Manning says the Corps also sends signals that training of male Marines is a higher priority over women that ultimately inhibits a drive to enter physically demanding combat job fields. Manning believes that standards can be used to create a perception that women in the Corps are not being put through the same gauntlet as their male counterparts, which ultimately leads to disrespect of female Marines and a treatment of them as second-class Marines. That limit on the number of beds for women at recruit training at Parris Island, South Carolina, would be mitigated if the Corps fully integrated men and women into the same recruit training programs. There are only 3,500 slots for women in recruit training, and that limits the Corps’ ability to grow the number of women, Lorri Manning explained. That would likely boost the number of women in the combat arms. Neller said in late January he wanted to grow the number women in the entire Marine Corps to 10 percent, up from today’s 8 percent female force. An effort the Corps says has been successful.Ĭommandant of the Marine Corps Gen. The Corps implemented a similar strategy after the Army that saw over 200 female Marine leaders sent to formerly restricted units. The initiative was known as Leaders First. One reason for the Army’s success: prior to the opening of combat fields, the Army started pushing women noncommissioned officers and leaders to previously excluded job fields to boost the ranks of female cadre members before new female soldiers entered the infantry schoolhouses. Nearly 74 women have graduated from Infantry or Armor Basic Officer Leader’s Course. Moreover, 10 women have graduated from the Army’s grueling Ranger course and one is serving as an officer with a Ranger regiment. Nearly 500 women are serving in various combat billets throughout the Army, officials said. Alvin Pujols/Marine Corps)īut, by comparison the Army has had fewer problems bringing women into ground combat jobs. Recruiting Command is ramping up a plan to entice more qualified female Marines. The commandant’s goal is a Marine Corps with 10 percent women next year. Misty Posey to help institute a training routine to prepare women to do pull ups in lieu of the traditional flexed arm hang are also bearing fruit as female Marines have seen notable success in the pull-up portion of the PFT, according to the annual report by Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services. The Marines employed certified fitness instructors as part of the Force Fitness Instructor program to help boost knowledge of the science behind physical training.Īnd efforts by Marine Corps Maj. Though, the Corps has made strides in boosting fitness results of female Marines. The majority of women have fallen into artillery, combat engineers, and low altitude air defense gunners, where the physical requirements are less stringent. Though women have attempted the screening to become a Marine special operator, none have yet passed. On the enlisted side, there are currently six female rifleman (0311), one machine gunner (0331), and three mortarman (0341). Nevertheless, more than half the women serving in ground combat billets today are serving in fields with less physical demanding requirements. Nearly 90 percent of women have passed the MSPS standards, Marine Corps officials said. These are gender-neutral standards specific to job fields and are taken at the MOS school house. Yet women who make it through boot camp and pass that initial test are performing well.Īfter boot camp, Marines take another series of gender-neutral job specific physical fitness tests called the MOS-specific physical standards, or MSPS. Of those, 13 passed the MOS Classification Standard test.Īs the initial cadre of women arrived at boot camp, nearly three out of four women were failing new Military Occupation Specialty Classification Standard physical fitness requirements for combat job fields forcing them to be reclassed into other fields, Marine Corps officials said in August 2017. Only 51 female recruits entering boot camp during the eight-month period between October 1, 2016, and May 31, 2017, entered with a combat arms job field. Few women are even trying to enter the Marine Corps combat arms job field.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |