WASHINGTON — Capping their history-making week, the first female soldiers to complete the Army’s rigorous Ranger School are graduating today, putting a spotlight on the debate over opening all combat roles to women.

First Lt. Shaye Haver of Copperas Cove, Texas, and Capt. Kristen Griest of Orange, Conn., are pinning on the black-and-gold Ranger tab at a graduation ceremony, along with 94 male soldiers, at Fort Benning, Ga. Defense Secretary Ash Carter called the women Thursday to congratulate them for finishing the nine-week training program.

Their success casts new attention on the obstacles that remain to women who aspire to join all-male combat units, including the 75th Ranger Regiment. Although Haver and Griest are now Ranger-qualified, no women are eligible for the elite regiment, although officials say it is among special operations units likely to eventually be opened to women.

Griest, 26, is a military police officer and has served one tour in Afghanistan. Haver, 25, is a pilot of Apache helicopters. Both are graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Of 19 women who began the Ranger course, Haver and Griest are the only two to finish so far; one is repeating a prior phase of training in hopes of graduating soon.

The Army opened Ranger School to female soldiers for the first time this year as service leaders weighed opening more combat jobs to women. How far the military is willing to go toward ending gender restrictions will be evident soon.

Carter said Thursday he will decide by December whether to accept any recommended exceptions to an order, signed by one of his predecessors, Leon Panetta, nearly three years ago that said all positions must be open to qualified women unless service leaders can justify keeping any closed. Any recommended exceptions are due to Carter in October.

Griest told reporters Thursday she hopes her success shows that women “can deal with the same stresses and training that men can.”