Military cop long had goal to pass Ranger School

Yet after spending years writing about a team of women whose members already had completed more than 70 combat missions alongside Army Rangers, or fast-roped out of helicopters with Navy SEALs on night raids in Afghanistan, I was probably less skeptical than some others that there was in fact a group of women fit, fierce and driven enough to push themselves – both mentally and physically – through the Army’s toughest leadership school.

Griest, 26, is a military police officer from Orange, Connecticut, a defense official said.

The women were not identified by name in the press release or in photos of training this month at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. Completing the course allows them to wear the Ranger tab, but it doesn’t let them become members of the Ranger regiment.

The progress of the women has been closely monitored by the military community, where the idea of female forces in combat is still a divisive issue.

Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade Command Sgt. Maj. Once a soldier has that distinction, he or she either returns to regular assignment duty or applies to serve with the 75th Ranger Regiment, according to Army spokesman Nate Snook.

The two were among 19 women who started the round of training.

A graduation ceremony will be held Friday at Fort Benning, the U.S. Army post near the Georgia-Alabama line. “Each Ranger School graduate has shown the physical and mental toughness to successfully lead organizations at any level”, said Secretary of the Army John McHugh. Haver’s father confirmed that his daughter, an Apache helicopter pilot and West Point graduate, also finished the Ranger course.

Distraction, really? Since the ban was first lifted, we’ve heard the arguments that women are a distraction, and military spokespersons are still making that claim. Then the mountain phase near Dahlonega, Ga., includes more small-unit operations and survival techniques. “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”. Women are also now serving on Navy submarines and in Army artillery units. Marine Corps leaders, they say, have expressed concerns about women in infantry jobs and yet may seek an exception. Demands on soldiers’ mental and physical fortitude include lack of sleep and food, as the soldiers patrol and overcome obstacles in swimming, parachute exercises, combat, and mountaineering.

But that would likely meet resistance from senior officials. Some argued that those ships, which are due to be phased out in coming years, would need millions of dollars in construction to add facilities for women and it wasn’t worth the expense. They must provide a rationale for each position they want to keep restricted. Yes, we now have evidence that women can beat the odds, and pass at least one previously inaccessible course, but that doesn’t really open the door beyond a crack.

The Pentagon isn’t expected to make final decisions about exactly what combat roles women will be allowed to fulfill until later this year.

Other readers posted sarcastic memes with messages such as this one: “Women in combat?”

Lolita C. Baldor in Washington contributed.