Note: This is part of a series. Read part one here. Going into Ranger School, Major Lisa Jaster had to prove herself not only as a woman, but also as an older student. The average age of someone attending Ranger School is 23, and she was 37 when she attended. Here, she speaks about the physical and mental struggles women face while going through such a demanding course.

She said, “Hands down the toughest challenge was the sleep deprivation.” When people discuss women in combat roles or attending schools such as Ranger School, the discussions of limitations and lowered standards often overshadow the select few individual women who are actually making history by breaking these barriers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hgtx5QKopaw

Video and image courtesy of DoD, U.S. Army