First Female Graduates of Army Ranger School Earn Kudos from McCaskill

Press Release

U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, this week joined a bipartisan group of colleagues to introduce a Senate resolution commending Captain Kristen Griest and First Lieutenant Shaye Haver for their historic accomplishment as the first two women soldiers to complete United States Army Ranger School and earn highly coveted Ranger tabs.

The Ranger School prepares members of the Armed Forces to serve as leaders and members of elite combat forces tasked with dismounted infantry, airborne, airmobile, amphibious, and independent squad and platoon size operations. According to the U.S. Army, last year 4,057 students attempted the notoriously difficult 8-week Ranger School, and only 1,609 earned the Ranger tab.

"These women made history," said McCaskill, the daughter of WWII veteran, "And in doing so proved what women everywhere already knew: that when presented with the opportunity to serve, women can and will do so with the same rigor, bravery, and effectiveness as men--including at the highest levels of the best military force in the world."

McCaskill was joined in the resolution by her colleagues Susan Collins of Maine, Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Barbara Boxer of California, Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, Joni Ernst of Iowa, Dianne Feinstein of California, Deb Fischer of Nebraska, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Patty Murray of Washington, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan.

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