Two of the three female Ranger School students and 125 male students will move to the the next level of the grueling program this weekend in Florida, after successfully completing the 20-day Mountain Phase.
The third female student, along with 60 male students, will re-do the Mountain Phase at Camp Merrill in Dahlonega, Georgia, on Aug. 8 the Army announced Friday, Army Times reported.
The three female students are part of a new gender-integrated experiment the Army is conducting to determine whether and how women can be integrated into combat roles.
The women, all officers, started the 20-day Mountain Phase on July 11 after three tries at the school’s first phase, called the Darby Phase, at Fort Benning, Georgia, Army Times reported.
Six out of 158 men failed the Mountain Phase and were dropped from the course.
Officials said the students who did not move on failed for a variety of reason, but the majority were unable to successfully lead a patrol.
The two women who successfully completed the Mountain Phase are now moving on to Camp Rudder, on Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, to complete the third and final Swamp Phase.
During the 17-day Swamp Phase, students learn waterborne operations, small boat movements and stream crossings, Army Times reported. Students will also be required to execute extended platoon-level operations in a swamp environment.
Students who pass the Swamp Phase are expected to graduate Ranger School Aug. 21 at Fort Benning.
“The Ranger students, both male and female, are two-thirds of the way done with Ranger School,” Col. David Fivecoat, commander of the Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade, said in a statement, Army Times reported. “The coastal swamps of Florida will continue to test the students. Only the best will be successful and earn the Ranger tab.”
• Kellan Howell can be reached at khowell@washingtontimes.com.
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