Female Sniper Grad Is an Army First

A Montana soldier is the first woman to graduate from the US Army's sniper course, the Montana National Guard announced. “We are extremely proud of this soldier’s achievement and recognize that this is a milestone for not only Montana, but the entire National Guard and Army,” said Maj. Gen. J. Peter Hronek, per the AP. The military is not identifying her at this time. The soldier enlisted in the Montana Army National Guard in December 2020 and underwent a 22-week training course at Fort Benning in Georgia that combines Army basic training with advanced individual training in infantry skills.

Her training staff recommended she be given the opportunity to attend the sniper course after she qualified as an expert shooter. She began the US Army sniper course in September and graduated on Nov. 5. "We're all incredibly proud of her," says Capt. Joshua O'Neill, her company commander. "There wasn't a doubt in our minds that she would succeed." The course trains soldiers to deliver long-range precision fire and to collect battlefield information. Now that her sniper training is completed, she will rejoin her Montana National Guard unit. Though she is the first to complete the Army's intensive course, several women have previously completed the shorter training of the Air Force, notes Military.com.

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