NBC News: “A Montana National Guard soldier became the first woman to finish the U.S. Army’s sniper course at Fort Benning, Georgia, military officials said. The woman, who was not identified in a news release from the U.S. Army on Monday, completed the seven-week class Nov. 5. The military describes the course as a program aimed at turning students into “the most feared weapon on the battlefield.
“The soldier enlisted in the National Guard last December and was sent to Fort Benning for basic and advanced individual training. While there, training staff and others recommended that she take the sniper course because of her ‘superior performance,’ the Army’s release said.
“’We are extremely proud of this soldier’s achievement and recognize that this is a milestone for not only Montana, but the entire National Guard and Army,’ Maj. Gen. J. Peter Hronek, the adjutant general for Montana, said in a statement. Students in the course learn fieldcraft, marksmanship, mission planning, advanced situational awareness, urban operations and other battlefield tactics.