Page 20 - Indies Roundtable 2nd Anniversary Edition
P. 20
Ash was some kind of special—the She then entered Phase II of
first female to earn a Green Beret. It did the qualification course that
not come without a cost. included the Survival, Evasion,
The year was 2020 and she received Resistance and Escape (SERE)
her beret six months after she portion. This particular phase
graduated high school. At the time of had started with a quarantine
her high school graduation, she was in because the coronavirus had
the Tennessee National Guard and had eliminated nearly 75% of the
already attended Airborne School at 110 students who tested
Fort Benning, Georgia. She was able to positive. Ash tested negative, so
attend during the extended Spring she was able to move on.
break, prolonged by the COVID-19
But, in Phase IV, she was in
virus.
Her real dream was to become an the Robin Sage training phase
that served as a realistic test of
elite member of the Special Forces leading indigenous people into
Operational Detachment Alpha, or combat and sabotage
ODA, team. Ash was well aware that if operations. This portion nearly
she was able to accomplish this feat, stopped her cold, not just with
she would be the first female to have the program…but with her life.
done so. But Ash swears that this was It almost became her undoing.
not the reason why she strived for the She spoke of the ordeal with
honor. “I have always wanted to be like me one evening, when we were
my dad,” she told me. alone on a training mission.
She gave me all the details. I
Immediately following her could tell it still weighed heavily
graduation ceremony, Ash requested
on her—that she was still trying
and was accepted to the Special Forces to overcome the post-traumatic
qualification course at Fort Bragg, stress associated with the event
North Carolina. There seemed little —a stress that often disrupted
doubt that she had some help from her
her sleep.
father who had high connections and With only two days
was able to “pull some strings,” as she
phrased it. remaining in Phase IV while
leading a group of indigenous
Ash began with the initial 24-day soldiers on a mission, she was
assessment screening program.
captured by the OPFOR, or
Mastering the basic military skills, Opposing Force—volunteers
which her father had already taught who were from many other
her, came easy for her and she passed military units throughout Fort
everything. Her evaluation was
Bragg.
approved by Special Forces supervisors
for her to continue.
first female to earn a Green Beret. It did the qualification course that
not come without a cost. included the Survival, Evasion,
The year was 2020 and she received Resistance and Escape (SERE)
her beret six months after she portion. This particular phase
graduated high school. At the time of had started with a quarantine
her high school graduation, she was in because the coronavirus had
the Tennessee National Guard and had eliminated nearly 75% of the
already attended Airborne School at 110 students who tested
Fort Benning, Georgia. She was able to positive. Ash tested negative, so
attend during the extended Spring she was able to move on.
break, prolonged by the COVID-19
But, in Phase IV, she was in
virus.
Her real dream was to become an the Robin Sage training phase
that served as a realistic test of
elite member of the Special Forces leading indigenous people into
Operational Detachment Alpha, or combat and sabotage
ODA, team. Ash was well aware that if operations. This portion nearly
she was able to accomplish this feat, stopped her cold, not just with
she would be the first female to have the program…but with her life.
done so. But Ash swears that this was It almost became her undoing.
not the reason why she strived for the She spoke of the ordeal with
honor. “I have always wanted to be like me one evening, when we were
my dad,” she told me. alone on a training mission.
She gave me all the details. I
Immediately following her could tell it still weighed heavily
graduation ceremony, Ash requested
on her—that she was still trying
and was accepted to the Special Forces to overcome the post-traumatic
qualification course at Fort Bragg, stress associated with the event
North Carolina. There seemed little —a stress that often disrupted
doubt that she had some help from her
her sleep.
father who had high connections and With only two days
was able to “pull some strings,” as she
phrased it. remaining in Phase IV while
leading a group of indigenous
Ash began with the initial 24-day soldiers on a mission, she was
assessment screening program.
captured by the OPFOR, or
Mastering the basic military skills, Opposing Force—volunteers
which her father had already taught who were from many other
her, came easy for her and she passed military units throughout Fort
everything. Her evaluation was
Bragg.
approved by Special Forces supervisors
for her to continue.
