Posted on 01/19/2017 1:21:58 PM PST by markomalley
A female soldier has become the first to pass the selection course for the exclusive Army 75th Ranger Regiment and will become the first female special operator in the military sometime in the spring, a spokesman for the unit said.
The female soldier graduated the regiment’s Ranger Assessment and Selection Program 2 in December after completing the 21-day course for officers and noncommissioned officers in the rank of staff sergeant and above, Lt. Col. Rob Bockholt said.
The Army will not release any identifying information about the soldier in keeping with its security policy for all its rangers, Bockholt said.
The 75th Ranger Regiment is the Army’s premier special operations raid force, conducting “large scale joint forcible entry operations” and small surgical raids — inserting quietly into areas around the globe to capture or kill high-value targets. The work is physically and psychologically demanding, requiring specialized fitness and training skills.
The course for leadership-level soldiers and officers, known as RASP 2, lasts three weeks. Among the requirements to pass the course, soldiers must:
• Pass the Ranger fitness test, which includes 58 push-ups, 69 sit-ups, six pull-ups and running 5 miles in 40 minutes or less.
• Pass a water survival assessment.
• Participate in a 12-mile march with a 35-pound rucksack and weapon in less than three hours.
• Undergo a mental evaluation.
According to information provided by the Army in October, two women had attempted to pass the regiment selection course but failed. Two others were at the time scheduled to attend the training.
The Army would not release any other details, but the website for veterans Task & Purpose, which was first to report the story, said the soldier is an officer.
Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Ranger regiment has had members continually deployed around the globe.
To date, three women have graduated the Army’s Ranger School, a grueling course that earns soldiers a Ranger tab. Soldiers who graduate Army Ranger school return to their conventional units and the training is separate from the 75th Ranger Regiment training.
Like other special operations occupations, Ranger positions were off-limits to women until December 2015, when Secretary of Defense Ash Carter announced all occupations would be open to women.
The Marines had requested an exemption for some of its infantry occupations but, ultimately, Carter rejected any exclusions to the policy.
The 75th Ranger Regiment comprises three regular battalions and a special troops battalion. Two of the battalions are based in Georgia at Hunter Army Airfield and the regiment’s headquarters in Fort Benning, and one at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington.
Bockholt said the female soldier will arrive at the new unit in a couple of months.
Thank you for that. I am more proud of her than I know how to put in words.
I think the standards quoted at the top are merely to get *into* the selection program. They want to make sure you won’t drop dead on the *first* day.
This would not have happened if she hadn’t been given “special consideration”. What a pathetic joke. How many will die because of the PC infestation of the military by LIB jacka**es?
Watching the Redcatchers 75th’s birth in 68 when they were all LRRP (Long Range Recon Patrol) then the Army redesignated the LRP companies and detachments as lettered Ranger companies of the 75th Infantry Regiment, the Redcatchers LURPS as we lovingly called them became (M) company of the 75th Rangers. We worked many areas they had patrolled in very small numbers gaining much needed position/numbers of the enemy we were being inserted against. Watching a few 3-5 man LURP team extractions with them humping out their wounded or KIA team members for sometimes days at a time to an extract site, having a woman on some of the teams I witnessed would be a stretch at least in my opinion.
No idiot, that’s not all Rangers have to do and I doubt in spite of your bravado, that your daughter could handle the load the Rangers carry, both in equipment and in war fighting requirements. And not just your daughter, any woman.
Whole lot of irony in that statement.
Aside from the psychological profile that he would not have passed at all...long before he had any thoughts of "Caitlyn" even came into his head, Jenner was pretty screwed up in the head...he would have been the perfect candidate.
He was however, one hell of an athlete.
“Participate in a 12-mile march with a 35-pound rucksack and weapon in less than three hours.”
That said, great if women can meet qualifications as long as they aren’t watered down.
But only a 35 lb pack?
Can’t be right....too light.
Had to mean a bit higher, 85 typical grunt basic ruck, Ranger teams work light, but I agree with “ not that light “.
Ping
Wrong. RASP is for getting into the Regiment which are the “real” Rangers. If a Ranger hasn’t passed Ranger School already (e.g., new privates usually) they take it later when they are E-4 or E-5.
But to be sure, getting into the Regiment is the easy part. Staying there is harder, especially for non-tabbed folks. Unless they are specialists in hard to fill slots like cooks, medics, and so on, life can be very hard in the Regiment until the tab is earned.
Quite the opposite. NCOs in the Regiment do not consider Ranger School that big of a deal (a drag for certain but not something to be scared of). The hardest part of Ranger School is the mental aspect of it. It is an advanced light infantry leadership course. By the time most get to Ranger School (after the pre-Ranger School course) they are physically ready (ready as you can be). The harder part for many is getting the technical infantry leadership part right. E.g., planning missions and giving the orders for the missions.
Kinda get treated like ‘Legs’ hard life ?
75th, rich history, great guys. Went to Benning in 2013 for Redcatcher reunion and watched new Rangers being born.
http://www.75thrra.com/history/m75_hx.html
Non-tabbed folks (except maybe for admin jobs?) are always fff’d with.
Any shi* job non-tabbed do it. Riding to the range, non-tabbed do pushups in bus the whole way...etc. Smoke city until they get the tab.
Wow, what a jerk. Didn’t you read my post? That is not at all what I was saying. Don’t be an a$$.
It has to be a typo, at the basic school I believe that their packs are 130 plus weapon systems.
No, 35lbs is correct- and you then include a complete rifleman’s MOLLE ( equivalent to the old LBE- load bearing equipment) with full canteens, rifle etc, or about 45 lbs of fighting gear. Not sure if body armor s included now. Then there is the inspection at the end- better have every requirement piece of gear or you are a not go even if you made the ruck march in 2 hours.
The PT requirement- yeah, that’s the Army’s 21 YO male PU/SU passing requirement, then the 40 min 5 mile run.
Oh, and remember this all done at some hard nosed CSMs schedule, not your leisure.
Then, you are allowed to be in the unit, which is where the fun starts.
Thanks for the detail. Of course things are lighter 48 yrs later LOL.
God, I so don’t miss the day carrying basic load in RVN and the 23lb PRC25 radio with 2 spare 4 lb batteries. 31 lbs besides the ruck.
Make sure to enjoy all these graduations they are important memories.
Thank you. She was commissioned last summer, of course, her mother,sister and I were there. We are looking forward to her graduation from the basic school in the spring.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.