Sgt. Hailey Falk, 23, became the first female enlisted soldier to complete the rigorous Sapper Leader Course. Falk pinned on her Sapper Tab Dec. 7, during a ceremony at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo.
The 28-day combat-engineer course entails a series of challenges, aimed at developing soldiers capable of meeting the strenuous demands required of the job.
To meet the criteria, Falk had to score better than the minimum 230 on the physical fitness test — with at least 70 points in each event.
“During [the course] it seemed like the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Then, after, I [thought] I could do this again, honestly,” said Falk, who is assigned to B Company, 39th Engineer Battalion “Bull Strike,” 2nd Brigade Combat Team “Strike,” 101st Airborne Division, based at Fort Campbell, Ky. She plans to attend Pathfinder School early next year.
