Janina Simmons makes her mark on black history as she becomes the first black female soldier to graduate from U.S. Army Ranger School.
What We Know:
- Ranger candidates go through 62 days of intense training and long hours. About 34% of Ranger candidates repeat at least one section of the three part course.
- Unlike the other candidates, Simmons completed the training course without having to repeat any sections.
- In December 2018, Simmons also became the first black woman to finish first place in the Fort Jackson qualifier for the Bataan Memorial Dead March completing the 16-mile march in two hours and 52 minutes while carrying her 25.8 pound rucksack.
- Simmons told Connecting Vets, “I’m humbled to be here…62 days of training and I made it the first time through.”
- Simmons has received countless praise for her monumental accomplishments, including the U.S. Army twitter account who praised her as a “Model U.S. Army soldier.”
We can’t wait to see whats next for Simmons as she continues on her path.
