Girl Power: First Woman Completes US Army Sniper Course
The first woman just completed the seven-week course meant to create “the most feared weapon on the battlefield,” graduating from the US Army’s elite sniper school. The soldier’s name has not been identified.
Following her enlistment in the Montana National Guard last December, she was given orders to move to Fort Benning, Georgia, for One Station Unit Training, — a 22-week course that combines basic training with infantry skills.
The One Station Unit Training staff took note of her remarkable results that include qualifying as an expert shooter, and recommended her for sniper school that also takes place at Fort Benning.
“We are extremely proud of this Soldier’s achievement and recognize that this is a milestone for not only Montana, but the entire National Guard and Army,” said Maj. Gen. J. Peter Hronek, the adjutant general for Montana, in a statement.
Aside from precision shooting, the course also teaches soldiers in mission planning, advanced battlefield awareness, complex engagements and more.
“She arrived prepared for training and physically conditioned to succeed. We are proud of the results of her efforts and the quality training provided by the Sniper Course Cadre,” said Capt. David Wright, a battalion commander at the sniper school.
This makes her the first woman to graduate from the Army’s sniper school since its inception in 1987, and she will now join her unit in Montana.
A company commander at Fort Benning, Capt. Joshua O’Neill, said the soldier “epitomizes what it means to be an infantry soldier. There wasn’t a doubt in our minds that she would succeed in the U.S. Army sniper course,” he said.
Image source: CNN
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