Critics have been wary that the first women to achieve the right to wear the elite Ranger tab were only able to do so because standards were lowered for them. Now, one congressman is demanding proof from the Army that shows they were held to the same standards as men.
Rep. Steve Russell served in the Army for 21 years, and is a Ranger School graduate himself. He led an infantry battalion during a combat deployment to Iraq, and earned a Bronze Star with “V” for valor, and retired as a lieutenant colonel. And he, like many other skeptics, believes there’s a chance that the Army went easy on Capt. Kristen Griest and 1st Lt. Shaye Haver, the first women to ever graduate from Ranger School.
Some have said that women were given an unfair advantage in that they were allowed to attempt the school’s three phases multiple times; one woman from the original class that started in April is still attempting to graduate. She was given three attempts at the Darby Phase, two at the Mountain Phase, and one at the Swamp Phase. Russell sent a letter to Army Secretary John McHugh requesting the soldiers’ test scores, evaluations, injury reports, and more. He did not accuse the Army of anything in the letter, but the letter was allegedly written after concerns that standards were compromised were brought to his attention.
Army officials have confirmed that Secretary McHugh has received the letter and will respond to the congressman.