Written by Justun Dorsey, Education and Outreach Coordinator
Cpt. Kristen Griest (Left) and 1st Lt. Shaye Haver (Right)
Throughout U.S. military history, people of all different backgrounds have served our nation. However, historically many positions have legally restricted certain individuals from specific jobs, including women from serving in combat. They flew aircraft, commanded troops, transported supplies, and earned valor awards, yet federal policy barred them from serving in direct ground-combat roles at the core of the Army and Marine Corps. This began to change in 2013, when the Department of Defense rescinded the long-standing “ground combat exclusion,” opening the door for women to enter occupations that had been off-limits for generations. By 2015, nearly all combat positions, from infantry and armor to special operations support, were formally opened to any service member who could meet the established performance standards.
This policy shift made national headlines, but the moment that truly captured the world’s attention came not from an announcement, but from two determined soldiers pushing themselves through one of the most difficult military courses in existence. On August 21, 2015, Captain Kristen Marie Griest and First Lieutenant Shaye Lynne Haver became the first women in U.S. history to graduate from U.S. Army Ranger School, an achievement that symbolized the breaking of one of the Army’s toughest barriers.
The Road to Ranger School
Ranger School, often described as one of the most grueling leadership and endurance courses in the world, is famous for its punishing physical and mental requirements. Over roughly two months, soldiers endure near-constant exhaustion, relentless patrol operations, demanding land navigation, harsh weather in mountain, woodland, and swamp environments, and severe sleep and food deprivation. More than half of those who begin the course do not finish. It was into this demanding environment that Griest and Haver stepped as part of a pilot program allowing a select number of women to attempt the course. Their determination was met not with lowered expectations, but with the same uncompromising standards faced by every Ranger candidate.
Kristen Marie Griest entered Ranger School as a West Point graduate and Military Police officer known for her discipline and quiet, but strong, leadership. Since her time at the U.S. Military Academy, she believed that if women were to assume combat leadership roles, everyone needed the same rigorous training. For her, Ranger School was not about symbolism, but about preparedness.
Cpt. Kristen Griest (Middle) and fellow U.S. Army Soldiers participating in close arm combative during the Ranger Course in Ft. Benning, Georgia.
Figure 3 1st Lt. Shaye Haver on an obstacle course during Army Ranger school.
Shaye Lynne Haver, also a West Point graduate and an Apache helicopter pilot, brought a background in athletics, competitiveness, and resilience. She wanted to challenge herself at the highest levels of military training and hoped to demonstrate that women could perform alongside anyone else under the harshest conditions. Both individuals were already respected officers before the course began, but nothing could fully prepare them for the extreme demands of Ranger School.
From the moment they started in April 2015, Griest and Haver faced skepticism from some of their peers, but those doubts faded quickly as they met each challenge presented before them. Ranger School’s intensity forced them to repeat certain phases of training, a process known as recycling, which can be even more taxing than the initial attempt. Recycling requires candidates to start portions of the training over again, often while already exhausted and battered from previous attempts. Approximately 34% of students who enter the program recycle at least one portion. Their persistence through these setbacks only further demonstrated their resolve. As they patrolled alongside their classmates, carried heavy equipment through difficult terrain, and endured the same hardships, their peers began to view them simply as fellow Rangers working toward the same goal.
When Griest and Haver stood among 94 graduates out of a class of 399 total (380 men and 19 women) receiving their coveted Ranger Tabs in August 2015, they not only made history, but also helped shift long-held assumptions about who could meet the Army’s toughest standards. Their achievement had immediate and lasting effects. After their graduation, Ranger School formally opened to women. By December 2015, all combat-arms jobs across the military were open to women, marking one of the most significant integrations in U.S. military history.
Their Legacy and Continued Service
The milestones continued after Ranger School. In April 2016, Kristen Griest transferred from the Military Police Corps to the Infantry, becoming the first cisgender woman infantry officer in U.S. Army history. Her transition into this once-closed field was possible because she had proven herself under the same expectations as her counterparts. Shaye Haver returned to aviation and continued her career as a Ranger-qualified Apache pilot, taking on leadership roles and becoming a symbol of perseverance for women in combat aviation as well as ground-combat branches. Both individuals have remained influential voices in discussions about the continued evolution of the force.
Their story continues to resonate because it highlights the power of equal opportunity paired with equal standards. Griest and Haver demonstrated that gender and sex are not measures of capability and that opening the doors to combat roles does not require lowering expectations. Their achievement expanded the definition of military leadership, created new role models for young women considering service, and provided a powerful example of how the U.S. armed forces continues to evolve. Their story is a testament to determination, progress, and the ongoing effort to ensure that the military reflects both the values and the abilities of those who serve.
U.S. Army 1st Lt. Shaye Haver (Center) and Cpt. Kristen Griest (Right) pose for photos with other women West Point alumni after an Army Ranger school graduation ceremony at Fort Benning, Georgia.
Sources:
First Photo: Courtesy CNN
Second Photo: Courtesy Spc. Nikayla Shodeen/Army
Third Photo: Courtesy Robin Trimarchi
Fourth Photo: Courtesy John Bazemore
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