US
First Female Soldier To Ever Attempt Green Beret Training Washes Out
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The first female soldier to ever attempt Green Beret special forces training has washed out of the course.
She failed this week to complete the requirements of U.S. Army Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS), The Washington Times reports.
The unnamed female soldier began her training on Sept. 2 after reporting to Fort Bragg, N.C. She passed the physical fitness portion of the test and managed to make it through half of the 21-day course.
But trouble came during the land navigation portion of the course. It’s unclear whether she voluntarily dropped out, whether she had to withdraw due to medical issues or whether she just simply failed to meet basic standards.
The Army refused to confirm or deny to The Washington Times that an enlisted female soldier was taking part in SFAS.
Instead, Special Operations Command released a generic statement, complaining about the media focusing on women not being able to meet the rigors of training.
“The Special Forces Assessment and Selection process, and subsequent Special Forces qualification training are very challenging experiences — experiences that can be made more difficult with the additional pressure that often comes with focused media attention on particular individuals due to their race, color, gender, religion, national origin, and sexual orientation,” Lt. Col. Robert Bockholt, public affairs director for Special Operations Command, said.
Two weeks ago, the first female to try out for the elite 75th Ranger Regiment also failed to meet requirements, but will get another shot at the course later in 2016.
“The female soldier did not meet performance objectives required for assignment to the 75th Ranger Regiment,” Lt. Col. Robert Bockholt, a spokesman for U.S. Army Special Operations Command (SOCOM), told Army Times. “The female soldier has been afforded the opportunity to reapply for RASP 2 beginning December 2016.”
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