DELETE THE ADJECTIVE

Being the First Means Carrying a Burden. Luckily, Strength is No Issue for Lisa Jaster, the First Female Reserve Graduate of the Elite U.S. Army Ranger School

- Mike Landers

“I don't want to be qualified. I don’t want my accomplishments qualified,” explains a currently multitasking Lisa Jaster, graciously chatting from the car in between her children’s rugby and jiujitsu practices. “I went to the State of the Union address in 2016, and I posted a few things online. I was sick of people telling me, ‘You’re strong for a woman,’ or, ‘Wow, you’re fill-in-the-blank for your age,’ or, ‘You really know your tactics for a female soldier.’ Not only had Lisa’s gender and age suddenly become a focus, but so had her resolve. From those comments came #DeleteTheAdjective and a bit of a chip on her shoulder. “Those chips on our shoulders are what make us succeed in the long run,” Lisa explains.

She’s not wrong. Her drive has led Lisa to delete the “female” adjective in a life and career full of accomplishments. First deployment? Afghanistan after Sept. 11. Second Deployment? Operation Iraqi Freedom. Graduating from the prestigious Army Ranger School? Check. It’s an impressive feat to graduate from Ranger School at all, let alone conquer it at the tender age of 37. “In my Ranger school class, I always volunteered to be point man, or carry extra items. I remember one mission where I was a 240 gunner, which is a roughly 30-pound rig, and I had probably 100 rounds on me. As we’d conquer this mountain trail, our Platoon Sergeant would do a head count at the top. It was just one of those days, and I looked at this young guy and he was counting heads, and I elbowed him in the ribs and I laughed really hard. Later that night in the patrol base he pulls me over to the side and he’s like, ‘Why are you laughing?’ And I said, ‘You don’t get it, I get to be here.’”