US Army (Photo : Reuters)
Two female soldiers are making history after setting the record of being the first to complete the rigorous Range School from the United States Army.
Despite making this historic feat, the first two women graduate of the Army Ranger School will still face the harsh reality of not being able to serve alongside their male colleagues. This is because the US military has yet to eradicate the ban that prohibits women from serving in the fighting force, according to the BBC.
The two female soldiers about to graduate from Ranger school are First Lieutenant Shaye Haver and Captain Kristen Griest.
First Lieutenant Haver is an Apache attack helicopter pilot. On the other hand, Captain Griest is a military police officer and a veteran of the Afghan war.
When asked about her experience at the Army Ranger School, Lieutenant Haver told the New York Times, "The ability to look around to my peers and see that they were sucking just as bad as I was kept me going."
Both Lieutenant Haver and Captain Griest completed the grueling nine-week Army Ranger training course. The training course is designed to test applicants both mentally and physically. The training course involves constant hiking where applicants carry with them a gear that weight more than 100 pounds.
After facing the fact that she cannot pursue fighting duty, Captain Griest is thinking about joining the Special Forces. On the other hand, Lieutenant Haver said that she still wants to pursue her career with aviation.
The recent feat achieved by Captain Griest and Lieutenant Haver have sparked a debate whether it is time to reconsider giving women soldiers a more central role in the armed forces, especially when it comes to combat roles.
