FORT BENNING, Ga. — An infantry soldier with the Montana National Guard has become the first woman to graduate from the U.S. Army Sniper Course at Fort Benning, Georgia, Army officials confirmed Monday.
According to an Army news release, the soldier, whom the service is not identifying by name at this time, joined the Guard in December 2020 and earned her slot in the elite program while completing infantry training due to her “superior performance” and marksmanship, Army Times reported.
A solider from the Montana National Guard just became the first woman in history to complete the U.S. Army Sniper Course. This is a milestone for our state and our entire Armed Forces. Way to make Montana proud!https://t.co/dN9n9Swy0W
— Senator Jon Tester (@SenatorTester) November 9, 2021
The soldier completed the grueling, seven-week course on Friday, the Montana National Guard stated in a news release.
“We see this as a historic moment. This is a huge achievement not only for her, for our organization, but for all women in the National Guard and the Army,” Montana National Guard spokesperson Maj. Ryan Finnegan stated, adding, “We’re very proud of her and proud of her achievement.”
The sniper course is only open to enlisted soldiers in infantry, cavalry or Special Forces roles, according to a description available online, Army Times reported.
“We’re all incredibly proud of her,” Capt. Joshua O’Neill, who was the unnamed soldier’s company commander during her infantry training, told the news outlet.
“She epitomizes what it means to be an infantry soldier and there wasn’t a doubt in our minds that she would succeed in the U.S. Army Sniper Course,” O’Neill added.
Finnegan did confirm that the soldier was born and raised in Montana, USA Today reported.
“Her next step is to join her unit here in Montana and take the skills and knowledge and abilities that she gained there, inspect the course and put them to full use in the training and operations that we have here,” Finnegan stated.
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