The Unbreakable: 5 Female Army Rangers Who Shattered The Military's Toughest Glass Ceiling

The journey of women in the U.S. Army Ranger School represents one of the most profound shifts in military history. Since the first two women earned the coveted Ranger Tab on August 21, 2015, the narrative has evolved from a single, groundbreaking event into a legacy of continuous achievement, with female soldiers now serving in combat leadership roles across the elite 75th Ranger Regiment. This article, updated for the current date in December 2025, goes beyond the initial headlines to provide the latest ranks, assignments, and ongoing contributions of the women who proved that physical and mental toughness knows no gender.

The rigorous 62-day Army Ranger Course, known for its intense physical demands, sleep deprivation, and starvation, is a crucible designed to test the limits of a soldier’s capacity to lead small units in combat. The success of the initial female graduates, and the many who followed, has permanently dismantled the argument against women serving in the most demanding combat roles, paving the way for full integration across the U.S. military’s Special Operations Forces.

The First: Biographies and Current Status of the Original Trailblazers

The first three women to earn the Ranger Tab—Captain Kristen Griest, First Lieutenant Shaye Haver, and Major Lisa Jaster—will forever be known as the pioneers who opened one of the military's most exclusive doors. Their careers have continued to break barriers, with each soldier achieving significant milestones in the years following their historic graduation.

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1. Major Kristen Griest: The First Female Infantry Officer

• Full Name: Kristen Marie Griest
• Date of Birth: October 2, 1989
• Hometown: Orange, Connecticut
• Education: U.S. Military Academy at West Point (2011)
• Initial Rank/Branch (Ranger Graduation): Captain (CPT), Military Police (MP)
• Ranger Graduation Date: August 21, 2015
• Current Rank/Role (Updated December 2025): Major (MAJ), serving as an officer in the Infantry Branch. Her recent assignments include roles within the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment.
• Key Milestone: Griest became the first female infantry officer in U.S. Army history in April 2016, following the Army's decision to open all combat jobs to women.

2. Major Shaye Haver: The Attack Helicopter Pilot Turned Infantry Commander

• Full Name: Shaye Lynne Haver
• Date of Birth: 1990
• Hometown: Copperas Cove, Texas
• Education: U.S. Military Academy at West Point (2012)
• Initial Rank/Branch (Ranger Graduation): First Lieutenant (1LT), AH-64 Apache Attack Helicopter Pilot
• Ranger Graduation Date: August 21, 2015
• Current Rank/Role (Updated December 2025): Major (MAJ), having served as one of the first female infantry commanders, taking command of Company C, 1st Battalion.
• Key Milestone: Haver's background as an Apache pilot highlights the diverse skill sets of the women succeeding in Ranger School, proving that the tab is achievable by soldiers from any branch of the Army.

3. Lieutenant Colonel Lisa Jaster: The Army Reserve Engineer

• Full Name: Lisa Jaster (née Peplinski)
• Date of Birth: 1978
• Hometown: Houston, Texas
• Education: U.S. Military Academy at West Point; Master's degrees in Civil Engineering and Engineering Management
• Initial Rank/Branch (Ranger Graduation): Major (MAJ), Army Reserve Engineer Officer
• Ranger Graduation Date: October 16, 2015
• Current Rank/Role (Updated December 2025): Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) in the U.S. Army Reserve, serving as an engineer officer. She has deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.
• Key Milestone: LTC Jaster was the first female Army Reserve soldier to graduate from Ranger School. She completed the course at the age of 37, significantly older than the average graduate (23 years old), while also being a mother and a combat engineer.

The Enduring Legacy: How Female Rangers Changed Combat Leadership

The success of the first graduates immediately shattered the outdated policies that had long excluded women from ground combat and elite units. Their achievement provided the concrete evidence needed for the Army to fully open all combat military occupational specialties (MOS) to women in 2016. This policy change was not merely symbolic; it led directly to women taking on historic leadership roles within the most elite formations, including the 75th Ranger Regiment.

The integration of women into Ranger School has fostered a more comprehensive and inclusive definition of combat readiness. The focus shifted entirely to performance, eliminating gender as a factor in who could lead soldiers in the most demanding environments. This shift has reinforced the school's reputation as a merit-based institution, where the only thing that matters is a soldier's ability to meet the standard.

Beyond the Tab: Other Female Ranger Trailblazers

The initial three graduates were just the beginning. The years that followed have seen other female soldiers achieve equally historic "firsts," further solidifying the topical authority and expanding the scope of women's leadership in the Army's elite units. These women represent a new generation of tactical and operational leaders.

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4. Sergeant Major Janina Simmons: The First Black Female Ranger to Achieve SGM

Sergeant Major (SGM) Janina Simmons made history in multiple ways. She was the first Black woman to graduate from Ranger School, a major milestone for diversity within the elite corps. Furthermore, she became the first female Ranger graduate to reach the prestigious rank of Sergeant Major, the highest enlisted rank at the battalion level, demonstrating a sustained and successful career in the most challenging assignments. SGM Simmons is a powerful symbol of perseverance, having also publicly shared her battle with cancer, proving her fighting spirit extends beyond the battlefield.

5. Captain Shaina Coss: The First Woman to Lead Rangers in Combat

Captain Shaina Coss, a West Point graduate from the Class of 2016, became the first woman to lead elite Army Rangers in combat. As an infantry officer, she served in the 75th Ranger Regiment, where she led a platoon on a combat mission in Afghanistan in 2019. This achievement is arguably the most significant operational milestone, as it confirms that female Ranger graduates are not just earning the tab but are actively serving and leading in the most critical, high-stakes combat roles. CPT Coss was among the first 10 women to graduate from Ranger School, cementing her place in history.

Other Notable Female Ranger Entities:

• First Lieutenant Gabrielle White: She was the first woman in military history to complete the grueling, three-day Best Ranger Competition, a separate event that tests two-person teams on their physical and mental endurance to an extreme degree.
• The 75th Ranger Regiment: This elite unit, which CPT Shaina Coss served in, is the premier light-infantry special operations force of the U.S. Army. The successful integration of female officers into its ranks is the ultimate testament to the effectiveness of the Ranger School integration policy.
• Fort Benning (now Fort Moore), Georgia: The home of the U.S. Army Ranger School, where the historic graduations took place.

The Future of Women in the Ranger Community

The success of the first female Army Rangers has established a clear precedent: the Ranger Tab is a standard, not a gender-specific award. The focus has entirely shifted from "if" women can do it to "how many" will join the ranks of the elite. The increasing number of female Ranger graduates—now well over 100—demonstrates that the initial group were not outliers but rather the vanguard of a fundamental cultural and operational change in the U.S. Army.

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The ongoing careers of MAJ Griest, MAJ Haver, LTC Jaster, and SGM Simmons serve as powerful, living proof that women are not only capable of meeting the physical and mental demands of the toughest military training but are also successfully transitioning that training into high-level combat and command leadership positions. Their stories continue to inspire soldiers and leaders worldwide, reinforcing the Army's commitment to selecting the best talent, regardless of gender, to lead America's sons and daughters in battle.