First Female Just Graduated From One Of The Toughest Courses Marines Have To Offer

USMC / Public Domain

It’s said that becoming a Marine is one of the toughest things you can do, but once you do, it can get even tougher. You can enter the United States Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center (MWTC) and get trained in “complex compartmented terrain” under extremely harsh conditions. One must volunteer for this training as peak physical fitness is a prerequisite, saying a lot about the course as Marines need to be fit to begin with.

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One of the program’s latest graduates is Sgt. Tara-Lyn Baker. A heavy equipment mechanic, she is the first female to ever graduate this rigorous course. The Marine Corps has nearly doubled their presence in Norway in recent years and is in need of more able bodies to train in these conditions.

Sgt. Baker answered that call and got through it, but it wasn’t easy. “You learn how to survive, you learn how to deal with the cold,” she said, also stating that she’s suffered frostbite and hypothermia while training.

Hats off to Sgt. Baker as well as all the other graduates of her class. Semper Fi brothers and sisters.