Congratulating Captain Kristen Griest and First Lieutenant Shaye Haver on Their Graduation from Ranger School

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise to honor and congratulate CPT Kristen Griest and 1LT Shaye Haver for their historic accomplishment of being the first two women soldiers to complete U.S. Army Ranger School and earn their highly coveted Ranger tabs.

Earning the right to wear a Ranger tab is not for the faint-hearted. The rigors of the course test even the strongest service members. Many try; few succeed.

Through their grit and determination, Captain Griest and Lieutenant Haver have demonstrated that character, courage, and tenacity, not gender, are the hallmarks of great servicemembers and leaders.

Just as teamwork and dedication are the benchmarks for military effectiveness, they are also the mandates of the U.S. Army Rangers who are tasked with our Nation's most challenging and difficult missions. Captain Griest and Lieutenant Haver, along with their fellow Ranger School classmates, braved the challenges and serve as role models for girls and boys--women and men--in the United States and around the world. This integrated class answered our Nation's call to service. They stood shoulder-to-shoulder, enduring the course's extreme mental and physical stress, together. Each carried his or her own weight, and at times the weight of others, proving that integration represents not just a lofty goal, but an achievable reality. Their collective and distinguished accomplishments embody the values of our Armed Forces and our Nation.

The journey toward integration, however, has been hard fought. Before them, the first African Americans and women who answered the call to service laid the foundation for making integration possible. These pioneers inherently understood the importance of their contributions to the realization of integration. They also recognized the undeniable truth that an integrated and balanced force is a successful force both on and off the battlefield.

The effectiveness of a military unit is almost always determined by the cohesion of its individual members, their dedication to the team, and their commitment to the mission. No individual servicemember can succeed by his or her efforts alone. Success is forged from equality and integration.

As we celebrate Captain Griest's and Lieutenant Haver's historic and inspiring achievements, we express our pride and gratitude for their personal courage and sacrifice. I am confident that the military and our country are more battle ready as a result. I am also confident that Captain Griest and Lieutenant Haver will continue to serve with distinction as they ``lead the way'' as our Nation's newest U.S. Army Rangers. As a result of their milestone achievements, they have inspired a nation.

With this in mind, I am pleased to offer this resolution with Senators Mikulski, Ayotte, Baldwin, Boxer, Cantwell, Capito, Ernst, Feinstein, Fischer, Gillibrand, Heitkamp, Hirono, Klobuchar, McCaskill, Murkowski, Murray, Shaheen, Stabenow, Warren, Perdue, Murphy, Kirk, Tester, Flake, Reed, Donnelly, Grassley, Blumenthal, Isakson, Warner, Leahy, Franken, Rubio, Heinrich, Coons, Thune, Merkley, and Gardner, honoring and recognizing the patriotism and historic contributions to the United States by Captain Griest and Lieutenant Haver, and extend my best wishes and heartiest congratulations.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source