The West Point Association of Graduates is saluting the service and achievements of the women of the Long Gray Line! Today, we're highlighting three trailblazing women graduates from the U.S Army’s Ranger School—all West Point graduates.
CPT Kristen Griest graduated from USMA in 2011 and 1LT Shaye Haver graduated in 2012. In January 2015, Griest and Haver joined a select group of 109 women to attend Army Ranger School out of an application pool of 400. After a mandatory pre-Ranger School course, only 19 women were invited to begin Ranger School training. On August 21, 2015, Griest and Shaye Haver earned Ranger tabs. Griest was also promoted to Captain that same day. Two months later, MAJ Lisa Jaster, USMA Class of 2000, graduated from Ranger School at age 37, while the average trainee age is 23.
Prior to Ranger School, Griest served in Afghanistan as a military police officer and was awarded a Bronze Star Medal. In 2016, she became an infantry officer in the US Army where she was assigned to 4th Ranger Training Battalion of the Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade at Ft. Benning as a platoon tactical trainer, where she would become an instructor for the Darby Phase of Ranger School. Griest took command of Bravo Company, 2-505th Parachute Infantry Regiment in April of 2017, and served in that position in the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. Griest currently is assigned to West Point as a the E2 TAC Officer responsible for assisting each cadet with balancing and integrating the requirements of the physical, military, academic, and moral-ethical programs.
Haver served as an Apache Attack Helicopter pilot in an aviation brigade prior to Ranger School. In 2018, Haver took command of Co C, 1st Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry of the 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division, joining Griest in being an infantry commander. When US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died and laid in state at the US Capitol, Haver led the military honor guard that carried the casket.
Before receiving her Ranger tab, Jaster was initially assigned to Fort Stewart with the 92nd Engineer Battalion and deployed in support of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in her first four years. Jaster left active-duty in 2007 and started a family and civilian career with Shell, but returned to the Army as an Army Reserve individual mobilization augmentee with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Jaster’s military awards include the Bronze Star Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal.