That was the message Spc. Tinita Taylor wanted to send to the men around her when she became the first female to complete the Jungle Operations Training Course as an infantryman last week.
Taylor, from 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, is a signal support systems specialist, assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd BCT.
But the Jungle Operations Training Course was just the first step for Taylor, who has loftier goals for herself. Next up is Air Assault, which she plans on attending later this year, and then it is on to Pre-Ranger and Ranger School.
“My goal is to be the first female soldier to complete Ranger School,” Taylor said in a release.
Completing the course was not an easy task for her. According to Taylor, the mental tasks were the hardest to overcome.
“I had to keep reminding myself ‘mind over matter,'” she said. “My head and body had to work together to finish this. … My body held up, but telling myself I can do it is what I needed to do”
Taylor, from Caruthersville, Mo., said that enduring the course opened her eyes to what infantrymen do, and she found a new respect for them.
In the Army for just three years, this accomplishment really makes those around her see what she is able to accomplish in such a short time, none other than her first line supervisor.
“She is an outstanding go-getter, rising to the occasion every time she is needed to step up,” said Sgt. Wayne Murray, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd BCT.
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