Specialist Skylar Anderson; the first female Army Combat Engineer

| February 4, 2016

Skylar Anderson

Since we’ve been on Private Lopez’ case all morning, I think it’s only fair that we mention the first female graduate of the Army’s Combat Engineer course, Skylar Anderson, who lives in Colchester, Vermont while she attends the University of Vermont. The big difference between Specialist Anderson and Private Lopez is that Anderson wasn’t even aware of her status as the first woman graduate until after the fact, according to the Associated Press;

Anderson, 20, said it was a “big eye-opener” when her instructors told her that she was the first woman to complete the course allowing her to work alongside combat troops to solve battlefield challenges as varied — and dangerous — as clearing minefields, building bridges under fire or destroying structures to block the enemy’s advance.

Such an opportunity comes with responsibility, Anderson said.

“It’s time to step up and not hide in the shadows,” she said.

[..]

Anderson, of Derry, New Hampshire, said her interest in the military was sparked by her grandfather. She began talking to a recruiter in high school and took the oath on her 18th birthday, while still a senior in high school, and left for training days after graduation. She first joined the New Hampshire National Guard and transferred to the Vermont National Guard after enrolling at the University of Vermont.

[…]

In civilian life, Anderson hopes to become an equine veterinarian, but she plans to stay with the National Guard, never knowing when her unit could be called to active duty.

Category: Army News, National Guard

31 Comments
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L. Taylor

Good for her.

NR Pax

BZ young lady and good luck to you.

NECCSEABEECPO

Thank you Jonn that’s good get us going with one bad then show a good one. BZ and BZ to this young Engineer.

MikeD

And it is for the sake of soldiers like SPC Anderson here that we give such absolute hell to the likes of Lopez.

Fastjack

Major props to SPC Anderson. Bigger balls than most of the people I know– you do not fuck with a combat engineer.

HMCS(FMF) ret.

Congrats to Specialist Anderson!

Veritas Omnia Vincit

Congrats Specialist Anderson!

Nice to see one in the win column Jonn.

Pinto Nag

A fine young soldier! Congratulations on your accomplishments — I know you will have many more in the future.

The Other Whitey

Nice to see a good one to offset the piece of shit. Good luck to her.

IDC SARC

BZ!

…and I gotcher Bangalore torpedo right here

A Proud Infidel®™

Just a Bangalore? I thought you’d tap her like an M180 Cratering Kit but hell, I see you as the kind of “Horn Dawg” that would tag a high school Lunch Lady!

Martinjmpr

Damned Engineers! 😀

(Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_E._Pergrin) 😉

Red Ghost

Essayons!

Sapper3307

Yup her two week long MOS-Q made the news up here.

A Proud Infidel®™

Wait, she did a two week “Shake and Bake” MOSQ versus CE AIT at Fort Lost-in-the-Woods?

Shane

yup a NG nasty course, I still don’t understand how the Army excepts these garbage schools.

L. Taylor

I think reserve component schools are a root cause of failures in the reserve and NG system and makes the necessary integration of these units into their wartime role much more difficult.

I despise that they exist.

SSG E

Are they reserve component schools, or National Guard specific schools? Because I’m in the USAR, and this is the first I’ve heard of it! I certainly did the full school alongside RA and NG soldiers, and everyone who reclasses has a full meal deal MOSQ school as well.

A Proud Infidel®™

Lars, HOLD IT RIGHT THERE, flippy-head! Didn’t you make the first thread comment saying “Good for her”?

Sapper3307

Yup!
An MOS without months of work.

MSG Eric

I just looked in ATRRS. Apparently, the reserve component course is only 2 weeks. Surprising.

The OSUT course is 14 weeks, the Active Duty Reclass course is 6 weeks.

If I had known that, I’d have asked to go to it a long time ago. Geeze.

All the “RC” MOS courses my unit deals with are 29 days or more, even HR Specialist is a month. (broken down into 2 phases)

Bill M

After reading about the shitstains, it was really refreshing to read this one about Specialist Anderson. One good one makes up for so many turds.

Ex-PH2

That’s more like it. She puts the wannabes to shame, without trying.

Good for her. Carry on!

Silentium Est Aureum

Well done, Specialist!

Andy11M

Read her story last month. She did MOSQ for 12B out at Camp Grafton in North Dakota. F that miserable place. I did the same course out there back in the 90s.

20thEB67

ESSAYONS!

OWB

Well done, indeed!

Now, for the commentary. This is how it should be done. Without the pressure going in of knowing you are the first, the likelihood of success has to be greater. Few of us want a media circus made of anything we do even when it is routine. Nobody needs that kind of distraction.

AW1Ed

“Essayons!”
Had to look that one up, left impressed. Congrats, Specialist Anderson!

CWORet

Shit. Sorry about clicking report….
Not intended…

Skippy

CONGRATS ! ! ! ! !

HOOOOOOOAH ! ! ! !

Jarhead

Specialist Anderson, congratulations on your efforts! You give us old farts reason to once again think positive about the future of Armed Forces in the United States. May you always do well at everything you attempt. God bless you.