(CNSNews.com) -- All eight female soldiers in the first co-ed class of the U.S. Army Ranger School failed to pass the first phase of training, the Darby Phase, according to a May 29 Army press release. In addition, this was the second attempt by all eight women to try to pass the Darby Phase of the training.

“Today, at Fort Benning, 195 Ranger Students met the requirements … to begin the Mountain Phase of Ranger School,” reads the release. “There were no female soldiers amongst the 195 Ranger Students going forward to the second phase of Ranger School.”

“Additionally, 54 men and no women will be recycled, or given a second attempt at the next Darby Phase of Ranger School, starting on Thursday, June 25, 2015,” said the press release. “All eight women in the Ranger Course were on their second attempt of the Darby Phase.”

Pentagon officials announced in January that the historically male-only Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade course would be opened to women on a one-time basis for research purposes, in response to a 2013 directive from former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta to open combat-roles to women before 2016.

Nineteen women and 380 men started the program on April 20. Before formally beginning Ranger School, however, students must pass a demanding physical fitness assessment.

During this 4-day Ranger Assessment Phase, known as RAP week, students must complete 49 push-ups in two minutes; 59 sit-ups in two minutes; a five-mile run in 40 minutes; six pull-ups; a combat water survival assessment; a land navigation course; and a 12-mile road march carrying about 45 pounds of equipment.

Three women failed the physical assessment on day one. Eight of the remaining 16 women and 184 men completed RAP week and were cleared to begin the 57 remaining days of the three-phase Ranger Course Assessment.

Phase One, the Darby Phase, is “fifteen days of intensive squad training and operations at Fort Benning, Georgia,” featuring student-led patrols, techniques training, and the infamous Darby Queen obstacle course, the press release states.

In April, 115 male soldiers proceeded to Phase Two, the Mountain Phase, while eight women and 101 men did not meet the standards of the first phase but were permitted to retry, or “recycle” through the Darby Phase with the next class.

One-hundred-ninety-five men passed the next Darby Phase, which began on May 14, and 54 men will be recycled to start again on June 25, 2015.

Five soldiers, including three women, will start the Ranger Course over at RAP week on June 21 in what is called a Day One Recycle. According to the press release, this is standard procedure “when students struggle with one aspect of the course and excel at others.”

Twenty-nine soldiers, including five women, have been dropped from the Ranger Assessment course.

“For a variety of reasons, these students were unsuccessful at meeting the standard--some for leading their graded patrols, some for a poor evaluation of their teamwork from their peers, some for accumulating too many negative spot reports, and some for a combination of all three,” the press release states. “However, the vast majority who are being dropped from the course were unable to successfully lead a patrol,” after several opportunities to do so.

U. S. Army Ranger School has about a 50 percent pass rate, and students are given three recycle opportunities. About 75 percent of soldiers who pass RAP week will pass the Ranger program, but this process can take several months for those who recycle through phases. The Darby Phase has a 15 percent recycle rate, lower than the 18 percent recycle rate of the two subsequent phases.

Colonel David G. Fivecoat, Commander of the Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade, spoke with the soldiers upon their completion of the Darby Phase.

“Each Ranger student, whether successful or unsuccessful, learned more about themselves, leadership, and small unit tactics, and returns to the Army a better trained Soldier and leader,” he said.