Lisa Jaster
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lisa Jaster is a United States Army Reserve lieutenant colonel and engineer officer who was the first female reserve soldier to graduate from the Army's Ranger School.[2] She completed the training, which as many as 60 percent[3] of students fail within the first four days, after "recycling" through, or retrying, several phases of the multi-locational course. Due to being recycled, she was at the school for six months; the school takes a minimum of 61 days[4] and includes up to 20 hours of training per day alongside a strict diet.[5] She graduated at age 37, while the average trainee age is 23.[6]
Lisa Jaster | |
---|---|
Born | 1978 (age 45–46)[1] |
Alma mater | US Military Academy (B.S.) U. of Missouri-Rolla (M.S.) |
Spouse | Allan Jaster |
Children | Zachary and Victoria |
Military career | |
Allegiance | United States of America |
Service/ | United States Army Engineer |
Years of service | 2000 to present |
Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
Battles/wars | Iraq War War in Afghanistan |
Awards | Ranger Tab Bronze Star Medal Meritorious Svc Med |
Jaster, a marathoner and CrossFit fanatic,[7] served seven years on active duty (including tours in Iraq and Afghanistan).[8] She faced difficult moments throughout her Ranger training, and cites the day two other women in the program advanced ahead of her to become the first and second female Rangers as especially trying. Throughout her training, she says she drew strength from her family, keeping pictures of her two young children with husband U.S. Marine Lt. Col. Allan Jaster in her pocket[9] and stealing glances between training assignments.
Prior to receiving her Ranger tab, Jaster worked as an engineer with Shell Oil in Houston[8] and an Army Reserve individual mobilization augmentee with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. She initially was commissioned in the Army in 2000 after graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point,[5] and returned to the reserves in 2012 after a 5-year hiatus from serving. She volunteered for combat training when she discovered the Army Ranger course was being opened to women for the first time in 60 years as a U.S. government experiment to gauge how women would fare in the course[10]
Jaster's military awards include the Bronze Star Medal.[11] and the Meritorious Service Medal.[12]