Two women will reach a military milestone as they become the first female soldiers to graduate from the most challenging training course – Army Ranger school.
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In fact, the Pentagon is pushing the U.S. Army and other branches to integrate women into front-line combat units by 2016.
The course is known for its limited meals, sleep deprivation and physical tests while hauling a 60-pound pack. That could open the door for more women to hold risky positions in the military.
The 62-day Ranger school includes three phases, each in a different part of the country: wooded areas of Fort Benning, the Appalachian mountains of north Georgia, and swamps in Florida. That included positions in infantry, armor and special operations units such as the Ranger Regiment.
As photographers took pictures and video of the women soldiers training, the Army asked that names on the uniforms and ruck sacks not be shown and that females soldiers be pictured with male students. “I believe we lost a lot of good men because the females were there but I have no doubt she earned it. Good job and congrats”.
We spoke to a local veteran who has graduated from Ranger school, and says he was surprised when he heard the news.
“There’s never been doubt that women can do the job”, said Nancy Duff Campbell, co-president of the National Women’s Law Center. The school has not been fully opened to women, and the November class, like the one that began in April, is being called a pilot.
According to an Army document, 22 students have died over the years during the 18-day swamp course, which puts a large focus on combat scenarios, both air and waterborne. NPR’s Pentagon correspondent Tom Bowman reports that Army and Marine Corps leaders are still deciding whether they’ll let women serve in ground combat jobs beginning in January, or ask for a waiver that would keep those jobs closed.
None of the eight women made it past the Darby Phase on the first try and were recycled, along with 101 of their male classmates, on May 8. “Like everyone who will pin the tab on Friday, they are exceptional soldiers and strong teammates”.
The Special Operations Command is also weighing changes to physical standards that could otherwise serve as a major barrier to female participation even if there is no longer a policy constraint.
Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, an author who has written extensively on women in combat, said that women have already proven themselves in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.
U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3, said in a statement, “Being able to excel in the intense training and rigorous atmosphere demanded of Rangers is a tremendous accomplishment”.
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Advocates for women say that when female service members have served in combat situations they have performed well.
