First Female Soldier in ND National Guard Earns Squad Designated Marksman Distinction

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — The military says Spc. Jennie Dushane is the first female soldier in the North Dakota National Guard to become qualified for a special shooting designation.

The Guard says Dushane earned the Squad Designated Marksman distinction during training in Arkansas, where soldiers fired rifles at targets up to 600 meters away. That's roughly the length of six football fields.

The military says only a third of students enrolled in the course received the title.

DuShane is a military police officer from West Fargo. She serves in the Guard's 191st Military Police Company.