The US Army certifies its first woman combat engineer
She聽is ready for the battlefield, and for the history books. Newly minted combat engineer聽Vermont National Guard Spc. Skylar Anderson is聽the first woman to hold the job, a distinction she wasn't even aware she held, now that the US armed services is allowing women to hold every combat job across all branches of the military.
"I knew I was going to be one of the first, but I didn't know I was going to be THE first," Ms. Anderson聽says in an interview with The Associated Press.
"," Command Sgt. Major Alan聽Grinsteinner says of Anderson to the AP. "She came up here, she did what she was supposed to, she passed every test, she was not granted any specialties, she did exactly what all her male counterparts did."
Sgt. Grinsteinner, who is the commandant of the combat engineer school at the 164th Training Institute operated by the North Dakota guard, as well as his fellow instructors, opted not to tell Anderson and her fellow trainees that she was the first woman to attend the course until the 16-day training had nearly concluded. 聽
Anderson, who is 20 and a junior at the University of Vermont, tells the AP it was a "big eye-opener" when her instructors told her that she was the first woman to complete the course that certifies her to work alongside combat troops, helping to solve technical problems in battle and challenge enemy progress.聽
According to Grinsteinner, modern warfare, particularly the last 14 years in Afghanistan and Iraq, tasks combat engineers with keeping roadways clear, which often includes disarming roadside bombs.
"The opportunity to actually go overseas and fight for what we're supposed to in the Army, it would be an honor, it would be something that I'd really look forward to," Anderson says.
Anderson's achievement comes just days after聽Defense Secretary Ash Carter ordered all branches of the military to open all combat jobs to servicewomen.聽In August, three women passed the Army's notoriously tough Ranger School. The combat exclusion policy that was lifted on Thursday will allow them to actually serve in the Special Operations Forces as Rangers.聽
Anna Mulrine reported for 海角大神 last week that when Secretary Ash made his announcement, servicewomen across all branches of the US armed services celebrated. But work remains.聽
Lifting the combat exclusion policy is the 鈥渇irst chapter鈥� in equality of opportunity for women in the Marine Corps, Colonel [Kate] Germano says. The next chapter will be 鈥渓ooking at how we recruit and train women.鈥�
As it stands now, the Marines segregate men and women during basic training. It鈥檚 the only service that does this. 鈥淭he standards are different, and the expectations are different,鈥� she says.聽
This must change, many Marines say, and the achievement of women at places like Army Ranger School offer a way forward.聽
鈥淭hat helped shift the perspective on what鈥檚 achievable,鈥� Germano says. By taking such models of recruiting and training women and applying it to the Marine Corps, 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to see women do things no one ever thought they could do.鈥�
The White House is currently聽, and the US Court of Appeals will hear a case on Tuesday that challenges the male-only draft, The New York Times reports.
For Anderson, she says聽as a civilian, she hopes to become an equine veterinarian. For her life in military service, she plans to stay with the National Guard, and wait for her unit to be called to active duty.
"It's time to step up and not hide in the shadows," she says.
