Breaking into the boys club

[thedrifter]

Breaking into the boys club

Lance Cpl. Cody J. Yard
Combat Correspondent

s the Marine Corps remains the only service with gender separated recruit training, re-integrating the sexes during follow-on training has become commonplace for students and instructors assigned to Marine Combat Training Battalion here.
After graduating from 4th Recruit Training Battalion at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, S.C. - the starting block for all enlisted female Marines - these women move on to receive additional combat related training at MCT, which has moved through stages of gender integration since the mid-1990s.
Marine Combat Training focuses on providing infantry training to Marines who will not be serving in infantry related occupation fields. While recruit training and MCT are available on both U.S. coasts, females are only trained at the East Coast location.
Before the full integration of all the platoons, females at MCT had their own platoon, and only two of the four training companies had females. Since 1996, females have been integrating with the male platoons to form their own squad within the platoons during the three-week training evolution.
“Getting rid of the stereotype of a female Marine not being able to do the same things that male Marines can do was a challenge,” said Capt. Anuradha Bhagwati, commanding officer, Hotel Company, MCT Bn., School of Infantry, East.
The remaining two companies recently integrated females into their training cycle. Echo and Golf Companies originally did not have females because there wasn’t a need.
“E Company just had their first class with females integrated into the platoon, and were very pleased with how well it went,” said Maj. Stephen P. Gholson, commanding officer, MCT Bn., SOI, East. “I see the females performing and learning a lot better.”
Females and males train alongside each other throughout the cycle; however, the Marines are required to buddy up with someone of the same sex.
The way young Marines act after boot camp when put into platoons with females after being separated is a concern for the school.
“Whether or not Marines maintain their discipline is a big fear,” said Bhagwati. “It’s made clear that the students are here to learn, and that they’re not to get physical with each other.”
There are male and female instructors with the platoons at all times.
The instructors make it known that the focus at MCT should be on the skills of surviving in the field rather than the social aspect of males and females getting to know each other, commented Gholson.
Prevention of inappropriate interaction between students is driven by the instructors and considered a team failure if it occurs.
“Fear of letting down the instructors is another reason students stay out of trouble,” said Sgt. Jesse C. Doze, a Brewster, Kan., native, MCT instructor, Company H, School of Infantry, East. “Students don’t want to get into trouble, because it reflects on the instructors. It’s a competition thing between the platoons.”
As well as competitiveness between the platoons, there is also the competition between the males and females. Males see the females carry the same packs, weighing anywhere from 40-50 pounds, live in the same conditions and must learn the same skills before going to their military occupational specialty school.
“The males see my female instructors and students carrying the same pack that they are, doing the same things,” said 1st Sgt. Ray Mackey, Company H, MCT, School of Infantry, East. “There’s no difference between them except the obvious. When the males hit the fleet they’re going to see Marines, not males and females.”
Females take a competitive stance on working alongside the males, said Bhagwati. “They will meet the standard of a Marine or they will die trying! Its like the females do more because they think they have to prove themselves, or they’re just really motivated and are good Marines.”
Instructors can be male or female, but must be a corporal or above. The instructors provide classes on subjects like land navigation; M-240G medium machine gun maintenance; grenades; and nuclear, biological and chemical protection.
“One half of the company could be getting a land navigation course from a male instructor, and the next day the other half could get that same class from a female instructor,” said Master Sgt. John M. Troup, training operations chief, Marine Combat Training Battalion, School of Infantry, East.
The professionalism and discipline of the female and male instructors working together shows young Marines what is expected of them once they hit the fleet.
When the students see the male and female instructors working together this sets a good example for the students, said Mackey.
Males sometimes try to be chivalrous, but the instructors try to keep such actions to a minimum.
“The males sometimes say, ‘here, let me help you with that.’ But if I see that I tell the females right away, ‘do it on your own,’” said [RANK] Mary Amato, instructor, Company H. “The females need to do things on their own because they’re going to have to do it on their own when they hit the fleet.”
Marine Combat Training serves as a stepping-stone for the students who will go on to work side-by-side with other men and women.
“This is a nice transition from boot camp to school,” said Sgt. April Banks, instructor, Company H. “Students learn once they hit the fleet they are going to have corporals and sergeants that are directly in charge of them who aren’t the same sex as they are.”
Students at the school hold a mindset of equality or indifference regarding the gender issue.
Private Abril E. Ortiz, a Houston, native, and female student of H Company said, “Its all about competition. I thought that there was going to be fighting between the males and females, but there isn’t anything like that. They respect us, and we respect them.”
Males reacted in a similar manner regarding females.
“We respect the females because they’re Marines,” said Pvt. John E. Fretz, a Huntington, N.Y., native, and a male student of Company H. “We’re all family. We’re all Marines.”

http://militarynews.com/globe/mainside.html


Sempers,

Roger

[Doc Crow]

Not Sure I like all this mixing of the sex's in fact I know I don't

[CPLRapoza]

Let's just hope they don't start putting females in line platoons. Nothing against the opposite sex, but it just wouldn't work.

[leroy8541]

I hope JC doesn't see these posts, or we are in for a little firefight.....again.

[Doc Crow]

I know is sure as hell has been a pain in the ass on ship. Yea they want equality till it comes meeting the same criteria as the men then they want to use the differences in design as an excuse for not running as fast lifting as much etc.