General David Petraeus on Ralph Puckett

“When once asked by a friend in uniform to describe Col. Ralph Puckett in one word, I replied with emphasis, "Inspirational!" That word best captures what "Ranger" Puckett was to countless soldiers over his decades in uniform and best captures what he has been during his subsequent decades supporting those in uniform, especially those in the U.S. Army's Ranger Regiment, Ranger School, and Infantry School. Indeed, Ranger Puckett has given countless hours of service- evn after taking off the uniform following some twenty-two years of active duty- as the honorary colonel of the Ranger Regiment (for some twelve years), as an honorary instructor for a variety of courses at the Infantry School, and as a member of the boards of various organizations supporting the Rangers and the Infantry School, as well as in a variety of positions with the Boy Scouts and other civic organizations. In each capacity, he invariably inspired those with whom he had contact to strive to be the very best soldier and leader they could be.”

“Upon return from Columbia, Ranger Puckett attended the Infantry Officer Advanced Course, had various additional assignments, and completed the Command and General Staff College, before joining the Tenth Special Forces Group in Germany, where he commanded two units and solidified his reputation as a leader committed to the toughest, most realistic training imaginable. That training would stand him in good stead when he deployed to Vietnam to command a battalion and serve as a brigade executive officer. Leading from the front once again, he was wounded twice more. And, once again, he earned a Distinguished Service Cross during a night-long defense, this time in a fierce battle near Chu Lai, inspiring his soldiers to rally and repel a significant North Vietnamese Army force. Indeed, his very presence helped galvanize the unit's paratroopers, for after he linked up with the unit, one of them recalled later, "We all stiffened... and felt that nothing bad could happen now, because 'the Ranger' was with us." Yet another chapter was added to the Ranger Puckett legend.”

“Colonel Puckett's retirement at the end of June 1971 marked the end of his time in uniform, and the beginning of an important chapter of his life. He decided to retire because he had been invited to take a position that appealed enormously to him, that of national programs coordinator for Outward Bound. As always, he threw himself into the new endeavor, giving energy and direction to a superb organization, and spurring a number of initiatives that made a superb organization even better. Following that experience, he became the executive vice president of MicroBilt, a soft-and-hardware computer company, learning considerably about the revolution beginning in the IT sector and enjoying the new challenges immensely. In each of his civilian capacities, he brought what he'd always provided to the military units he had led: clear vision, dedication, integrity, and inspirational leadership.”

“Ralph Puckett was, in my experience, truly unique in his commitment to serve those in the ranks of the organizations he treasured. He was also unique in the way in which he inspired each of us he touched to truly strive to be all that we could be. Despite the praise and compliments that he frequently offered, he was, at heart, a leader who was never fully satisfied with anyone's level of performance, including his own, no matter how exceptional; rather, his approach could best be characterized by a phrase familiar to many of us who served: "One more, Ranger"- whether it was one more push-up, one more pull-up, one more iteration of a tough training exercise, or better performance in any aspect of our profession as soldiers and leaders. But he managed to provide his exhortation in such a positive, encouraging manner that we did everything humanly possible not to fail him; indeed, we did all that we could do to live up to his expectations, to enable him to "confirm our excellence," as he put it. And when some of us did stumble or fail im, his response was supportive, encouraging us to recognize our mistake, learn from it, and take action to avoid it in the future. He truly cared about people and genuinely sought to help them achieve their fullest potential. That technique of leadership- affirmative, positive, motivating- is what truy set Ranger Puckett apart, and that is what made him such a tremendous addition to any organization he led or supported. He truly embraced the greeting Rangers render to superior officers, "Rangers lead the way!" And he wanted to be sure that every Ranger would, indeed, do just that.”