The GCEITF ("The Experiment") was the greatest social and cultural experiment in the Marine Corps.Colonel Matt St.Clair, Commanding Officer, GCEITF In the previous post, I explored the origins of the Marine Corps' gender Experiment. It wanted to build a unit, approximately battalion-sized (700+ individuals). They wanted to test women in ground combat specialties - infantry, … Continue reading What Was The Experiment Really All About?
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Australia: Women in Combat
Of all the visits MCFIO conducted in 2014, Australia was the only country I did not get to visit. I never learned the reason. Perhaps they wanted to give another person the chance at a cool international trip. Perhaps I had made an unknown mistake. Regardless, I stayed home. So everything in this post is … Continue reading Australia: Women in Combat
Canada: Women in Combat
Every country the team visited in 2014 had a different perspective and experience of integrating women into the infantry. When we visited Canada in October that year, we found that women had been serving in the infantry for nearly 25 years. Whereas Israel conscripted women primarily out of military necessity, Canada permitted women in ground … Continue reading Canada: Women in Combat
Hiking Under Load, Part 2
Ninety percent of a Marine's problems with equipment can be fixed through proper fit.Marine Expeditionary Rifle Squad (MERS), 2015 We were halfway through an update. The Smart Adaptations 2 study was a research project I directed, and this was the last brief I organized before departing the Marine Corps Force Innovation Office (MCFIO). I had … Continue reading Hiking Under Load, Part 2
Hiking Under Load, Part 1
There's a myth that Marine training turns baby-faced recruits into bloodthirsty killers. Trust me, the Marine Corps is not that efficient. What it does teach, however, is a lot more useful. The Marine Corps teaches you how to be miserable.Steven Pressfield in The War of Art The hill seemed interminably long. Just as I thought … Continue reading Hiking Under Load, Part 1
First Steps
On a blustery day in November 2014, the Marine Corps got its first glimpse into how it was going with women in ground combat units. Surprises abounded, not all of them welcome. It began nearly three years earlier. If you remember from How It All Began, the Military Leadership Diversity Commission (MLDC) had recommended the … Continue reading First Steps
The Infantry Marine Course
This post may seem a bit out of place chronologically. But I had the opportunity to visit the Marine Corps' infantry training course recently, and I wanted to share the experience with you. Next post, we will resume our journey at the beginning. The Marine Corps that I know doesn't just invite people to its … Continue reading The Infantry Marine Course
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A Little About Me
My Marine Corps journey began as many others have. I was looking for a way out of my old life. I was looking to grab that first rung to the ladder of a new life. My senior year of high school, a friend told me about ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) scholarships. He told me … Continue reading A Little About Me
Answering the Nation’s Call for 100 Years
As the Marine Corps celebrated 100 years of women's service, I submitted the below to an essay competition held by the Women Marines Association. I have attempted to squeeze a century's worth of history into just a few hundred words. I hope you enjoy. Originally employed as an emergency wartime measure, women have grown from … Continue reading Answering the Nation’s Call for 100 Years
Breaking Into the Brotherhood 