When Major Sydney Jaques joined the Army, she carried more than a rucksack and a rifle. She carried a legacy—daughter of a Vietnam-era Navy officer, granddaughter of a World War II Marine. But as the first female officer in the 75th Ranger Regiment to earn both a Ranger Tab and a scroll, she also carried the burden of being a “first” in a culture known more for its quiet professionalism than for celebrating trailblazers.
Now, she’s speaking out—and the Army can’t decide whether to support her or stay silent.
Breaking Barriers, Earning Tabs
Jaques began her career like many others—ROTC graduate from the University of Scranton, logistics and AG assignments, and eventually a platoon leader in the 82nd Airborne Division. But her trajectory veered sharply into history in 2015 when she became the first woman assigned to any infantry battalion in the 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 82nd. She later deployed to Iraq with the White Falcons and became their battalion S1.
“I decided to apply to serve in the 75th Ranger Regiment,” she says on her Instagram. “I felt in my soul that I wanted to follow some of the most amazing men I served with in the 82nd and continue to take care of them as the S1.”
After passing RASP 2 in 2017, the three-week selection course for senior noncommissioned officers, warrant officers, and officers in the U.S. Army seeking to join the 75th Ranger Regiment, she was assigned to the 75th Ranger Regiment S1.
In 2018, she was sent to Ranger School and passed. That distinction made her the first female to serve in Ranger Regiment with both a tab and scroll—a milestone achievement that placed her on recruiting posters and, eventually, on the side of an Army bus.
But Jaques’ experience wasn’t the success story the Army seemed to want it to be. In her own words, the photo-op felt more like a glorification of trauma than a celebration of perseverance.
“At the time… it represented glorification and use of trauma that I silently grit thru from things BEYOND the unit.”
Becoming the Poster Girl—and Then Paying for It
The photo of Jaques on that recruiting bus made her a symbol. But being a symbol comes with a price.
What followed was a deluge of criticism from both inside and outside the Army. Accusations that standards were lowered for her. Claims that she didn’t “earn it.” Dismissive whispers that she got where she was because of identity politics, not performance.
She says the scrutiny led her into a mental health spiral—one marked by extreme perfectionism, self-isolation, and a loss of identity.
“I became skin and bones, so unhealthy, zero identity other than making sure my entire life was about work… I lost myself to be perfect in uniform.”
Her social media posts since leaving Ranger Regiment paint a raw, vulnerable picture of what it’s like to be a female trailblazer in a hyper-masculine culture. From battling internalized misogyny to navigating failed personal relationships, Jaques reveals she once judged other women as harshly as she felt judged herself.
“I was probably one of the most misogynistic women in the Army… I masked [my insecurity] with being really f***ing competitive.”
Now in a senior AG assignment and serving as a battalion XO, Jaques seems less interested in fitting into the mold and more focused on breaking it open. At last year’s ball, she featured an image of a shaved-head Britney Spears on the back of her uniform; this year, she took it further with a custom patch sewn onto her dress uniform—depicting a witch being burned at the stake, nonchalantly lighting a cigarette from the flames.
Her social media posts indicate she has made close friendships with others who have faced scrutiny for their service, such as Major Kara Corcoran, an Army infantry officer who identifies as a female soldier.
Doubling Down or Finally Speaking Up?
Some might say Jaques is chasing attention—sharing too much, too often. Others might argue that the Army only loved her when she was silent and saluting from the recruiting posters.
She clearly doesn’t care.
“You’re not crazy for recognizing it to the point it makes you start feeling like a fraud… You earned what you have.”
Her posts now reach thousands of followers, many of them service members—men and women alike—grappling with identity, burnout, and the price of trying to “fit in” where you were never expected to belong.
In one especially candid reflection, she admits she nearly filed an Equal Opportunity complaint because she was so consumed with erasing her identity as a woman just to be accepted:
“I was sooooo consumed with trying to erase my identity as a woman… Yea that turned out great—identity mental health crisis right around the corner.”
So, Did the Army Throw Her Under the Bus?
The question remains: Did the Army throw Jaques under the bus by making her the face of progress without preparing her for the backlash? Or is this just the uncomfortable process of growing pains in a force still adjusting to a post-Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, post-Ranger School-for-women world?
Maybe it’s both.
Jaques was exactly what the Army said it wanted: a tough, capable, decorated officer who could lead and inspire. But she also became a target for resentment, jealousy, and institutional hypocrisy.
Now she’s reclaiming the narrative—one Instagram post at a time.
Whatever your opinion of Major Jaques—pioneer or poster child, leader or lightning rod—she’s no longer just a name in a press release. She’s chosen to be part of the conversation, and in doing so, she’s challenged the Army to rethink what it means to be both a soldier and a woman in uniform.
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