Women to start Ranger School today

Posted 2015-04-20 12:19 by Grunt Report with 0 comments

As many as 20 women are expected to start Ranger School on Monday as the Army runs a one-time integrated assessment at the famously grueling course.

The final eight women to qualify to attend Ranger School on Thursday successfully completed the Ranger Training Assessment Course at Fort Benning, Georgia. Twelve women successfully completed the two-week RTAC during previous rotations.

The Army announced in January that it will conduct a one-time, integrated assessment at its storied Ranger School in April. The assessment is part of a wider effort to determine whether and how to open combat arms jobs to women. This assessment will be a first for Ranger School, which until now has been open only to men.

Women who successfully complete Ranger School will receive a certificate and be awarded the coveted Ranger tab. They will not, however, be assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment, which is separate from Ranger School.

To prepare for the April assessment, the Army required female candidates to attend the two-week Army National Guard Ranger Training and Assessment Course. Officials allotted seats for female candidates in each iteration of the course between January and April. The course has historically been a strong indicator of whether a candidate will be successful at Ranger School, officials said. Data has shown that more than half of the soldiers who complete RTAC will successfully complete Ranger School.

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