The US Army Is Developing A Tactical Bra For Female Soldiers

In the fall, the Soldier Center will present the ATB to the Army Uniform Board. (Photo courtesy of DEVCOM)  

Military Times: The Army is working on a tactical bra 

Uniforms have largely been designed for the boys, but the Army is working on something for the girls’ ... well ... girls. 

The Army Tactical Brassiere is a product undergoing testing at the Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center. In the fall, the Soldier Center’s Design Pattern Prototype Team is expected to present an initial evaluation to the Army Uniform Board, which would establish the Army Tactical Brassiere as an official program of record.  

Read more .... 

The US Army Is Developing A Tactical Bra For Female Soldiers  

Army's new 'tactical bra' is first-ever designed in-house by US military -- FOX News  

The US Army is coming out with a 'tactical' bra that female soldiers could work into their body armor -- Business Insider  

Army creating first tactical bra for female soldiers -- The Hill  

Why the Army is Designing a 'Tactical' Bra for Female Soldiers -- Newsweek

Meet Ukraine’s Gun-Toting Military Girls Sharing Videos And Pictures From The Front Line

Ukraine’s viral glam female soldiers post photos online. Courtesy of @vi.ka_222 

 The US SUN: GLAM ARMY Meet Ukraine’s gun-toting military girls sharing videos and pictures from the front line ahead of Russia invasion 

FEMALE Ukrainian soldiers are taking to the video-sharing app TikTok to post glam pictures and videos of themselves in their bid to win the soft power propaganda war with Russia. 

Clips of glamorous women in Ukrainian military uniforms dancing, fooling around in barracks, and even holding bullets have gone viral on social media. 

Read more ....  

Update #1: Meet Ukraine’s gun-toting female soldiers fighting the propaganda war with Russia (NYPost) 

Update #2: Ukraine’s gun-toting military hotties post videos of antics - from dancing to spanking (Daily Star)  

Update #3: Glamorous female Ukraine soldiers train to take on Russian army (News.com.au)  

WNU Editor: There is no glamour in war. And some of these female Ukrainian soldiers are lethal .... CUT DOWN Moment ‘hero’ female Ukrainian sniper shoots Russian separatists dead – as she vows to ‘kill again’ if Putin invades (US SUN).

For The First Time A US Navy Aircraft Carrier Deploys Under The Command Of A Female Captain

Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt will be in command of one of the Navy's 11 nuclear aircraft carriers in 2022 

Business Insider: US Navy aircraft carrier deploys for the first time under the command of a female captain 

* A US Navy aircraft carrier deployed with a female skipper for the first time on Monday. 

* USS Abraham Lincoln set sail from San Diego under the command of Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt. 

* The carrier also set sail with the first Marine Corps F-35C stealth fighter squadron. 

Nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln made history Monday when it set sail from San Diego, becoming the first US Navy carrier to deploy under the leadership of a female commanding officer. 

Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt assumed command of the carrier in August, becoming the first female carrier skipper. 

Prior to taking command of the Lincoln last year, Bauernschmidt served as the commanding officer of the amphibious transport dock USS San Diego. She was previously the Lincoln's executive officer and the first woman to serve as the second-in-command on a carrier. 

 Read more ....  

WNU Editor: Its taken a long time to break this glass ceiling.

U.S. House Armed Services Committee Vote To Require Women To Register For The Draft

Women would be required to register with the Selective Service System under a proposal approved by the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday. (Chief Master Sgt. Jaimee Freeman/Air Force)  

Politico: House panel backs requiring women to register for the draft 

The House Armed Services Committee vote follows a similar vote in the Senate to expand the Selective Service System to include women. 

The House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday voted to require women to register for the military draft, making the change one step closer to becoming law after senators endorsed the move this summer. 

During late night deliberations on the committee's annual defense policy bill, lawmakers voted 35-24 to adopt an amendment from Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.) to expand registration for the Selective Service System beyond men. 

The move caps off a contentious debate and could stir up conservative opposition to the National Defense Authorization Act, which authorizes defense spending and lays out military policy. 

Several Republicans broke ranks to help Democrats to adopt the amendment.  

Read more ....  

Update #1: House panel backs making women register for draft (The Hill)  

Update #2: ‘We need everybody’: Plans to make women register for potential military draft advance in policy bill (Military Times)  

WNU Editor: I expect this motion will be passed by Congress and signed by President Biden in the coming months.

1st Female Sailor Completes US Naval Special Warfare Training

Daily Mail: Sailor makes history to become Navy's FIRST female special operator for boats which transport SEALs after completing grueling 37-week training 

* The woman- who has not been identified due to military policy for special forces members- is officially a Naval Special Warfare combatant-craft crewman 

* SWCC operators transport Navy SEALs and conduct their own classified missions at sea and are experts with weapons, navigation, and special operations tactics 

* The sailor is the first of 18 women who have tried out for a job as a SWCC or a SEAL to succeed just five years after all combat posts were opened to women 

* Only about 35 percent of the men and women who begin the training for SWCC actually graduate, the Navy reported 

* The 37 week training course includes extensive running, swimming, and other exercises conducted in all weather conditions and with very little sleep 

* About 300 sailors attempt the SWCC course every year and about 70 complete it. There are between 760 and 800 in the force at any one time 

A female sailor made history after completing a grueling 37-week training course to become the Navy's first female special operator. 

The woman - who has not been identified due to military policy for special forces members - is officially a Naval Special Warfare combatant-craft crewman. 

The boat operators transport Navy SEALs, conduct their own classified missions at sea and are experts with weapons, navigation, and special operations tactics. 

She is the first of 18 women who have tried to become a SWCC or a SEAL to succeed just five years after all combat posts were opened to women.  

Read more .... 

More News On The 1st Female Sailor Completing US Naval Special Warfare Training 

'An extraordinary accomplishment': First female sailor completes Navy special warfare training -- USA Today  

Woman qualifies for Naval Special Warfare Command crew for the first time -- CNN  

Female sailor becomes the first woman to complete Naval Special Warfare training -- FOX News  

US Navy: First woman passes elite training scheme -- BBC  

A woman has qualified as the Navy’s first female special operator -- Task & Purpose

US Army's First Female Infantry Officer Says New And Easier Gender-Neutral Fitness Tests Put Lives Of Soldiers In Danger On The Battlefield

Capt Kristen Griest, 32, has pushed against the Army's plan to consider the test scores of men and women separately after the branch received complaints about a gender gap  

Daily Mail: 'It places them at risk': Army's first female infantry officer, 32, says new and easier gender-neutral fitness tests put lives of soldiers in danger on battlefield 

* Capt Kristen Griest, 32, pushed against Army's plan to consider test scores of men and women separately after branch received complaints about gender gap 

* 'To not require women to meet equal standards in combat arms... will place those women, their teammates, and the mission at risk,' Griest said 

 * Griest, who in 2016 became the Army's first infantry officer added: 'I'm here saying, "Women can do more than we think"' 

A woman who became the U.S. Army's first female infantry officer has hit out against the watering down of physical-fitness standards for women, saying that all soldiers should meet the same requirements. 

If women are judged on a sliding scale, she warned, then some members of a unit won't be fully prepared - and could put soldiers at risk, including women. 

 'With equal opportunity comes responsibility,' she wrote in a recent opinion piece, which stirred up debate. 

Read more ....  

Update #1: An Army trailblazer set her sights on a new target. The reaction highlights a deep rift. (Washington Post)  

Update #2: Army’s first female infantry officer blasts lower standards for women (NYPost)  

WNU Editor: Capt Kristen Griest has been openly expressing her concerns on this issue since the beginning of the year .... Pioneering Female Ranger School Grad: Lowering Fitness Standards for Women Is a Bad Idea (Military.com). More here .... A trailblazing female Ranger grad has reignited the debate over the Army’s controversial new fitness test (Task & Purpose). 

Her op-ed in the Modern War Institute is here .... With Equal Opportunity Comes Equal Responsibility: Lowering Fitness Standards to Accommodate Women Will Hurt the Army—and Women (Kristen M. Griest).

Four Women Of Color Make History As Commanders Of U.S. Navy Warships

 

The Guardian: US Navy: for first time in history four women of color command war ships 

Kimberly Jones, LaDonna Simpson, Kristel O’Cañas and Kathryn Wijnaldum break new ground in white and male-dominated field 

Four US Navy officers have made history this week – and breaking new ground in a traditionally white and male-dominated field. 

For the first time in US Navy history, four women of color are now commanding war ships at the same time, NBC News has reported. 

The four officers, Kimberly Jones, LaDonna Simpson, Kristel O’Cañas, and Kathryn Wijnaldum, recently said that there have been dramatic changes for women serving in the Navy over the years. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: This is not your grandfather's navy. 

Hat tip Fred for this link.

U.S. Marines Admit That They Should Not Have Used An Official Account To 'Attack' The Opinion Of A TV Host On Pregnant Soldiers

Zero Hedge: Marines Admit 'Messing Up' For Attacking Tucker Carlson Over 'Pregnant Soldiers' Commentary 

The US Marines admitted to 'messing up' after ganging up on Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who mocked the military's shift from defense to social justice issues - after remarks by President Biden on International Women's Day on how he'd nominated two women for four-star command positions in the armed forces.

"So we’ve got new hairstyles, maternity flight suits. Pregnant women are going to fight our wars," Carlson said on Wednesday night, adding "It's a mockery of the US military" before he compared the US military to China's - which is "becoming more masculine." 

Following Carlson's segment, the official Twitter account for the II Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group joined a pile-on by several woke military officials - tweeting a picture of a female soldier carrying a male soldier, tagging Carlson with the caption "what it looks like in today's armed forces," adding "Get right before you get left, boomer." 

Read more .... 

WNU editor: You just know that Tucker Carlson is reveling in all of this attention.

But it gets better.

The GF made a comment on this story and what I posted yesterday that I think is priceless .... Command Senior Enlisted Leader Of United States Space Command Weighs In On Pregnant Women Serving In The Military (March 13, 2021). 

Command Senior Enlisted Leader of United States Space Command, Scott H. Stalker says Tucker Carlson has never served in the military (unlike him who has served for years), and that he knows more about pregnant women serving in the military than a TV host. 

The GF says fair enough. 

But she is willing to bet that Command Senior Enlisted Leader of United States Space Command, Scott H. Stalker has never gotten pregnant, and may not be the best person to comment on this topic.

Update: This is going to get entertaining .... Sen. Ted Cruz demands meeting with the Marines commander over ‘political attacks to intimidate Tucker Carlson & other civilians’ (RT).

Women In Saudi Arabia Can Now Join The Military

All applicants must have a clean record and be medically fit for service. (Supplied) 

Bloomberg: Saudi Women Can Join Military in Latest Widening of Rights 

Women in Saudi Arabia can now take up arms and enter the military, the latest profession in the kingdom to open up to female recruits. 

Saudi Arabian women can be employed as soldiers, lance corporals, corporals, sergeants, and staff sergeants, according to the Saudi-based Arab News.

Jobs have been gradually opening up for Saudi women, whose increased participation in the workforce is part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s plans to transform the Arab world’s largest economy. 

It is now common to see Saudi women working as cashiers in shopping malls and taking up roles that were previously limited to men, such as waiting tables in restaurants and brewing cappuccinos in coffee houses. 

Read more .... 

Update #1: Saudi Arabia opens military recruitment to women (Arab News) 

Update #2: Saudi Arabia allows women to join military (Gulf News) 

WNU Editor: Another sign that the times are changing.

U.S. Air Force Plans To Add Privacy Curtains To B-52 Bombers For Female Crew Members Who Need To Use The Restroom

As of June 2019, 58 of the Bombers are still in active use, while 18 are in reserve. The fleet went under major upgrades between 2013 and 2015, with the installation of new electronics, communications technology, computing, and avionics. However, no sitting toilets or privacy curtains were added 

Daily Mail: Air Force plans to add privacy curtains to B-52 Bombers for female crew members who need to use the restroom as more women join the ranks - but there is only a urinal onboard 

 * Due to space issues, Boeing B-52 Stratofortress Bombers are not fitted out with a sitting toilet 

 * The Bombers were produced in the 1950s and 60s, when there were only male crew members; as such there is one small urinal installed on each aircraft 

 * There are currently 58 Bombers still in active use and they were given major upgrades between 2013 and 2015 

 * During the upgrades, no curtains were installed, meaning crew continue to urinate and defecate without proper privacy 

 * The Air Force says with more women joining the service there is 'a higher need for privacy during rest room activities' and will soon install curtains 

 * However, with no sitting toilet on board, women will likely have to urinate into bags and bottles, while men can continue to use the urinal 

The Air Force plans to add privacy curtains to its fleet of B-52 Bombers as more women join the military. 

Earlier this month, the Air Force put out a statement soliciting information from textile companies about installing curtains around toilet facilities inside the aircraft. 

'As the B-52 continues to fly long duration missions, especially with mixed crews, there is a higher need for privacy during rest room activities,' officials wrote in the release. 

Read more .... 

Update: Privacy, Please: Air Force Wants to Add Toilet Curtain on B-52 Bomber (Military.com) 

WNU Editor: Currently, there is no sitting toilet in a B-52, crewmembers must defecate into bags and dispose of the waste when they land. But with women now currently making up about 21% of the Air Force, I can see this toilet issue being addressed.

A US Navy Helicopter Pilot Will Become To The First Woman To Take Command Of A Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier In 2022

Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt will be in command of one of the Navy's 11 nuclear aircraft carriers in 2022

Daily Mail: 'Wolfpack' Navy helicopter pilot will become the FIRST woman to command a US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier 

 * Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt, a helicopter pilot, will be in command of one of the Navy's 11 nuclear aircraft carriers in 2022 

 * In 2016 she became the first female executive officer of nuclear aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, second-in-command of a crew of a 5,000-strong crew 

 * Bauernschmidt graduated from the Naval Academy in 1994, the same year women were allowed to serve on combat ships and planes 

A woman is to command a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier for the first time in U.S. Navy history. 

Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt, a helicopter pilot, will be in command of one of the service's 11 nuclear aircraft carriers in 2022. 

Although it is not yet known which of the vessels she will be at the helm of, Naval Air Forces have confirmed that the selection of a woman is historic. 

The appointment is the latest in a meteoric rise for Bauernschmidt who made history in 2016 when she became the first female executive officer of a nuclear aircraft carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln, and was second-in-command of a crew of a 5,000-strong crew. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: That is quite an accomplishment. She is currently the commanding officer of the amphibious transport dock ship USS San Diego. 

 More News On A US Navy Helicopter Pilot Becoming The First Woman To Take Command Of A Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier In 2022 

This Navy helicopter pilot has been chosen to be the first woman to command a US aircraft carrier -- Business Insider 

A woman will take command of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier for the first time in US Navy history -- Task & Purpose 

Woman to command nuclear-powered aircraft carrier for first time in US Navy history -- Metro

US Air Force Testing A New Line Of 'G-Suits' For Female Fighter Pilots

The service has manufactured wide lacing panels in the waist, thighs and calves of the suit, which they say allows it to be more readily adjusted for different body proportions. The new suit also provides the option of a ‘"darted" or tailored, custom waist that does not reduce performance of the waist bladder that inflates during high-G maneuvers' 

Daily Mail: US Air Force tests new line of 'G-Suits' tailor-made for growing influx of female fighter pilots - complete with adjustable straps and form-fitting waist compression 

 * Five female fighter pilots, and one aircrew member, tested a modified Advanced Technology Anti-Gravity Suit at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, last week 

 * The suit, first introduced in 2001, is a specialized compression gear worn over a flight suit to help pump blood through the body during high G-forces 

 * The suit also prevents pilots from losing consciousness during maneuvers 

 * However, the suit was originally designed primarily with the male body in mind and offers little in the way of adjustability 

 * The Air Force has now redesigned it to include better adjustment straps to accommodate different body types, and an a form-fitted waist compression 

 * Women were given the green light to pilot combat aircraft in December 1991 

 * According to the Air Force’s Personnel Center statistics, the service has just over 800 female pilots, with another roughly 580 women serving as navigators 

The US Air Force has just tested a new line of its ‘G-suits’ that have been specifically modified to better fit – and keep safe – the growing influx of female pilots who are enlisting in the service. 

Five female fighter pilots, and one female aircrew member, each tested a modified Advanced Technology Anti-Gravity Suit (ATAGS) at Eglin Air Force Base, in Florida, between October 26 and October 30, the Air Force revealed Tuesday. 

The suit, first introduced in 2001, is a specialized compression gear worn over a flight suit that helps pump blood through the body during high G-forces and helps prevent pilots from losing consciousness during maneuvers. 

Read more .... 

 More News On The US Air Force Testing A New Line Of 'G-Suits' For Female Fighter Pilots 

Air Force Tests New 'G-Suit' Designed for Female Pilots -- Military.com 

US Air Force Fighter Pilots Test New G-Suit for Women -- Interesting Engineer 

Five female fighter pilots test G-force suits modified for women -- UPI

U.S. Military Is Finally Fielding Body Armor Designed For Women

USA Today: Women in combat wear armor designed for men. That's finally changing in 2020.

WASHINGTON – For Air Force Maj. Julie Roloson, new body armor being fielded specifically for women is more than a matter of fit and weight. It could be life or death. Roloson, 34, commands the 88th Security Forces Squadron at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and says the new vest, tailored to fit women and lighter than men's versions, gives her a better chance to fight and shoot. 

Fighting and shooting. Basic requirements for combat jobs, all of which the Pentagon opened to women five years ago. From helmets to accommodate a hair bun to maternity flight suits, gear designed for women is being developed and issued, changing the way the previously one-male-size-fits-all military outfits troops. 

Read more .... 

Update: The U.S. Military Is Finally Fielding Body Armor Designed for Women (Popular Mechanics)

WNU Editor: This is so long overdue.

US Navy's First Black Female Tactical Jet Pilot Gets Her 'Wings Of Gold' Today

Photo: Swegle, who broke through the glass ceiling earlier this month when she completed her training at naval flight school, is to receive her wings during a ceremony on Friday

Daily Mail: First black female fighter pilot in 110 years of naval aviation to receive her 'Wings of Gold'

* Lt. j.g. Madeline Swegle, the first black female US Naval officer to become a tactical jet pilot, will receive now her 'Wings of Gold'
* Swegle, who completed her training at naval flight school earlier this month, is to receive the coveted insignia during a ceremony on Friday
* She is the first Black women to accomplishment the feat in the nearly 110 years after naval aviation began
* Officials said she is assigned to the Redhawks of Training Squadron 21 in Kingsville, Texas
* Several public figures, including Sen. Kamala Harris and legendary tennis player Billie Jean King congratulated Swegle on Twitter

The first black female US Naval officer to become a tactical jet pilot since naval aviation began more than a century ago is set to receive the coveted 'Wings of Gold' insignia.

Lt. j.g. Madeline Swegle, who broke through the glass ceiling earlier this month when she completed her training at naval flight school, is to receive her wings during a ceremony on Friday.

'I am really honored that I get to wear the wings and get to fly planes and call myself a pilot,' said Swegle in a Navy video released ahead of a ceremony that was posted on YouTube.

'I don't think the goal in my life is to necessarily be the first at anything. That was never something that I set out to do, it was just something I was interested in and I found out later,' she said.

Read more ....

Update #1: U.S. Navy's first Black female fighter pilot will receive her wings (CBS)
Update #2: Madeline Swegle becomes US Navy’s first black female fighter pilot (NYPost)

WNU Editor: She is living her dream.

In A First For The Russian Navy, An All-Female Crew Carried Out Patrols On The Black Sea

Reuters: All-female crew embarks on Black Sea patrol in first for Russian Navy

SEVASTOPOL, Crimea (Reuters) - In a first for the Russian Navy, an all-female navy crew carried out patrols on the Black Sea on Friday in preparation for Russia’s Navy Day celebrations later this month.

The crew, on board a patrol boat, fulfilled a broad array of drills on their maiden voyage, simulating how they would react to an incursion by saboteurs including by tossing RGD-5 hand grenades into the sea.

“I decided to become a member of the crew because it’s very interesting,” said Olga Chelkova, a senior engine mechanic. “It’s promising and, most of all, it’s an experiment that women have never taken part in before.”

The voyage marks a symbolic step in Russian women’s quest to play a more active role in the armed forces, an institution dominated by men.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: It is a small patrol boat. But the symbolism of change is all there.

LTJG Madeline Swegle Jjust Became The US Navy's First Black Female Fighter Pilot

LTJG Madeline Swegle, the first Black female tactical fighter pilot U.S. Navy photo by Anne Owens

Business Insider: This aviator just became the US Navy's first Black female fighter pilot

* The US Navy has graduated its first Black female fighter pilot, Lt. j.g. Madeline Swegle, the service said.
* "Very proud of LTJG Swegle," the Vice Chief of Information Rear Adm. Paula Dunn wrote. "Go forth and kick butt."
* Swegle completed the final flight of the Tactical Air (Strike) training program a few days ago and is set to receive her wings of gold later this month.

The US Navy's first Black female fighter pilot has earned her wings, the service said.

The Chief of Naval Air Training celebrated the officer for her achievement on Twitter, writing: "BZ to Lt. j.g. Madeline Swegle on completing the Tactical Air (Strike) aviator syllabus. Swegle is the @USNavy's first known Black female TACAIR pilot and will receive her Wings of Gold later this month. HOOYAH!"

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Becoming a US Navy fighter pilot is no easy feat. Congratulations to LTJG Madeline Swegle.

More News On The US Navy's First Black Female Fighter Pilot

Meet The Navy's First Female African American Tactical Jet Pilot -- Warzone/The Drive
This officer is the Navy’s first known Black female tactical jet pilot -- Navy Times
After 110 Years of Aviation, Navy Gets Its First Black Female Fighter Pilot -- Military.com
Navy's first known Black female fighter pilot graduates -- The Hill
Navy announces first Black female Tactical Aircraft pilot -- FOX News
Navy Announces First Black Female Tactical Aircraft Pilot in 110 Years of Aviation -- People.com

Female US Army Soldier Becomes The First Woman To Become A Green Beret

A female soldier on Thursday became the first to join the Green Berets (pictured) after a yearslong effort to get women into front line combat jobs

Daily Mail: Female soldier becomes the FIRST to join the Green Berets after the Pentagon opened all combat jobs to women

* A female soldier on Thursday became the first to join the Green Berets after the Pentagon allowed women into combat jobs in 2016
* The woman, who was not identified under military privacy rules, graduated after completing the Armed Special Forces qualification course at Fort Bragg
* The female soldier, a member of the National Guard, completed the course along with 400 other service members
* The highly trained commandos usually work in 12-person teams and are often used for specialized combat and counterterrorism operations
* There are currently more than 6,700 Green Berets, who the US also relies upon to to train other nations´ forces in battle skills

A female soldier on Thursday became the first to join the Green Berets after a yearslong effort to get women into front line combat jobs.

The National Guard member, who was not identified under US military privacy rules, graduated after completing the Armed Special Forces qualification course at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, along with 400 other service members.

Defense officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the female soldier is a member of the National Guard. She was allowed to train for the Green Berets after the Pentagon opened all combat jobs to women in 2016.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: SOFREP got an interview with here .... An exclusive interview with Katie Wilder, the first female Green Beret (SOFREP).

More News On Female US Army Soldier Becoming The First Woman To Become A Green Beret

Soldier Makes History as First Woman to Join the Green Berets -- Military.com
Female US Army soldier makes history by becoming the first woman to become a Green Beret -- Business Insider
Woman to join Green Berets for first time in US military history -- The Hill
Soldier makes history as first woman to join the Army’s Green Berets -- NYPost
It's official: A woman is joining the ranks of Army Special Forces for the first time in history -- Task & Purpose

First US Female Green Beret Candidate Set For July Graduation

The unnamed woman passed a 53-week course to qualify as a Green Beret. Pictured are participants in a Special Forces Assessment and Selection course at Camp Mackall, NC

Daily Mail: First female Green Beret candidate set for July graduation after completing intense 53-week training course

* The unnamed woman will graduate on July 9 at the end of a 53-week course
* The ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee praised her
* 'Important milestone and the first of many,' tweeted Congresswoman Elise Stefanik of New York
* Women have been allowed in all combat and Special Operations jobs since 2016
* None have yet qualified for the Green Berets, although several are Army Rangers
* 700 female soldiers have now been allowed into previously restricted roles
* There are roughly 65,000 women in the United States Army at the moment

A woman has for the first time completed the grueling 53-week qualification course to become a Green Beret, setting her on track to join one of the last all-male sections of the armed forces.

The ban on women becoming Green Berets was lifted by Barack Obama's defense secretary, Ash Carter, in 2015.

In 2016, the Pentagon officially opened all combat and Special Operations jobs to women but no one has, until now, ever qualified to serve in those units.

Several women have attempted to join the elite special forces, some of them coming very close.

Read more ....

Update #1: Exclusive: Woman makes history by becoming the first to graduate modern Special Forces training (SOFREP)
Update #2: Army set to welcome first woman Green Beret next month (The Hill)

WNU Editor: That is quite an accomplishment.

U.S. Air Force Makes History Naming Woman As Its Top NCO

ABC News: Air Force makes history naming woman as top NCO

Master Sgt. JoAnne S. Bass becomes the Air Force's 19th chief master sergeant.

The Air Force is making history by selecting Master Sgt. JoAnne S. Bass as the 19th chief master sergeant of the Air Force, making her the first woman in history to serve as the highest-ranking non-commissioned member of a U.S. military service.

Bass was selected by Gen. Charles Q. Brown, the incoming Air Force chief of staff, who has made history as the first African American to head one of the military services. Brown will succeed Gen. David Goldfien as the Air Force’s chief of staff in August.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Another glass ceiling broken.

More News On The U.S. Air Force Making History By Naming A Woman As Its Top NCO

CMSgt JoAnne Bass to become first woman to serve as chief master sergeant of the Air Force -- Air Force Times
In US Military First, the Air Force has Picked a Woman as Top Enlisted Leader -- Military.com
Air Force makes history: 1st woman as top enlisted leader -- AP
Air Force names military's first female top enlisted member -- The Hill
Air Force names first woman as top noncommissioned officer of any US military branch -- FOX News

U.S. Air Force Capt. Emily Thompson Is The First Woman To Fly The F-35 In Combat

U.S. Air Force Capt. Emily Thompson, 421st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron pilot, dons flight equipment recently at the Aircrew Flight Equipment shop on Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates.

Business Insider: US Air Force pilot becomes the first woman to fly the F-35A stealth fighter into combat

* A US Air Force F-35A pilot recently became the first woman to fly the fifth-generation stealth fighter into combat, according to an Air Force press release.
* Capt. Emily Thompson, call sign "Banzai," made the historic flight in a fifth-generation F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter. It was her first combat sortie on her first deployment.
* "Being the first female, it's a pretty big honor," Thompson said this week in an Air Force statement.

A female US Air Force F-35A pilot made history recently by becoming the first woman to fly the the fighter into combat, the Air Force announced this week.

Deployed to Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates, Capt. Emily Thompson, callsign "Banzai," flew a fifth-generation F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter into combat, becoming the first female pilot to do so. She is on her first deployment, and the flight marked her first combat sortie.

"Being the first female, it's a pretty big honor," Thompson said in an Air Force statement.

"There's a lot of females who have come before me and there's a lot of females already flying combat sorties in other platforms," she said. "So, just to be the person who gets that honor, that first, it just meant a lot."

Read more ....

More News On U.S. Air Force Capt. Emily Thompson Being The First Woman To Fly The F-35 In Combat

This Air Force pilot is the first woman to fly the F-35 in combat -- Air Force Times
A pilot with the callsign 'Banzai' is the first woman to fly the F-35 in combat -- Task & Purpose
Another Crack in Glass Ceiling: First Female USAF Fighter Pilot to Fly F-35A Recounts 'Big Deal' -- Sputnik