FORT BENNING, Ga. – Two South Carolina and Pennsylvania National Guard Soldiers have earned the coveted Ranger tab, becoming among the few enlisted National Guard members to complete U.S. Army Ranger School.
U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jessica Smiley, a South Carolina National Guard military police non-commissioned officer assigned to the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, and U.S. Army Sgt. Danielle Farber, a Pennsylvania National Guard 166th Regional Training Institute Medical Battalion Training Site instructor, completed the grueling course at Fort Benning on Dec. 13. Ranger School is known for pushing Soldiers to their mental and physical limits to produce capable, resilient leaders.
"My mindset going into this was to leave 100 percent on the table and never have a regret or look back and say, 'I should have pushed harder or I should have done something different,'" said Smiley. "My mindset today is that I did just that. I gave 100 percent. I did everything that I could, and now here I am."
As enlisted National Guard Soldiers to earn the Ranger tab, Smiley and Farber join a select group who have completed the school since the Pentagon opened combat arms roles to all Soldiers. Others include U.S. Army Capt. Kristen Griest and U.S. Army 1st Lt. Shaye Haver, who graduated in 2015; U.S. Army 1st Lt. Emily Lilly, a National Guard officer who graduated in 2018; and U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Amanda Kelley, the first enlisted Soldier to graduate that same year.
Despite their achievement, Smiley and Farber emphasized that Ranger School is attainable for any Soldier willing to put in the work.
"I don't think it's charting a course for others because it's something we all have in us. We just haven't been allowed to do it. There are many out there who are completely capable," said Smiley. "Do it. Put in the hard work and dedication to accomplish the goal."
The journey to earning their tabs took years of training and perseverance. Farber, for example, has been working toward this goal since 2016, when she first attempted the Pennsylvania Ranger/Sapper state assessment program but was not selected. After a second attempt in 2018, she was selected along with about 10 others and, a year later, went to Ranger School.
"Train hard for it," said Farber. "Come into it knowing you're going to be doing things that every other Soldier that comes through here has to do. Don't expect any sort of special treatment because it won't happen."
Both Soldiers hope to use the experience to strengthen and inspire those they lead.
"This day to me is not the end of the school, but the beginning of a new chapter in my career, not only for myself but for future Soldiers," said Smiley.
U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Russ Vickery, South Carolina National Guard command sergeant major, praised their dedication and accomplishment.
"It is a big deal for enlisted Soldiers in the National Guard to graduate Ranger School. … It's groundbreaking," he said. "We always tell Soldiers they can do it. Physical size is not the limitation — it's the amount of heart and soul a Soldier brings."