In thinking back on becoming the 32nd female soldier to earn a Ranger tab, 1Lt. Brittany Taylor neatly articulated the progress of history.
"I do not think I have made history, but continued history," she wrote in an email. "I am forever grateful for all of the trailblazing women who have paved the way for me."
The current adjutant for the commander of the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT), 2nd Infantry Division, Taylor previously served as the first female combat arms officer with the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment.
A graduate of the United State Military Academy at West Point where she majored in economics and American history, Taylor decided to attend Ranger School because she wanted to set an example for the soldiers she leads.
"I wanted to show them that I was determined, strong, and would not turn away from a challenge, no matter how difficult it may be," the native of Katy, Texas continued.
To accomplish her goal, Taylor attended a pre-Ranger train-up where she was physically and mentally challenged in conditions similar to what she would face. After completing the training, she reported to Ranger School in April 2019.
The school is 61 days in length and is comprised of three grueling phases: Benning, Mountain and Florida.
The Benning phase is conducted at Camp Darby, Fort Benning, Georgia and is the most physical phase; the Mountain phase at Camp Merrill in the Georgia mountains is considered to be the most challenging phase; and the Florida phase at Camp Rudder, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, completes the candidate's training.
Candidate Taylor recycled Florida and thus took approximately 85 days to complete and graduate from Ranger School.
For the determined Taylor, the toughest part of Ranger School training was getting up and going at 0445.
"The first 15 minutes of each day I would question why I was waking up so early to just be miserable all day," she explained.
"However, after those first 15 minutes, I would rediscover all the reasons I would never want to give up."
Upon successful completion of Ranger School, Taylor graduated in July 2019.
"I loved working with my peers, and no matter how miserable we were, how terrible the conditions were, or how sorry for ourselves we were feeling, we could always make each other laugh .... Those shared hardships brings you much closer together as a team," she recalled.
At her graduation 1Lt. Troy Taylor - her proud husband, fellow West Pointer and recent Ranger School graduate - pinned a very special Ranger tab onto his wife's left shoulder.
"It was his grandpa's Ranger tab," she explained.
"His grandpa cut the tab out of his uniform, then was able to make it to my husband's graduation and pin that Ranger tab on him. Then Troy pinned the same Ranger tab on me."
In considering the near future, Taylor plans on remaining in the Army. In the meantime, she plans to lead the way for her soldiers.
"Now it is my responsibility to set a positive example for our other soldiers, illustrating that combat arms integration is positive progression."
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