Jackson Free Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Two women have passed the Army's Ranger School, becoming the first females to complete the grueling combat training program and earn the right to wear Ranger tabs on their uniforms.

The Army's Ranger headquarters in Fort Benning, Georgia, says the women and 94 men passed the tough 62-day course that tests their ability to overcome fatigue, hunger and stress during combat operations.

Allowing women to participate in the Ranger course is part of the U.S. military's push to open more combat jobs to women. Though most of the military's approximately 1,000 occupations are open to women, some of the toughest ones remain closed to them.

A graduation ceremony will be held Friday at Fort Benning, the U.S. Army post near the Georgia-Alabama line.

"Each Ranger School graduate has shown the physical and mental toughness to successfully lead organizations at any level," Army Secretary John McHugh said in a statement. "This course has proven that every soldier, regardless of gender, can achieve his or her full potential."

"We owe soldiers the opportunity to serve successfully in any position where they are qualified and capable," he added.

The 62-day Ranger school includes three phases, each in a different part of the country: wooded areas of Fort Benning, the Appalachian mountains of north Georgia, and swamps in Florida.

The first 20 days of Ranger school focus on military skills and endurance. Then, the mountain phase near Dahlonega, Georgia, includes more small-unit operations and survival techniques. The final so-called swamp phase takes place in Florida and includes airborne assault, amphibious operations and extreme mental and physical stress.