Women in U.S. infantry (USMC, Rangers, etc. - merged)

[Jarnhamar]

Shark week..

 

[PuckChaser]

Wait a second now, I think this idea has some weight.  We could call them the Pre Menstrual Battalion, only launching them into battle four days a month.  They'd be devastating!  Of course they'd need to be RIP'd after four days, before they spent the next twenty seven or so days apologizing to the enemy for being such bitches.

The only defense against PMB? Bears. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vp-eaHJigkY

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

The only defense against PMB? Bears. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vp-eaHJigkY

+10000000000000 hahahahaha

 

[MikeL]

http://marines.dodlive.mil/2013/10/01/firs-female-marines-attend-infantry-course/
Visit the link to watch the video

First female Marines attend infantry course
FEATURES, ON TARGET  //  October 1st, 2013  //  By Cpl. Chelsea Flowers Anderson

CAMP GEIGER, N.C. —

The first female Marines to ever attend infantry training with the Infantry Training Battalion, School of Infantry-East, at Marine Corps Base Camp Geiger, N.C., completed the first week of training Sept. 28.

Fifteen female Marines began the training following graduation from boot camp at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, S.C., as part of ongoing research on the incorporation of women into combat-related jobs.

The research is a result of the lifting of the 1994 Direct Ground Combat Assignment Restriction earlier this year, which required all services to implement a plan to completely integrate women into combat positions by 2016.

The 15 female students were among 119 recent graduates from recruit training. Forty-eight of the women met the initial physical requirements for the course, but only 19 volunteered to join Infantry Training Battalion, or ITB. Four later opted out of the training, instead choosing to attend Marine Combat Training, a course required for all Marines, regardless of occupational-specialty.

All Marines attending the infantry training are expected to meet the same physical standard, known as the “ITB standard,” during scored events — regardless of gender.  The standards of the battalion have not changed; they are the same standards outlined by the Marine Corps prior to the start of the current research.

The remaining 15 students chose to go above and beyond what is required of female Marines by attending the infantry course. Upon completion of the course, the female Marines will not be awarded the 0311 infantry job designator and will proceed to their previously selected occupational specialty training.

“I asked them why they are doing this,” Staff Sgt. Kevin Hayden, a combat instructor with delta company at ITB said. “Their answer to me was that they wanted a challenge. I think all Marines come to the Marine Corps for a challenge, and this was a way for them to put in a little more effort and do something that most people wouldn’t volunteer for.”

The students spent the first week completing rigorous physical screenings to include the physical fitness test, the combat fitness test, the high intensity tactical training assessment and a 5-kilometer hike.

Hayden said he and his fellow combat instructors aren’t treating any of the Marines differently.

“These are Marines,” Hayden said. “No matter what, they’re going to be treated the same as every other Marine.”

One female Marine did not meet the physical fitness test minimum score and chose to drop from the current cycle to work on her strength before attempting the training again with the next cycle.

One female Marine did not meet the combat fitness test minimum score and chose to opt out of the training entirely.

One male Marine also dropped from the training for failing the physical fitness test.

Since the female students are attending the training on a voluntary basis, they are permitted to drop on request at any point during the training with no penalty.

In order to accommodate female students into Infantry Training Battalion, a few adjustments had to be made — including dedicating an existing squad bay for the exclusive billeting of female students and bringing over three female combat instructors from Marine Combat Training, or MCT, to serve as gender advisors to the ITB staff and to provide positive leadership to the female students participating in the research study. The female instructors went through one training cycle with ITB to familiarize themselves with the instruction before assuming their roles during this iteration.

The first half of the infantry course roughly mirrors the 29-day training cycle all non-infantry Marines complete at MCT. The second half, however, delves into more specific infantry skills. This is the part of infantry training where instructors say many of the Marines begin to struggle.

The instructors said injuries are one of the main reasons students drop from training.

“It is rigorous training for the body, but they have youth on their side, so a lot of them can put up with it,” 1st Sgt. Shawn Hebert, first sergeant of delta company, Infantry Training Battalion, said. “All of these young Marines are pretty strong mentally, but physically — our minds want to go forever, but our bodies end up failing us.”

Among other collection requirements, the question of whether female Marines are able to withstand the physical rigors of entry level infantry-training is a key data point behind the research at ITB. The Marine Corps plans to continue to send female Marines through the course for the next year, or until they have gathered data from 250 to 300 female students.

“This is definitely historic for the Marine Corps,” Hebert said. “The Marines are going to do great things … I feel privileged to be here at the Infantry Training Battalion.”

 

[The_Falcon]

The USMC always seem to be open to new concepts in doctrine and training.  I like their attitude, they are all Marines and there is only one standard.

 

[dimsum]

The USMC always seem to be open to new concepts in doctrine and training.  I like their attitude, they are all Marines and there is only one standard.

???  I thought the USMC was one of the more vocal opponents of women in combat roles? 

 

[The_Falcon]

???  I thought the USMC was one of the more vocal opponents of women in combat roles?

I was meaning in general.  And specifically, since they have been allowing women to attempt the Infantry Officers course on a trial basis for a few years now, I can't see them being "vocal opponents".

 

[tomahawk6]

More female wahouts of the Infantry Officer's Course.

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/article/20131004/NEWS/310040025/4-more-female-Marines-fall-short-at-Infantry-Officer-Course

 

[PMedMoe]

More female wahouts of the Infantry Officer's Course.

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/article/20131004/NEWS/310040025/4-more-female-Marines-fall-short-at-Infantry-Officer-Course

Nice bias in the article title.  12 males also "washed out".  Oh, right, that's not news, is it? 

 

[tomahawk6]

The Infantry Officers Course is hard on everyone that attempts it.I think the Corps wants their LT's at least as tough as the Marines they will lead.

 

[daftandbarmy]

The Infantry Officers Course is hard on everyone that attempts it.I think the Corps wants their LT's at least as tough as the Marines they will lead.

Take my wife... please  ;D

 

[MikeL]

http://www.businessinsider.com/four-female-marines-pass-infantry-training-2013-11#ixzz2l8sLxKWD

Here Are The First 4 Women In History To Complete Marine Infantry Training
AMANDA MACIAS AND GEOFFREY INGERSOLL NOV. 19, 2013, 1:47 PM

Every Marine knows Opha Mae Johnson, the first woman who ever enlisted in the Marine Corps.

Now almost 100 years later, the first four females in history have completed the grueling 59-day infantry evaluation course, three of which are graduating Thursday at the Marine Corps School of Infantry in Camp Geiger, CNN reports.

Delta Company's Harlee "Rambo" Bradford [pictured middle] and these three other female Marines started as a group of 15 enlisted women, the first to volunteer for a Marine Corps pilot course. The group comes as a result of the announcement made in January from Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and General Martin Dempsey, to integrate women into previously closed combat jobs across all service branches.

For the duration of training, the female students were required to meet the same standards as their males counterparts. The women's physical strength as well as their ability to keep up with men on the battlefield were highlighted on what many consider the most demanding course event — a 12 1/2 mile march in combat gear.

The hike lasted no more than 5 hours while each student hauled almost 90-pounds of gear, at nearly a 4 mph pace (almost a jog), rifle included.

The women still must pass a Combat Fitness Test with male scoring in the next two days, but the test is largely superficial for the women, despite being officially scored. Every Marine in every job field usually takes both a basic Physical Fitness Test and CFT at the beginning and end of their course curriculum.

These women have already passed both tests with male standards upon entry to the course.

Unfortunately, qualifying doesn't mean entry into the infantry ranks quite yet. These four are just part of a 100-Marine pilot program aimed at testing the viability of women in Infantry training.

"The women who graduate from infantry training on Thursday will not be assigned to infantry units, nor will they earn an infantry occupational specialty. They will report to their originally slated schoolhouses to earn a non-combat MOS," Capt. Carey of SOI-East wrote via email.

The Corps plans to send more female Marines through this pilot course within the next year. Currently there are 11 women in Echo Company and 8 in Alpha Company, the two companies behind Delta in training.

Women in other sister service branches are also excelling in their combat training. By the end of this year, six women sailors are expected to become the first formally assigned to a Riverine combat company.

(UPDATE: Bradford reportedly incurred an injury to her leg this past weekend. The injury prevents her from taking the basic fitness tests, a requirement for Marines prior to heading to their next command. Though she has completed the coursework, Bradford will heal up, take the test, and graduate with a following company, sources tell us.

An earlier version of the story said 4 Marines would graduate this week. Because of Harlee's injury, that number has been revised to 3.)

EDIT: We have removed the names of two of the women.

We think this is an awesome historic accomplishment, which is why we originally included the names. But our determination was that unless they wanted to introduce themselves, we'd let them publicize their success on their own terms.

 

[tomahawk6]

2016 cannot come fast enough !!

 

[cupper]

More on the first to pass the USMC Infantry Course.

Three women pass Marine ‘grunt’ test, but Corps holds off on letting them in infantry

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/three-women-pass-marine-grunt-test-but-corps-holds-off-on-letting-them-in-infantry/2013/11/20/6e04f164-51f6-11e3-9fe0-fd2ca728e67c_story.html?hpid=z3

For the first time, three enlisted women have passed the Marine Corps’ grueling infantry course, carrying the same rifles and lugging the same 85-pound packs on the same 12-mile hikes through the piney woods of North Carolina as the men.

The female Marines are scheduled to graduate Thursday at Camp Geiger, N.C. — a historic development as the U.S. military prepares to open ground combat forces to women. But in a twist, the three women still won’t be allowed to serve in an infantry unit, at least not for a long while.

Marine Corps leaders say they need two more years to study whether it makes sense to allow women to serve as grunts. They note that no woman has passed the even more challenging infantry training course for officers (10 have tried). Before making a final decision, they said, they want to see many more female Marines try to pass the courses so the results can be evaluated.

“Any force-wide changes to be made will occur only after we have conducted our research, determined the way ahead and set the conditions to implement our recommendations,” Capt. Maureen Krebs, a Marine spokes­woman, said in an e-mail.

In January, after years of debate and legal challenges, the Pentagon announced that it would lift its long-standing ban on women serving in ground combat units by 2016, unless the armed services can justify why certain positions should remain closed. The decision was prompted in part by the recognition that women played a critical role in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, where commanders stretched rules to allow them to bear arms and support combat forces.

It remains an open question whether women will be allowed to try to become Army Rangers or Navy SEALs or artillery-shell loaders. Theoretically, if female troops prove that they can meet the same physical demands as those required of men, the doors are supposed to open.

Army leaders say they are developing “gender-neutral” standards for infantry and other combat forces and plan to eventually open those units to women, though they won’t rule out the possibility that they might decide to keep some off-limits.

Virtually all positions in the Navy and Air Force are accessible to women, with the exception of some elite commando teams.

For the Marine Corps, however, the biggest obstacle to integrating women into the infantry may be overcoming a deep-seated cultural resistance to the idea.

The Marines are the most tradition-­bound and male-
dominated of the armed services. Only 7 percent of the Corps is female, half the overall rate for the U.S. military.

In a survey last year, one in six male Marines said they probably would leave the service if they were forced to serve alongside women in ground combat units.

And although commanders say they are committed to giving women a fair chance, the Corps isn’t going out of its way to celebrate the fact that three female Marines passed the grinding training course for enlisted infantry.

Marine officials declined to identify the women until after they graduate, citing a need to protect their privacy. They also rejected a request from The Washington Post to cover the graduation ceremony at Camp Geiger, saying that news coverage would be restricted to a few handpicked media outlets.

“The Marine Corps has a culture problem. There’s no doubt about it,” said Anu Bhagwati, a former Marine captain who serves as executive director for the Service Women’s Action Network, a group that advocates for female troops. “It’s the toughest climate for a woman to enter and succeed in.”

The infantry course is marked by long marches, obstacle courses and plenty of rifle practice. Instructors also teach grenade use, patrolling and how to avoid roadside bombs. Men and women train together, but the female Marines are housed in a separate barracks.

In September, 15 women joined 266 men at the outset of the course at Camp Geiger, where the Marines have trained for six decades.

Three women and 221 men made it through the two-month course and will graduate Thursday.

A fourth woman completed most of the hurdles but suffered a stress fracture in her leg that prevented her from taking her final physical fitness and combat fitness tests. She’ll be allowed to finish when she fully recovers, Marine officials said.

The male graduates will join infantry units right away. The women will have to take other jobs, though their successful completion of the course will be noted in their personnel files.

Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said it is unfair of the Marines to deny the women the right to join the infantry after they have proved themselves.

“I don’t believe there is a reason to exclude them now,” she said. “Certainly, there are many who thought women could not do this. But they’ve met all the standards that are existing today.”

Others said it would be a mistake to integrate the infantry without female officers or senior female noncommissioned officers to serve as mentors. So far, that barrier has not been breached. Over the past year, 10 women have tried without success to pass the Marine infantry officer course, which takes longer and is considered even more physically rigorous.

“It’s kind of backwards,” said Rep. Duncan D. Hunter (R-Calif.), a Marine combat veteran who has served in Iraq and Afghanistan. “If you don’t have any senior female leadership, it makes it hard.”

Officials with the Marine Corps and the Army said they won’t lower physical standards for combat troops to accommodate women. But Hunter said he was skeptical and suspected that the services might adjust requirements to make it easier to integrate units.

He also questioned whether many women really wanted to serve in the infantry, noting that only a handful of female Marine officers have sought to pass the course.

“If you only have 10 women who are interested, then what is the uproar all about?” he said. “It wasn’t a military push to do all this. It’s purely a political push.”

Statistics show that the overall pool of female Marine officers is small to begin with. Only about 140 female lieutenants are commissioned each year.

The first three female graduates of the enlisted infantry program are likely to have company soon.

Forty female Marines have started courses in the past few weeks. If the first co-ed training class is any guide, about one-quarter will endure to the end.

I understand the desire to want to hold until you have more qualified females. But it is a real slap in the face to the ones that went through the course and successfully completed it, only to receive what amounts to a pat on the back, a hearty "Good Job" and we'll call you when we have a position for you. 

The one thing that jumped out at me from the article was the comment regarding wanting to hold off until they had qualified female officers and senior NCO's.  So, how do you get senior female non-coms to act as mentors to the younger female members? Everyone starts at the bottom. It's not like you can take a Sargent from another trade, run them through the infantry qualification course and POOF, instant mentor. If you think you have a problem of acceptance of the female newly qualified privates (try phrasing that without inadvertent double entendre  ;D ) just imagine the problems with Senior NCO's that were rushed through a quicky qualification without the experience of coming up through the ranks of an infantry MOC.

 

[quadrapiper]

If I understand correctly, the CF went with a start-at-the-bottom approach as women moved into various trades?

 

[cupper]

It seems that they are adding an additional requirement for women as part of the integration - Hotties need not apply.  :facepalm:

Two out in Army ‘pretty’ photo flap

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/11/army-photos-average-looking-women-100287.html?hp=l2

The Army colonel who wrote an internal email suggesting public affairs officers use photos of “average-looking women” when they need to illustrate stories about female soldiers has stepped down as the leader of an Army study on gender integration.

Army spokesman George Wright confirmed on Saturday that Col. Lynette Arnhart had agreed to step aside from the Training and Doctrine Command study she was leading.

In addition, Wright said, Col. Christian Kubik, a public affairs officer at TRADOC, was suspended for his involvement in the email chain.

“In order to protect the integrity of the ongoing work on gender integration in the Army, Col. Lynette Arnhart agreed to step down as the gender integration study director,” Wright said in a statement. “Concurrently, TRADOC suspended Col. Christian Kubik from his position as the public affairs officer pending the outcome of an investigation.”

In an internal email obtained by POLITICO earlier this week, Arnhart wrote, “There is a general tendency to select nice looking women when we select a photo to go with an article (where the article does not reference a specific person). It might behoove us to select more average looking women for our comms strategy.”

In her email, Arnhart also said, “In general, ugly women are perceived as competent while pretty women are perceived as having used their looks to get ahead.”

Kubik, who was one of two people to receive Arnhart’s original email, forwarded it to public affairs officers who support TRADOC with the note: “A valuable reminder from the TRADOC experts who are studying gender integration — when [public affairs officers] choose photos that glamorize women (such as in the attached article), we undermine our own efforts. Please use ‘real’ photos that are typical, not exceptional.”

After the story broke, Kubik told POLITICO, “The e-mail referred to was an internal discussion; nothing more. This discussion was not and is not reflective of Army policy. The intent of the message was to help ensure that images depict professional female Soldiers as they are, and to ensure they are recognized based on their hard-earned achievements as members of the profession of arms.”

Arnhart and Kubik did not immediately respond to requests on Saturday for comment about the latest developments.

Arnhart is stationed at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., as part of the Army’s Training and Doctrine Command Analysis Center.

 

[ballz]

It seems that they are adding an additional requirement for women as part of the integration - Hotties need not apply.  :facepalm:

Two out in Army ‘pretty’ photo flap

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/11/army-photos-average-looking-women-100287.html?hp=l2

Honestly, I do not think the folks in question were RTFO 'er in their concerns. The general public tends to be sexist without even realizing... these folks were just unfortunate enough to acknowledge that... sounds like they are being punished for good "job knowledge and skills" to me.

 

[PMedMoe]

Honestly, I do not think the folks in question were RTFO 'er in their concerns. The general public tends to be sexist without even realizing... these folks were just unfortunate enough to acknowledge that... sounds like they are being punished for good "job knowledge and skills" to me.

I agree. 

 

[dimsum]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/fourteen-women-have-tried-and-failed-the-marines-infantry-officer-course-heres-why/2014/03/28/24a83ea0-b145-11e3-a49e-76adc9210f19_story.html

Interesting article, and since I haven't done FORCE yet I'd like to know if it has alleviated any of the gender-specific double-standards (that was part of the point of the change, right?) 

With all due respect to the foot-borne folks in the crowd, the fact that she's now slated for Pilot training after failing the IOC surprised me a little bit.  Then again, the USMC's line is "everyone a rifleman first" or something like that.

 

[Strike]

It's a good article. I know some might argue that the onus remains on the candidates to ensure they are physically and mentally prepared prior to the course, but when your whole force makes a point of segregating you throughout most of your initial training, is it any surprise that there is this split?