Nov. 9 (UPI) — A soldier with the Montana Army National Guard became the first woman to graduate from the U.S. Sniper Course, the Montana National Guard announced Monday.
The military did not identify the woman, who enlisted in the Montana National Guard in December 2020 before she was sent to Fort Benning, Ga., for infantry training where she was recommended for the sniper course due to her “superior performance” including qualifying as an “expert shooter.”
“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,” Maj. Gen. J. Peter Hronek, Adjutant General for Montana, said in a statement. “This soldier had to volunteer several times to reach this goal, which is a demonstration of her dedication and commitment to service.”
The soldier began the seven-week course in Sept. 2021, which trains soldiers “in the skills necessary to deliver long range precision fire and the collection of battlefield information.”
She completed the course Friday and will return to join her unit.
Capt. David Wright, battalion commander of the U.S. Army Sniper School, said the soldier “met every standard required to graduate the United States Army Sniper Course.”
“She arrived prepared for training and physically conditioned to succeed,” said Wright. “We are proud of the results of her efforts and the quality training provided by the Sniper Course Cadre. We wish her luck as she heads back to her unit as a U.S. Army Sniper Course qualified Sniper.”
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte also praised the accomplishment in a Facebook post on Monday.
“What a remarkable feat for this soldier and incredible milestone reached for our U.S. Armed Forces,” he wrote.
