Posted on Nov 4, 2015
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http://www.military.com/daily-news/2015/11/04/without-fanfare-ranger-school-officially-opens-female-soldiers.html?ESRC=army-a_151104.nl
U.S. Army Ranger School is now officially open to women -- no pilot programs, no exclusions based on gender.
"We are ready to train whoever shows up to Ranger School and meets the standards," said Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade Commander David Fivecoat on Tuesday.
But unlike the pilot process earlier this year that produced the first three women Rangers, the Army is not saying how many women students are in the current class that started on Monday at Camp Rogers on Fort Benning.
"We are now running an integrated Ranger course," Fort Benning spokesman Bob Purtiman said when asked the number of women in the current class. "... We are going to treat this like we do the other schools -- such as Airborne -- in which we don't release that information."
The current Ranger School class that began Monday included 417 students, Purtiman said. By the end of the first day of physical assessment that included a five-mile run in under 40 minutes, situps, pushups and chinups, the class was down to about 300, Purtiman said. Most of those who were dropped failed to do the required 49 pushups.
Though the Army is not saying how many women enrolled in the 62-day course or how they did in the early physical assessment, sources familiar with Ranger School told the Ledger-Enquirer about a half dozen females started the course.
The Ranger Assessment Phase, which takes four days, includes a land navigation test that students must pass and a 12-mile march that must be done in less than 3 hours. Those who pass the assessment will move to Camp Darby on Fort Benning for the first of three patrol phases. The middle phase is in the north Georgia mountains and the final phase is in the Florida swamps.
The decision to open the course to women was announced by the Army in early September after the first two women involved in a gender-integration pilot program earned their Ranger tabs.
In August, Capt. Kristen Griest and 1st Lt. Shaye Haver became the first women to earn the tab in August, and a third, Maj. Lisa Jaster, finished the course last month.
Less than 3 percent of the Army's soldiers are Ranger-qualified.
The shift in more than six decades as a male-only combat leadership course comes in the wake of three women earning their Ranger tabs in a pilot program that started in April and took nearly six months to complete.
U.S. Army Ranger School is now officially open to women -- no pilot programs, no exclusions based on gender.
"We are ready to train whoever shows up to Ranger School and meets the standards," said Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade Commander David Fivecoat on Tuesday.
But unlike the pilot process earlier this year that produced the first three women Rangers, the Army is not saying how many women students are in the current class that started on Monday at Camp Rogers on Fort Benning.
"We are now running an integrated Ranger course," Fort Benning spokesman Bob Purtiman said when asked the number of women in the current class. "... We are going to treat this like we do the other schools -- such as Airborne -- in which we don't release that information."
The current Ranger School class that began Monday included 417 students, Purtiman said. By the end of the first day of physical assessment that included a five-mile run in under 40 minutes, situps, pushups and chinups, the class was down to about 300, Purtiman said. Most of those who were dropped failed to do the required 49 pushups.
Though the Army is not saying how many women enrolled in the 62-day course or how they did in the early physical assessment, sources familiar with Ranger School told the Ledger-Enquirer about a half dozen females started the course.
The Ranger Assessment Phase, which takes four days, includes a land navigation test that students must pass and a 12-mile march that must be done in less than 3 hours. Those who pass the assessment will move to Camp Darby on Fort Benning for the first of three patrol phases. The middle phase is in the north Georgia mountains and the final phase is in the Florida swamps.
The decision to open the course to women was announced by the Army in early September after the first two women involved in a gender-integration pilot program earned their Ranger tabs.
In August, Capt. Kristen Griest and 1st Lt. Shaye Haver became the first women to earn the tab in August, and a third, Maj. Lisa Jaster, finished the course last month.
Less than 3 percent of the Army's soldiers are Ranger-qualified.
The shift in more than six decades as a male-only combat leadership course comes in the wake of three women earning their Ranger tabs in a pilot program that started in April and took nearly six months to complete.
Posted in these groups: 
Women in the Military
Ranger
Women in the Military Ranger
Posted 9 y ago
Responses: 21
I still don't see the issue with this. We let soldiers that are not combat arms go. If they want a shot why not let them. I think it something that in time we won't think about. I just hope they have the same experience that all the others have while in Ranger School. Just like the others that made it so far they are Rangers. They have done more to earn the title than some of those trying to call them out.
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SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" - On a side note I just got some info about the 5 females that started Ranger School this class. 3 failed out day one and the last 2 failed out day two. There isn't much media about this but I just don't think they were prepared for what they were getting into just like any male that didn't make it.
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Women are there to stay however I really do hope that they don't lower the standards just to accomodate women. So long as they can do the job I support them.
P.S. There are now three female rangers.
P.S. There are now three female rangers.
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Here is another spin on Ranger School and women, a country that is willing to train its women to fight is a formidable opponent to invade. Men teach your girlfriends, wife, daughters and granddaughters to shoot and fight and armed them so that they deal with burglars and abusive men.
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