Rarely does the community at large get to sneak a peek behind the military lines, but once a year the 5th Ranger Training Battalion opens its doors to civilians for a first-hand look at its facility and the soldiers who call it home.

The annual open house will be Saturday, April 23, at Camp Frank D. Merrill in Dahlonega. It will begin with the annual Mountain Ranger Run, which entails a 34-kilometer bike race at 7:30 a.m., the 15-kilometer trail run at 7:45 a.m. and the 5-kilometer trail run at 8 a.m.

Following the races, the displays will open at 11 a.m. with live demonstrations afterwards. Demonstrations and displays will run until 5 p.m.

During the open house, rangers will display the skills of America’s elite soldiers with demonstrations of military skydiving, hand-to-hand combat, mountaineering, helicopter operations and survival skills. The event will also showcase modern military equipment and military vehicles.

Participants will also be able to meet and interact with the soldiers who run the Army’s elite Ranger School in a family-friendly environment.

Since 1951, the U.S. Army Rangers have trained in the Appalachian Mountains and lived in the North Georgia community. The Ranger open house is part of a long-standing tradition to allow the public to visit Camp Merrill and learn how Army Rangers perform around the world.

For more information, visit the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/rangeropenhouse, email rangeropenhouse@gmail.com or call 706-864-3367 ext. 5104.