This group of female West Point grads, led by Fulton, didn’t take too kindly to his request, which they figured was an insinuation that Capt. Kristen Griest and 1 Lt. Shaye Haver received special help from officials.
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A group of female West Point graduates have filed to uncover the records of Rep. Steve Russell, an Oklahoma Republican, who just recently asked the Army to produce Ranger School test results of female candidates in order to determine whether there was any special treatment. According to the U.S. Army, past year 4,057 students attempted the notoriously hard 8-week Ranger School, and only 1,609 earned the Ranger tab.
A third female soldier, who the Army has not named but is also a West Point graduate, is now in the final phase in Florida and could graduate next month. “Maybe we should look into what his experience was”.
“If Congressman Russell claims that Rangers lie, and can be influenced to ignore standards, perhaps he experienced that when he went through Ranger School”. The board is responsible for reviewing academic, physical and military programs at West Point.
Fulton was in the first West Point class to include women.
After Griest and Haver’s graduation, the Army officially opened Ranger School to all who qualified regardless of gender. Since then, dozens of female West Pointers have asked, “How can I get in on it?”
A spokesman for Russell on Thursday morning said the congressman was not yet aware of the FOIA request because he was attending Pope Francis’ address to Congress.
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“One of the reasons you’re seeing such strong reaction from West Point women”, she said, “is that the arguments being made and the objections being raised are the same stuff that we have heard for decades”. “To ensure that the Army retains its ability to defend the nation, we must ensure that our readiness is not sacrificed”. Gen. Scott Miller, commander of the Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning; Col. David G. Fivecoat, commander of the Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade; and Command Sgt. Maj. “Ranger instructors and their leaders are known for their integrity but somehow when women pass the standard that integrity is no longer respected”.
