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)
ITB
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)
Women in Enlisted Infantry Training – Beginnings
I don't think that we would have gotten the results we did if we didn't have the leadership we had.Chief Warrant Officer 2 Billy Shinault, January 2021 This post will be the first in a series which looks at the women's integration into the enlisted infantry course. Unlike the officer's course, I have numerous official … Continue reading Women in Enlisted Infantry Training – Beginnings
Breaking Into the Brotherhood 