[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 134 (Thursday, September 17, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6815-S6816]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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SENATE RESOLUTION 257--CONGRATULATING CAPTAIN KRISTEN GRIEST AND FIRST 
     LIEUTENANT SHAYE HAVER ON THEIR GRADUATION FROM RANGER SCHOOL

  Ms. COLLINS (for herself, Ms. Mikulski, Ms. Ayotte, Ms. Baldwin, Mrs. 
Boxer, Mrs. Capito, Mrs. Ernst, Mrs. Feinstein, Mrs. Fischer, Mrs. 
Gillibrand, Ms. Heitkamp, Ms. Hirono, Mrs. McCaskill, Ms. Murkowski, 
Mrs. Murray, Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Stabenow, Ms. Warren, Mr. Perdue, Mr. 
Murphy, Mr. Kirk, Mr. Tester, Mr. Flake, Mr. Reed, Mr. Donnelly, Mr. 
Grassley, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Isakson, Mr.

[[Page S6816]]

Warner, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Franken, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Heinrich, 
Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Coons, Mr. Thune, Mr. Merkley, and Mr. Gardner) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on Armed Services:

                              S. Res. 257

       Whereas United States Army Rangers ``Lead the Way!'' and 
     have played a decisive role in military engagements since 
     before the Revolutionary War;
       Whereas Ranger School prepares members of the Armed Forces 
     to serve as leaders and members of elite combat forces tasked 
     with dismounted infantry, airborne, airmobile, amphibious, 
     and independent squad and platoon-size operations;
       Whereas Ranger School is one of the toughest training 
     courses for which a member can volunteer, with three phases 
     testing a member's ability to patrol, navigate, mountaineer, 
     and execute combat arms functional skills;
       Whereas students in Ranger School train to exhaustion, 
     pushing the limits of their minds and bodies;
       Whereas although many members apply to Ranger School, fewer 
     than 45 percent, on average, possess the mental and physical 
     toughness required to earn the highly coveted Ranger tab 
     signifying graduation from the School;
       Whereas Captain Kristen Griest and First Lieutenant Shaye 
     Haver braved the rigors of Ranger School, becoming the first 
     women to successfully earn the Ranger tab;
       Whereas they stood shoulder-to-shoulder with their fellow 
     members, carrying their own weight and, at times, the weight 
     of others;
       Whereas their personal courage, sacrifices, and 
     extraordinary leadership skills establish them as role models 
     for women and men alike, proving that skill, not gender, 
     determines military aptitude and success; and
       Whereas, as graduates of the United States Military 
     Academy, they exemplify the time-honored creed of ``Duty, 
     Honor, Country'', and will continue to shape the future of 
     our military and the Rangers in the years to come: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) honors and recognizes the patriotism and historic 
     contributions to the United States by Captain Kristen Griest 
     and First Lieutenant Shaye Haver;
       (2) commends their character, courage, and tenacity as the 
     first women to earn the Ranger tab signifying graduation from 
     Ranger School;
       (3) recognizes that our military and our country are more 
     battle ready as a result of their accomplishments;
       (4) celebrates their service as they continue to ``Lead the 
     Way!'' as our nation's newest United States Army Rangers; and
       (5) congratulates them for their inspiring and 
     groundbreaking accomplishments.

  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I wish 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 servicemembers. 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, and Merkley 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.

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