The Marine Corps is under orders to open up
its ground combat units - one of
the last all-male bastions in the military --
to women, but it has been unable to
find any female capable of making it
through its three-month infantry officer
course.
Beginning in September 2012, 26 women have attempted the course
and all of them have been
forced to drop out -- most on the first day. Despite
that zero percent success rate, Brigadier
General George Smith, the officer in
charge of the program, maintains that the Marine
Infantry Officer Course
"is designed just right" and there are no plans to change it.
"The
realities of combat aren't going to change based on gender,"
Smith says. "The enemy doesn't
care whether you're a male or female."
The course begins with a Combat Endurance
Test, a series of physical and mental challenges spread out over 16
miles. The Marines - both men and women -- never know what's coming next or how
long they have to complete the test.
Although no women have passed the officer
course, 122 have made it through the less demanding enlisted infantry training,
a success rate of 34 percent. But Pvt. Nisa Jovell, who passed with flying
colors, tells Martin that women are not meant for the infantry. "We are
not built for it, and I'm not saying we can't do it, what [men] do, but our
body structure is different." Jovell says women's hips make it more
difficult for them to carry the heavy loads required for combat. "The hip
problem is definitely a big deal."
In combat, Marines are frequently required
to carry a pack that, according to Brig. Gen. Smith, "very likely exceeds
100 lbs., and probably gets up above 130 lbs. in some cases. Often this is more
than the women weigh.
It will be interesting to watch what
happens now that the ban on women serving in combat has been lifted. Will a
new breed of women emerge who can physically make it through the rigorous
training? Will the training and expectations to pass the tests be required to change?
Will women be required to register for the draft, should there be one? We will
have to wait and see...
