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
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Still just as hard to earn that black and gold tab. One day women will fail or graduate without it ever making the news. Thank will be a good day.
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It's a School, not a Billet. The purpose of the School is advanced tactics and leadership. All Soldiers can benefit from the School, regardless of MOS, and there is no MOS requirement to the best of my knowledge. There are other requirements to attend the school, and if you are able to meet those requirements and your unit will benefit from having you attend the school, there is little reason not to send you to the school.
Additionally, as this School is looked at for Advancement later, or a "check in the box" it becomes a competitive DISADVANTAGE not to have it. This creates an inequity during eras where downsizing occurs.
Now, will we see high pass/fail rates from specific demographics? Likely. Will we see "enhanced screening" from specific demographics? Most definitely.
Additionally, as this School is looked at for Advancement later, or a "check in the box" it becomes a competitive DISADVANTAGE not to have it. This creates an inequity during eras where downsizing occurs.
Now, will we see high pass/fail rates from specific demographics? Likely. Will we see "enhanced screening" from specific demographics? Most definitely.
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The brass is committed to this, it will not die; the standards will be relaxed if necessary to save the program.
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CPT Pedro Meza
MSG Ramon Hidalgo-Acosta - I have learned that there is no such thing as anonymous, because some how some one knows that you are keeping a diary and today is worse thanks to technology.
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CPT Pedro Meza
MSG Ramon Hidalgo-Acosta - I have been seen more women vets at my VA hospital, it was not genetics it was IEDs.
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CPT Pedro Meza
MAJ Steven Szymurski - The real focus will be in Special Operation teams leading missions were there is a high likelihood of locals observing a female team leader handling enemy contact. Think of the seed it plants.
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CPT Pedro Meza
MSG Ramon Hidalgo-Acosta - We see all at the VA because our recent conflicts are guerrilla wars, and the enemy hits where ever he can plant an IED. Yes Civil Affair Women go out the wire all the time too.
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I look forward to when the gender, all genders reqardless it doesn't matter. If anyone can get through and make it great job to all.
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It will last, I guess my only question is how are the Ranger slots allotted? Are a few set aside just for women? The slots should be allocated to those most qualified to attend the course.
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I'm OK with that, as long as they participate in exactly the same way as the males. Let the best man/woman win. However, most polls say that only 8% of the females want combat assignments.
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Women, albeit, just a few will pass ranger school, is the peg that justifies women going into combat arms.
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COL Sam Russell
Here to stay, and still just as hard to pass.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ranger-school-ladies-had-tougher-sam-russell?trk=prof-post
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ranger-school-ladies-had-tougher-sam-russell?trk=prof-post
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