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| Kristen Griest on Course to Become First Female Army Officer Trained to Lead Troops Into Combat | Kristen Griest on Course to Become First Female Army Officer Trained to Lead Troops Into Combat |
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| Capt. Kristen Griest, who was among the first two women to graduate from the Army’s elite Ranger school, will become the first woman eligible to lead an infantry unit into combat after completing a rigorous tactical training course on Thursday at Fort Benning, Ga. | Capt. Kristen Griest, who was among the first two women to graduate from the Army’s elite Ranger school, will become the first woman eligible to lead an infantry unit into combat after completing a rigorous tactical training course on Thursday at Fort Benning, Ga. |
| As the service’s first female infantry officer, she will join a branch of the Army that had long been considered the last bastion of traditionally male combat roles. With the move, the Army has crossed another barrier in its promise to consider women for all roles without exception. | As the service’s first female infantry officer, she will join a branch of the Army that had long been considered the last bastion of traditionally male combat roles. With the move, the Army has crossed another barrier in its promise to consider women for all roles without exception. |
| The Army approved Captain Griest’s move to infantry on Monday, months after she applied to transfer from her role with the military police. She will be officially qualified to be an infantry officer when she graduates from the Maneuver Captains Career Course in Georgia, designed to provide tactical training to officers of her rank, Lt. Col. Jerry Pionk, an Army spokesman, said. | The Army approved Captain Griest’s move to infantry on Monday, months after she applied to transfer from her role with the military police. She will be officially qualified to be an infantry officer when she graduates from the Maneuver Captains Career Course in Georgia, designed to provide tactical training to officers of her rank, Lt. Col. Jerry Pionk, an Army spokesman, said. |
| “She’s going to go on and serve the rest of her career, however long it may be, as an infantry officer,” he said Thursday. “Her road is far from done; it is just more in line with what she feels her aspirations are.” | “She’s going to go on and serve the rest of her career, however long it may be, as an infantry officer,” he said Thursday. “Her road is far from done; it is just more in line with what she feels her aspirations are.” |
| Unofficially, women had served on the deadly front-line for years, but they were barred from direct combat in roles such as tank or infantry officer until December 2015, when Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter announced that the Pentagon would allow women in all military roles, with no exceptions, opening up about 220,000 military jobs. | Unofficially, women had served on the deadly front-line for years, but they were barred from direct combat in roles such as tank or infantry officer until December 2015, when Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter announced that the Pentagon would allow women in all military roles, with no exceptions, opening up about 220,000 military jobs. |
| “They’ll be allowed to drive tanks, fire mortars and lead infantry soldiers into combat,” Mr. Carter said. “They’ll be able to serve as Army Rangers and Green Berets, Navy SEALs, Marine Corps infantry, Air Force parajumpers and everything else that was previously open only to men.” | “They’ll be allowed to drive tanks, fire mortars and lead infantry soldiers into combat,” Mr. Carter said. “They’ll be able to serve as Army Rangers and Green Berets, Navy SEALs, Marine Corps infantry, Air Force parajumpers and everything else that was previously open only to men.” |
| Colonel Pionk stressed that the Army was being “deliberate and methodical” during a “major cultural shift” in opening roles to women, and that Captain Griest was evaluated by the same standards as a male officer requesting a transfer . | Colonel Pionk stressed that the Army was being “deliberate and methodical” during a “major cultural shift” in opening roles to women, and that Captain Griest was evaluated by the same standards as a male officer requesting a transfer . |
| “This isn’t really about putting women into infantry and armor branches,” he said. “We are at a time and a place in the world where we need to have the best leaders from everywhere, and that includes women.” | “This isn’t really about putting women into infantry and armor branches,” he said. “We are at a time and a place in the world where we need to have the best leaders from everywhere, and that includes women.” |
| Still, the option for Captain Griest to move into her current role was not available as recently as last summer, when she made history with First Lt. Shaye Haver by graduating from the grueling Ranger school. Both women said that they had not received any special treatment. | Still, the option for Captain Griest to move into her current role was not available as recently as last summer, when she made history with First Lt. Shaye Haver by graduating from the grueling Ranger school. Both women said that they had not received any special treatment. |
| “I do hope that with our performance in Ranger school we’ve been able to inform that decision as to what they can expect from women in the military,” Captain Griest told reporters after her graduation. “We can handle things physically and mentally on the same level as men.” | “I do hope that with our performance in Ranger school we’ve been able to inform that decision as to what they can expect from women in the military,” Captain Griest told reporters after her graduation. “We can handle things physically and mentally on the same level as men.” |
| Younger women are likely to follow their lead. Captain Griest’s move to infantry comes during a commissioning and commencement season in which 22 female cadets have chosen to enter Army branches that were traditionally unavailable to them. Thirteen will enter the armor branch, and nine will enter infantry. |