When the first women graduated from the enlisted infantry course in November 2013, I was exuberant. Deployed to Afghanistan at the time, I remember adding this to my list of updates for our morning staff meeting. None of the men at the staff meeting seemed as excited as I was. Perhaps I should not have … Continue reading Origins of the Ground Combat Element Integrated Task Force (GCEITF)
Being a Marine
United Kingdom: Women in Combat
Of the four countries we visited in 2014, the United Kingdom was the only one not permitting women in ground combat specialties. At the time, I didn't think anything of it. I assumed we were there for a reason. We were visiting these countries to understand better their experience with women in ground combat specialties. … Continue reading United Kingdom: Women in Combat
The Weigh-in
Marines who exceed weight and body fat standards are a detriment to and detract from the combat readiness of their unit . . . Simply put, Marines who do not present a suitable military appearance fail to possess the qualities necessary to effectively lead Marines. This is especially true for Marines in a leadership or … Continue reading The Weigh-in
Israel: Women in Combat
Women's suffering power is bigger. They reach into a world that we don't (have access to).IDF Leader, 2014 My grandmother said, "Do it for me too, because I wanted to be a fighter too."Caracal Battalion soldier, 2014 As the Marine Corps began researching women's integration into ground combat roles, it sought to better understand other … Continue reading Israel: Women in Combat
Hiking Under Load, Part 3
Gentlemen, size matters. The quote is funny for obvious reasons. But the leader's point remains - and it has nothing to do with the usual connotation behind "size matters". Partially, he was right. When it comes to hiking, size matters. Long before the research results were public, the assumption that women's smaller size (on average) … Continue reading Hiking Under Load, Part 3
The Unit Family (Enlisted Infantry Training)
Gender integration has nothing to do with the women and everything to do with the men. Senior Marine Leader, 2014 It took me a long time (and a deep dive in grad school) to understand this statement. All the research, all the senior leader questions and general apprehensions surrounding gender integration revolved around the women. … Continue reading The Unit Family (Enlisted Infantry Training)
Equipment (Enlisted Infantry Training)
Everybody gets one. All the planning in the world cannot prepare you for everything. We joke in the Marine Corps that "proper prior planning prevents . . . poor performance". We usually say this after someone has failed to plan and suffered the consequences. We also say, "no plan survives first contact". Essentially, this means … Continue reading Equipment (Enlisted Infantry Training)
Laughable Concerns (Enlisted Infantry Training)
We had gone in with (some) laughable concerns.Male Infantry Officer, ITB-East, 2013 As the staff at Infantry Training Battalion (ITB) began planning, they thought through expected challenges. What would be different about training women than training men? For the women in my audience, your reaction might be, "not much". But the men at ITB didn't … Continue reading Laughable Concerns (Enlisted Infantry Training)
Standards, Part 1 (Enlisted Infantry Training)
How many points does it take to win a basketball game? Male Infantry Officer "Just set the standard." "As long as they can meet the standard." "We're not lowering the standard." The Marine Corps remained steadfastly dedicated to "the standard" throughout the research period. Yet, defining that "standard" proved interminably difficult. Why? Virtually every standard … Continue reading Standards, Part 1 (Enlisted Infantry Training)
Breaking Into the Brotherhood 