Lisa Jaster

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
Born1978 (age 41–42)[1]
Alma materUS Military Academy (B.S.)
U. of Missouri-Rolla (M.S.)
Spouse(s)Allan Jaster
ChildrenZachary and Victoria
Military career
Allegiance United States of America
Service/branch United States Army
Engineer
Years of service2000 to present
Rank Lieutenant Colonel
Battles/wars Iraqi Freedom
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 see how women would fare in the course[10]

Jaster military awards include the Bronze Star Medal.[11] and the Meritorious Service Medal.[12]

Early career

Jaster was commissioned as a U.S. Army Engineer Officer in 2000 upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York.[13] She was initially assigned to Fort Stewart in eastern Georgia with the 92nd Engineer Battalion,[14] and deployed in support of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in her first four years (Operation Enduring Freedom I and Operation Iraqi Freedom I).[15] Jaster was then reassigned to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, for school, where she met her husband, Marine Lt. Col. Allan Jaster. She left active-duty in 2007 and started a family and civilian career with Shell, but returned to the Army as a reservist in 2014. Jaster holds a BS and MS in Civil Engineering.

Ranger school
Maj. Lisa Jaster, an Army Reserve soldier, performs a fireman's carry on a simulated casualty during the Ranger Course on Ft. Benning, GA. The 37-year-old engineer and mother of two children, aged 7 and 3, is the first female Army Reserve officer to graduate Ranger School.

One of the first three women to graduate the United States Army Ranger School[2], Jaster was the first female United States Army Reserve officer to earn the Ranger Tab.[2] She completed the training, which as many as 60 percent[3] of students fail within the first four days, after repeatedly "recycling" through, or retrying, several phases of the multi-locational course. There were 400 participants, 19 of whom were women, who initially began the training. Jaster endured the training, which takes a minimum of 61 days[16] and includes up to 20 hours of training per day alongside a strict diet, for a grueling six months.[5] She graduated at age 37, while the average trainee age is 23.[6] Capt. Kristen Griest and 1st Lt. Shaye Lynne Haver are the two other women aside from herself who have earned the Ranger tab. They recycled together for the first round, but went on while she had to recycle for the second round. Jaster joined 87 men in receiving the tab in a ceremony at Fort Benning.

Awards and decorations
Bronze Star Medal
Meritorious Service Medal
Army Commendation Medal with one Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster
National Defense Service Medal
Afghanistan Campaign Medal
Iraq Campaign Medal
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal
Korea Defense Service Medal
Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal
Army Service Ribbon
Presidential Unit Citation
Meritorious Unit Commendation
Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation
Ranger Tab
Combat Action Badge
Parachutist Badge
Air Assault Badge
101st Airborne Division Shoulder Sleeve Insignia
2 Overseas Service Bars

Personal life

After moving from West Point to Fort Leonard Wood, Jaster met her husband, Marine Lt. Col. Allan Jaster, veteran of both Iraq and Afghanastan, and officer in the Marine Corps Reserve. They have two children together, Zachary and Victoria,[17] and live in Houston, Texas. Jaster credits the support of her family as being the reason why she was able to complete her training at Ranger School[18]

In her spare time, Jaster trains for and completes marathons, engages in CrossFit, goes scuba diving, snowboarding, and practices Brazilian jiu-jitsu.[5]

gollark: You may want to stay clear of orbital bee strike satellites.
gollark: "Bees you"
gollark: That definition lacks nuance.
gollark: It says "a morbid dread of water" too.
gollark: Hydrophobic would also apply to soap, which avoids it magically.

References
  1. Fuller, Bonnie (ed.). "Lisa Jaster". Hollywood Life. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  2. Cobiskey, Olivia. "Maj. Lisa Jaster, 37, first female Army Reserve Soldier graduates Army Ranger School". www.army.mil. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  3. Donovan Ronin (June 11, 2019). ""How Hard Is Ranger School, Really?"". The Havok Journal. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  4. "United States Army Rangers - The United States Army". www.army.mil. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  5. Lamothe, Dan. "Army Ranger School has a groundbreaking new graduate: Lisa Jaster, 37, engineer and mother". Washington Post. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  6. OMelveny, Sean. "Latest Female to Graduate Ranger School Is 37-Year-Old Mother of Two". Military.com. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  7. "Athlete: Lisa Jaster". CrossFit Games. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  8. "Maj. Lisa Jaster Will Be Third Woman To Graduate From Army Ranger School". Headlines & Global News. 14 October 2015. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  9. Pelley, Scott. "Third female Army Ranger on graduating: "There's no quitting"". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  10. Calamur, Krishnadev. "Army OKs Female Soldiers For Ranger Training Program". NPR.org. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  11. Connor, Eric. "Media advisory: Historic graduation for 1st female Army Reserve Ranger > U.S. Army Reserve > Article View". www.usar.army.mil. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  12. "diversitysummit". diversitysummit. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  13. Dan, Lamothe. "Army Ranger School has a groundbreaking new graduate: Lisa Jaster, 37, engineer and mother". Washington Post. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  14. Lamothe, Dan. "Army Ranger School's new grad: Lisa Jaster, 37, engineer and mother". www.abqjournal.com. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  15. Cobiskey, Olivia. "Maj. Lisa Jaster, 37, first female Army Reserve Soldier graduates Army Ranger School". www.army.mil. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
  16. "United States Army Rangers - The United States Army". www.army.mil.
  17. Williams, Chuck. "TEAM JASTER: Meet the family that sent wife and mother Lisa Jaster to six months of Ranger School". ledger-enquirer.
  18. Williams, Chuck. "TEAM JASTER: Meet the family that sent wife and mother Lisa Jaster to six months of Ranger School". ledger-enquirer. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.