A woman will join the ranks of the Army’s most prestigious special operations unit for the first time in United States history.
Speaking during the graduation ceremony for the U.S. Army on Thursday, Commanding General for Army Special Operations Command Lt. Gen. Fran Beaudette encouraged graduates to break through barriers and “smash” stereotypes.
“From here, you will go forward and join the storied formation of the Green Berets where you will do what you are trained to do: challenge assumptions, break down barriers, smash through stereotypes, innovate, and achieve the impossible,” Beaudette said.
The female soldier, whose name is being withheld due to privacy statutes, completed the grueling Q course and became the first woman to obtain the heralded honor since the Department of Defense cleared the way for women to enter the Army’s special operations jobs in January 2016.
In 2013, Former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta paved the way for women to serve in combat roles.
“They’ll be allowed to drive tanks, fire mortars, and lead infantry soldiers into combat,” Defense Secretary Ash Carter said in 2013. “They’ll be able to serve as Army Rangers and Green Berets, Navy SEALs, Marine Corps infantry, Air Force parajumpers, and everything else that was previously open only to men.”
Although the female soldier becomes the first woman recognized as a Green Beret, Capt. Kate Wilder completed the Q course but was denied acceptance into the program. Wilder later won a discrimination complaint against the U.S. Army and received a letter of certification.
