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For the first time in the history of the U.S. Army Rangers, 19 women are among nearly 400 soldiers undergoing the 62-day training course at Fort Benning.
About 80 have already failed the physical assessment test and been released from class. Three are women.
The Ranger Assessment Phase at Fort Benning, known as "RAP" week, requires Ranger candidates to be able to run five miles in under 40 minutes and complete 49 push-ups, 59 sit-ups and six chin-ups.
Over the course of the week, eight more women were dropped, either for failing to locate the required objects on the land navigation course or failing to complete a 12-mile road march carrying 50 pounds of equipment and water in under three hours.
Eight women made it as far as the training jump, which was postponed Saturday due to poor weather. Training continues in the north Georgia mountains and in the Florida swamps near Destin.
Major General Scott Miller tells the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, he is under no pressure to relax Ranger School standards for women. "There won't be a change in standards," he maintains.
A Ranger class graduated Friday. Fewer than 20 percent made it through without re-taking some part of the course.
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