven Arnold earned two Silver Star medals in a three-month span in Vietnam in 1967, where he made two tours with airborne infantry regiments. He would later command 10th Mountain Division and Third Army/U.S. Army Central, retiring in 1997.
  • Maj. Robert Bischoff also earned two Silver Stars, his second coming in 1968 while a captain with A Company, 4th Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division. Bischoff had four tours of duty with Ranger Training Command and performed on the "Rangers in Action" demonstration team for President Kennedy in 1961.
  • Command Sgt. Maj. Jimmy Broyles served in Vietnam with multiple airborne Ranger units, then left active duty to pursue a career in law enforcement before joining the Texas Army National Guard. He deployed to the Balkans as CSM of a Guard unit before retiring at age 60 in 2011 with 30 years of combined service.
  • Col. Skip Chittenden earned four Bronze Star Medals for combat action in Vietnam, part of a 29-year career in uniform. Chittenden graduated Ranger school in 1959.

  • Col. John Geraci was awarded two Silver Stars, a Bronze Star with "V" device and a Purple Heart for his Korean War service as an Army lieutenant, after serving as a Marine corporal during World War II. He attended Ranger school as a captain and went on to serve three tours in Vietnam, earning two more Silver Stars among other honors.
  • Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Hall served in multiple leadership roles with Ranger and special operations units until his 2008 retirement after 32 years of service, then was recalled to serve as CSM for International Security Assistance Force/U.S. Forces Afghanistan from August 2009 until September 2010.
  • Col. Thomas Henry began his Army career in Japan after the close of World War II and would later develop training programs for the Vietnamese Rangers. He also developed what would become the "Delta Force" concept, which included the Army Rangers and eventually led to their position in U.S. Special Operations Command.
  • Lt. Col. Rex Masters saw action as an enlisted soldier in Korea and as an officer in Vietnam before retiring in 1972. He's in his fourth term as president of Airborne Rangers of the Korean War, a position he held during the 1995 dedication of the Korean War Memorial.
  • Sgt. Maj. Gregory Matteo served in World War II, Korea (with a newly minted airborne Ranger unit) and Vietnam. Later a civilian Defense Department employee, Matteo's service stretched over 40 years.

Retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal speaks during Wednesday's Ranger Hall of Fame ceremony.

Retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal speaks during Wednesday's Ranger Hall of Fame ceremony.

Photo Credit: Markeith Horace/Army

  • McChrystal commanded all U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan from June 2009 until his retirement about a year later. He led Joint Special Operations Command prior to that assignment and commanded units in support of operations dating back to Desert Shield.
  • Chief Warrant Officer 4 Russell McIntyre was a contributor to the creation of the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape course while serving at the Army Special Warfare Center and School. Before that, he served in Vietnam as an intelligence team leader and would later deploy to Iraq as part of his civilian duties with DoD, assisting in efforts to combat improvised explosive devices.
  • Command Sgt. Maj. James Regan served with the highly decorated H Company, 75th Infantry Regiment (Airborne) in Vietnam before becoming a Ranger instructor and an adviser to a Vietnamese Ranger unit.
  • Lt. Col. Rembert Rollinson participated in the Battle of Fire Support Base Ripcord, the last major engagement between U.S. and North Vietnamese ground forces. He would later serve as a Ranger instructor as part of an Army career lasting more than 20 years.

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  • First Lt. George Sisler earned the Medal of Honor for his actions during a Special Forces patrol into North Vietnamese territory in February 1967. When his platoon was attacked on three sides, Sisler called for air support, evacuated wounded soldiers, took out an enemy machine gun and eventually led a one-man charge into an enemy assault, forcing the opposition to withdraw. He was mortally wounded as the battle drew to a close.
  • Sgt. 1st Class Taft Yates led Ranger combat jumps into Grenada and Panama, six years apart. He entered law enforcement after military service, becoming chief of police in Ellis, Kansas.
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