Photo By Staff Sgt. Caleb Vance | West Virginia National Guard 1st Lt. Emily Lilly, a platoon leader with Charlie Troop,...... read more read more
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U.S. Army 1st Lt. Emily Lilly, a platoon leader with Charlie Troop, 1st Squadron, 150th Cavalry Regiment, doesn’t just set goals to achieve them. She leaves behind her a legacy of firsts. She was the first female in the Army National Guard to enter into a combat military occupational speciality (MOS) as an armor officer. Today, she added another accolade to her resume by becoming the first female National Guard graduate of the U.S. Army Ranger School in Fort Benning, Georgia.
Lilly is known for seeking out challenges, whether mental or physical. She is an avid adventurer and has met challenge after challenge during her seemingly short career in the Army that’s spanned a little more than four years. From completing multiple bachelor’s degrees, to balancing motherhood and a full-time career in the West Virginia National Guard, she has established herself as a leader who excels at every turn, even in the face of adversity.
When Lilly commissioned into the Army, females were not allowed to go into combat jobs. A Department of Defense announcement in 2015 to open combat roles to women gave her the opportunity to work towards her goal and follow in her grandfather’s footsteps as a cavalry officer. In an interview after her completion of the Army’s Armor Basic Officer Leaders Course she said, “I'm very cognizant that there is more scrutiny on women moving into new arenas, so I definitely feel the pressure to perform well, not only for myself, but also to ensure that the opportunities will be there for more women in the future.”
In November 2017, she set off for the 16-day Ranger Training and Assistance Course, a precursor to Ranger School. Since that time, she has endured some of the most grueling training offered in the U.S. Army. As a part of the 62-day course, which noted a 67 percent failure rate among participants last year, Lilly developed and honed infantry leadership tasks.
Physical training, land navigation, and ruck marches led to instruction on troop movement, battle drills and field craft, and that’s all in the first few weeks. Advanced instruction on infantry tactics and procedures, mountaineering tasks and mobility training coupled with small unit tactics and highly stressful field exercises bring the course to a culmination during its final phase.
The training is not for the faint of heard. It’s designed to push students to their physical and mental limits through each of its three phases: Benning, Mountain and Florida. Only about 25 percent of Ranger School students graduate without having to repeat at least one portion of the course, and Lilly is no exception to that statistic. She successfully completed all requirements after five arduous months in the program and earned the coveted Ranger tab April 27, 2018.
“It finally happened and it feels like an amazing relief that I made it,” Lilly said.
“I feel like it’s a culmination of a really long journey,” she continued. “When they initially announced that women could come to Ranger School, it’s something that I thought was beyond my ability level but then I had some people that were encouraging me saying, ‘you can do this, women can do this,’ so I thought I’d train for it and see what happens.”
Col. Michaelle Munger, 77th Brigade Troop Commander said of her accomplishment, “We are proud to serve in her ranks as fellow West Virginia National Guardsmen and women. I look forward to her future contributions to the 77th Brigade; I know the rigors of Ranger School will compliment her development as a warrior leader in the Army National Guard.”
She has credited her success and motivation to the work ethic instilled into her and her siblings by her parents who taught her that if something is worth doing, it’s worth doing well.
In underscoring her achievement, she stated that she wants people to know that, “You can do anything that you put your mind to.”
Attending the Army’s premier infantry leadership school is meant to develop the next generation of combat leaders. Throughout the course and its innumerable physical and mental challenges, Lilly learned about herself, her character and her leadership style and was able to adapt and mold that into who she is today.
“I definitely learned a lot more about myself and my abilities. When you’re under a lot of stress, you have to learn to be patient, but expect more from your colleagues and be able to adapt your leadership style based on what the situation is at hand.”
Lilly hopes to go back to her unit, the 150th Cavalry Regiment in the West Virginia National Guard, and serve as a role model to her peers. She noted that many of her other platoon leaders and non-commissioned officers are capable of graduating from Ranger School as well.
“I’d love to see them start a new legacy where we have great combat leaders in our unit. I know these guys are all capable.”
Lilly plans to continue her work in her full-time position with the 77th Brigade Troop Command in Beckley, West Virginia and spend time with her children and family upon returning home.
| Date Taken: | 04.27.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 04.27.2018 18:27 |
| Story ID: | 274883 |
| Location: | CHARLESTON, WV, US |
| Web Views: | 1,846 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Trailblazer in the making: Lilly is first female National Guard Soldier to graduate Army Ranger School, by Maj. Holli Nelson, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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