On Friday, 96 Army Rangers graduated from Ranger School. Two of them were women.
This is the first time that two women graduated from one of the most difficult training courses in the U.S. military. This was a groundbreaking event for two extraordinary women to show that although many people have doubted their capabilities in military regard, they proved that they, as well as any woman who trains hard enough, could pass the test.
This is the first step of what appears to be a long road ahead for women to be integrated into front-line combat roles of the military. Let’s keep this momentum going. If women like Capt. Kristen Griest and 1st Lt. Shane Haver can pass Ranger School, why can’t more women be allowed to apply for combat roles? Ranger School, along with all other military training programs, implement gender-neutral exercises that test candidates’ readiness for full-throttle combat missions. Anybody who can pass these military examinations regardless of their gender, nationality, ethnicity, skin color or sexual orientation should be allowed to engage in any military branch or regiment they choose, as long as they pass all necessary requirements.
Opponents have stated that the women attempting to complete Ranger School were given “special treatment” in order to pass as a positive publicity move by the Army. This idea is completely false for a number of reasons.
First, the media was allowed to film and monitor the tasks and exercises attempted by all Ranger candidates throughout the 61 day course. Next, interviews between high ranking Army officials from across the spectrum have shown that these women were given no special treatment. Finally, the military point blank gives no exceptions or special treatment to anybody in any training course. They understand that if they let weak candidates slip through the cracks, that could lead to preventable casualties out on the battlefield. This is a risk the U.S. military simply is not willing to take.
Let’s get a rundown of the tasks and exercises the Ranger candidates were expected to complete on the way to earning their Ranger tabs. Army Ranger School is broken up into three distinct phases.
The initial "crawl phase" is designed to test the physical and mental skills necessary for completion of the full course. The "crawl phase" acts as a way to weed out the unfit prospects that can’t handle the nonstop max effort or aren’t mentally steadfast enough to withstand stressful and intense exercises.
Once prospects finish the "crawl phase," they move onto the "walk phase" which is designed to cultivate leadership skills particularly in mountainous terrain. Students are taught how to school cliffs effectively and lead patrol units in and around mountainous areas further developing their confidence and abilities to lead in stressful situations.
Finally, for the remaining prospects that haven’t failed the first two phases, comes the final "run phase." The "run phase" is completed in swampy terrain where prospective Rangers are tested in a variety of different areas testing “the students’ ability to lead small units on airborne, air assault, small boat, ship-to-shore, and dismounted combat patrol operations.”
These quick points only give a taste of what Ranger School is like. Only about 40 to 45 percent of the people who begin the challenge end up finishing this 61-day grueling course. These feats further prove that anyone who can pass this demanding course should be able to lead combat missions on the front line regardless of their gender. At the moment, women are unable to serve in the 75th Ranger Regiment. But this regulation should be changed relatively soon as the Pentagon will begin to review expanded roles for women in combat roles.
I fully trust any man or woman who can pass these rigorous tests to lead American soldiers into battle. Everyone else should too.
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Reach the columnist at gpaulsoccer@yahoo.com or follow @GrahamASUpress on Twitter.
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