Gabriella Ferlita
A woman has made history after becoming the first ever to complete the intense US army sniper course.
The woman, whose name remains unknown to the general public, concluded the seven-week training course to graduate at the US army’s elite sniper school.
Training individuals assigned to sniper positions, the course aims to deliver ‘the skills necessary to deliver long-range precision fire and the collection of battlefield information’, according to the US army.
The soldier joined Montana’s National Guard division last December and was deployed at Fort Benning, Georgia, according to the National Guard, where she finalised her 22-week course which included both basic training and infantry skills.
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But the One Station Unit Training staff noticed her impeccable skills during shooting drills and she was instead recommended for Fort Benning’s elite sniper programme.
Major General Peter Hronek, who serves as the Montana adjutant general, said in a statement: “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.
“This soldier had to volunteer several times to reach this goal, which is a demonstration of her dedication and commitment to service.”
The army also explains how the course trains the soldiers to be ‘the most feared weapon on the battlefield’ and ‘will test a student on fieldcraft, marksmanship, mission planning, advanced situational awareness, urban operations, complex engagements and building collective lethality to create an unfair fight in favour of the sniper team in support of offensive, defensive and stability operations for the United States Army.’
Captain David Wright, the sniper school’s battalion commander, said of the soldier: “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.
“We wish her luck as she heads back to her unit as a US Army Sniper Course qualified sniper.”
Captain Joshua O’Neill, a company commander at Fort Benning, also added that the soldier ‘epitomises what it means to be an infantry soldier’ and that ‘there wasn’t a doubt in our minds that she would succeed in the US Army sniper course.’
Despite 17 percent of serving military service members being women in the US, the sniper’s graduation marks the first woman to graduate from the sniper school since its launch in 1987.
According to Defence Department figures, the Army, Navy, and Air Force have around 70,000 women in each of their ranks, while the Marine Corps has around 16,000 women.