Rebecca Pitchford
English Composition and Research Summary Response Essay October 8, 2015 Women Overcome Negativity Specialists Ashley Pullen was driving a humvee when her squad came under attack in Baghdad; Pullen treated her fellow soldiers including a squad member with a stomach wound and shielded him with her body. This story goes to show how willing she is to sacrifice her life to help other members of her squad. Sergeant Leigh Ann Hester protected her unit when they came under fire by the enemy in Iraq.Hester took control, kept her team calm, and saved the lives of numerous convoy members (Warner 3,10). These are only some of the many heroic stories of women soldiers fighting in the United States Army. Robert Burns addresses in “First Female Graduates of Ranger School Earn Elite Tab” about two extraordinary women who were the first to complete the ranger course. He discusses both negative and positive points about the women in the army, and how much of an honor it is to have the title of a Ranger. Captain Kristen Greist and First Lieutenant Shaye Haver were the first two female soldiers to complete ranger school of their 94 person graduating class . These two incredible women attracted national attention for their outstanding ability; this caused the Pentagon to then consider making all combat positions open to women who met the military standards. Burns mentioned in his article that current soldiers think the Pentagon is going too far with making accommodations for women. In the article, James Lechner questions if the ranger course sufficiently tests the women under combat-stimulated conditions. Out of 19 women who started out on the Ranger course, Haver and Griest are the only two to finish the whole course. Major General Scott Miller mentioned that “...no one should doubt that all 96 graduates met ranger standard, regardless of their sex” (Miller par. 6). Furthermore, this ranger course tests different abilities that soldiers have, including: physical stamina, land navigation course,and a 12- mile foot march. These two women who completed a male dominant ranger course brought attention to other women wanting to compete in the school as well. Later on, Burns proudly states that on August 25, 5015 the first two females completed the ranger course. “You’ll leave Victory Pond today with a small piece of cloth on your shirt, but most importantly you carry the title of Ranger from here on out”(qut. in Burns par. 7). This quote defines what it means to have a reputation as a Ranger; these two ladies will not only be recognized with a piece of cloth on their shoulder, they now will be known as the first females to complete ranger school. From here on out, the women will always have the name as a ranger, and will have the responsibility of being a ranger everywhere they go. When I see people in uniform they are always carrying themselves with pride and confidence in what they are wearing. Also, having a uniform on, they gain more respect from the citizens as they walk past them. These two women now have the responsibility to act properly to what a ranger would say and do. Secondly, James Lechner talks negatively about letting women fight about becoming a Ranger, he says.“...but when you talk about your fighting units, your combat arms unit, especially the infantry...you don’t need to just have the minimum standards. You need to have as good as you possibly can get” (qtd. in Lechner par.16). In this case, I do however, agree with Lechner. When soldiers talk about fighting with their squad, they can not automatically assume they are ready to fight, these two women need to know for sure they are ready and give it all they have for their fellow soldiers out on the battlefield, protecting one another and having their backs. Furthermore, Mark Milley, a former soldier, says to Burns with a more lighthearted comment about finishing the ranger course,“It’s a really big deal”(qtd. in Milley par. 10). I could not agree more with this comment, the fact that these two women had what it took to go through the intense course that rangers have to go through to complete the requirements is a huge accomplishment. These two women were the first to complete a male-dominated sport and had the strength to complete the course. Haver and Greist brought national news to women around the world wanting to become a ranger. In conclusion, These two battled through the course and now nationally accredited for being the first two females to complete the ranger course, overcame the negativity that was mentioned by older male soldiers, and now have the honor to carry the title as a Ranger. Shaye Haver and Kristen Griest had the dream of becoming a ranger, they fought through the immense struggle of the course and negativity they received throughout the course. Spec. Ashley Pullen and Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester are heros in the army because they had the ability to fight throughout all the chaos, remain calm and lead their team in desperate times. Works Cited Burns, Robert. "First Female Graduates of Ranger School Earn Elite Tab." NEWSELA. NEWSELA, 25 Aug. 2015. Web. 1 Oct. 2015. <https://newsela.com/articles/armyranger-female/id/11777/>. Warner, Melissa Stanger and Anmargaret. "The 14 Most Impressive Women In The US Military." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 26 July 2013. Web. 15 Oct. 2015. <http://www.businessinsider.com/most-impressive-women-in-the-military-2013-7>. |