Posted on 08/20/2015 4:15:04 PM PDT by nickcarraway
One of the first women to graduate from the Army's notoriously grueling Ranger School says she hopes her success will go toward proving that women in the military are capable of doing what men do.
Capt. Kristen Griest of Orange, Connecticut said her successful completion of the elite, two-month program show that women "can deal with the same stresses and training that men can."
Griest and First Lt. Shaye Haver of Copperas Cove, Texas, will graduate at Fort Benning, Georgia, along with 94 men on Friday. Out of 19 women who began the program, Haver and Griest are the only two to finish so far.
Completing the course lets the two women wear the coveted Ranger black-and-gold tab. But for now they're still unable to join the elite 75th Ranger Regiment based at Fort Benning. The military's toughest jobs — including positions in infantry, armor and special operations units such as the Ranger Regiment — remain closed to women.
Haver and Griest — both graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point — not only finished the course they started in April. They both had to start from scratch, having failed two previous attempts.
"These two soldiers have absolutely earned the respect of every Ranger instructor," Cmd. Sgt. Major Curtis Arnold told reporters. "They do not quit and they do not complain."
Arnold said he suspects Haver and Griest had extra motivation to graduate "because you know everyone is watching. And truthfully there are probably a few folks who want you to fail. So you've got to put out 110 percent."
The families of the women gave a more modest assessment, saying in a joint statement that Haver and Griest, are "just like all the soldiers" graduating this week from the grueling two-month Ranger course.
Griest, 26, and Haver, 25, are "happy, relieved, and ready for some good food and sleep" before they line up Friday at Fort Benning alongside 94 male soldiers who also earned the coveted black-and-gold Ranger tab to adorn their uniforms.
The course tests soldiers' ability to overcome fatigue, hunger and stress during combat operations. The Army opened Ranger School to female soldiers for the first time this year as part of the military's push to open more combat jobs to women.
"This has been something she's wanted to do for a long, long time," Griest's older brother, Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Mike Griest, told The Associated Press in a phone interview. "We're all very, very proud of her. It's a tremendous achievement not only for her personally but for the Army and women in the military in general."
Griest grew up loving to camp in the wilderness and test her endurance, making her a natural to take on Ranger School, her brother said. He noted she chose to become a military police officer because she felt it was the closest she could get to an Army combat job.
"If she had been allowed to go infantry out of college, she would have done that," Mike Griest said.
Haver followed in her father's footsteps to become a pilot of attack helicopters. He also served as a career Army aviator who flew Apaches, and said his daughter has always been mentally tough and incredibly physically fit. He said she has run marathons and competed in triathlons for West Point. WATCH: Victim Strikes Back Against Armed Robber in Double Shooting "She's kind of built for this thing," Chris Haver said.
Which, I understand, includes six complete chin ups.
Let’s see them fake their way through seal trainng in Coronado : )
Yeah, right. They passed. Got it. LOL...
I may be wrong, but I believe what they went through was merely a tactical combat course that is open to other branches of service. It is not Ranger Selection . While they rate to wear the RANGER tab those that complete the Ranger Selection and Assessment get the Ranger Scroll and go on to serve in a Ranger Bn
A sad day in several ways. Seeing photos of them with shaved heads, acting like men. It’s depraved.
These women are exceptional; ergo, they are the exceptions, Exceptions prove the rule: Army Ranger training is not for upward of 95% of young women. These two were the only finishers among 19 women. Even those that didn’t make it were undoubtedly better qualified than 99% of ordinary women.
I bet they were underwear with ^^^^holes in them...
You raise a daughter, and see photos like that. Heartbreaking but nobody will admit it. The American RadFem movement has borne it’s perfect fruit.
People will die because of this political correctness.
The triumph of insanity.
Absolutely.
people have already died because of political correctness.
http://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/255497/feminist-fantasy-women-combat-matthew-vadum
Two women. How many men? There are very few men who can complete Ranger training. There are far fewer women. The failures are more telling than the successes.
How many (hand-picked) women can do what (many) men can? Apples to oranges!!!
I saw this syndrome back in the 70's as a USMC Naval Aviator. The Navy decided to allow female pilots. If a man wanted to become a Navy or Marine Pilot, he had to volunteer, qualify physically and mentally, endure and pass all the training and basically prove himself qualified every day to win the wings of gold.
In contrast, the Navy sent scouts all over the country searching out women who were already civilian pilots and massaged their journey through Navy Flight Training.
Then - "Oh, look; women can do what men do!"
Yeah, OK.
One positive thing I gleaned from the article is that both of these women had strong fathers who influenced and mentored them. Feminazis, take note.
Steinem never was at risk of death being in the service.
Nevr worried about equality of the draft.
is it routine to give men 3 bites at the apple?
And the calistentics requirements are very weak. I'm almost 60 and can pass that easily.
I suspect that the commanding general got a visit and someone said "The pRESIDENT is watching and he would be very disappointed if women did not make the cut. Oh and by the way, General, since your review is coming up it would be a shame if you didn't get another star."
Meanwhile the Russians, Chinese and the muzzies are laughing their asses off.
maybe we can put them in charge of the homes and trannys.
I suppose we won't find out the truth until soetoro is out of office and a retired Ranger spills the beans.
They won’t be wearing the Ranger scroll, unless some “genius” in the Pentagon caves in to the White Hut. Well, genius is probably not the right word.
As has already been pointed out across the internet, who would you want to rescue you from a rapidly burning wreck or multi-story structure, one of these want-to-be man-women, or just a trained firefighter?
This argument is really not about the brains, it’s about physical and emotional triggers.
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