3 women dropped from Marines' infantry officer course

[Ole Cowboy]

Three women dropped from Marines' infantry officer course will not reattempt


Oct. 28, 2014 - 05:35PM |

A female Marine takes the combat endurance test, the first event in the Infantry Officers Course, in 2012. (H. Darr Beiser / USA Today)

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By Hope Hodge Seck
Staff writer


The three female Marine officers who made it through the grueling first exercise of Infantry Officer Course at the start of October were asked to leave after falling out of two hikes, Marine Corps officials said this week.

The second lieutenant and two captains were dropped from the 13-week course held aboard Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, about two weeks after it began. The Marines got further in the course than any other women since IOC opened to female volunteers on an experimental basis in late 2012. Only one other female officer has gotten past the notoriously difficult combat endurance test that kicks off the course; she was forced to drop out about a week later due to stress fractures in her foot.

Capt. Maureen Krebs, a spokeswoman for Headquarters Marine Corps, said the two captains were both logistics officers, while the lieutenant was in training to become a combat engineer. Krebs said she could not release their names or ages due to privacy regulations governing the ongoing research.

The three officers were dropped from the course the week of Oct. 17, Krebs said, after failing to keep up on two long hikes while carrying an approach-march load of up to 120 pounds. The load represents a day’s meals, clothing, supplies and assault gear for a 20-mile march into combat.

According to the infantry training and readiness manual, an infantry officer is expected to maintain a pace of 24.8 miles in eight hours, or approximately three miles per hour, carrying the approach-march load (120 lbs).

Three women dropped from Marines' infantry officer course will not reattempt | Marine Corps Times | marinecorpstimes.com

 

[kyletxria1911a1]

Just like anything else you can't do the job you don't get hired.
This ain't the corporate world. Out there you live or die

 

[Vaquero]

I wonder what the dropped rate is for males?
Kinda "non-news".

 

[ZX9RCAM]

brutal

 

[kyletxria1911a1]

I wonder what the dropped rate is for males?
Kinda "non-news".

Same rules apply

 

[RACER X]

Soon they'll ease the course, gotta comply ya know

 

[Odiferous]

Soon they'll ease the course, gotta comply ya know

I don't know about the Marines...but the Army would "normalize" the standards in a heartbeat :-(

 

[kyletxria1911a1]

Soon they'll ease the course, gotta comply ya know

And good men and women die. I was a USA solider. Could hold my own. But not SF material.
I can live with that. But shaking and faking and BS PC didn't apply back then.

 

[jordanmills]

Same requirements as anyone else? Good on them for getting that far, too bad they didn't make the cut.

 

[Ole Cowboy]

As and Infantry soldier, STRIGHT LEG I can assure you doing 25 mi in 8 hrs with a 120 load is not a walk in the park. If you are in a TO&E unit that trains to that level you cannot eat enough to keep from losing weight. I dropped into the mid 140 lb range and with my 6'2" frame I looked like a needed a lb or two.

In Korea on the DMZ, we did a 2x weekly push, one with full gear and ruck, weapon, basic load the whole deal. The weight was somewhere between 82- just over 100 lbs depending upon your weapon etc. We would go 15 miles over land in 3 hrs ever Sat crossing the LD at 0430 and be in the chow line by 0745. When you got back and dropped your ruck the next step you took you felt like you were floating.

Not many women can play this game, sure there is a few, I knew one, we called her forklift, sure she could have given it a go.

 

[Ole Cowboy]

Soon they'll ease the course, gotta comply ya know

I don't know about the Marines...but the Army would "normalize" the standards in a heartbeat :-(

You are both right. I will bet $$$ when Obozo see this, he will call in the CO and tell him you will meet minority and diversity goals....RIGHT Mister?

 

[peeps]

Soon they'll ease the course, gotta comply ya know

Mmmm, I don't know about that either. Enlisted training is one thing, but for Marines, commissioned officers (especially infantry) must be able to lead by example, and training must match those principles

 

[Ole Cowboy]

Mmmm, I don't know about that either. Enlisted training is one thing, but for Marines, commissioned officers (especially infantry) must be able to lead by example, and training must match those principles

Obama does NOT care about the Infantry. In fact they word has already gone out that combat units will increase their diversity and minority participation. And that came from the TOP!

You need to remember that Obamas goal is to decimate our military ability and capability.

 

[peeps]

Obama does NOT care about the Infantry. In fact they word has already gone out that combat units will increase their diversity and minority participation. And that came from the TOP!

You need to remember that Obamas goal is to decimate our military ability and capability.

That may be true about obama; what a conundrum he must have, if so. Because, in reality, commissioned officers are part of an elite society. So how does he destroy the military and preserve elitism xD

That said, you should remember that Marine Corps history, values, traditions, principles, etc will survive long after obama is out. He alone could never destroy it for good.

 

[CrazedJava]

I don't know about the Marines...but the Army would "normalize" the standards in a heartbeat :-(

Back when I was still in ROTC I decided to see if I could get a scholarship. I had to take several tests, including a physical assessment. It was myself and 3 female cadets when I took it.

All of their requirements were easier than mine but the one that got me was the throw. I had to throw a basketball one handed as far as I could. If I didn't meet a certain distance I wouldn't pass. Took me 3 out of 3 tries to make it. Don't remember the distance but the female requirement was half as far. None of them made it as far as my first attempt but they all passed on their first try.

I asked the instructor what that test was for. The answer was "Grenade throwing simulation"

Holy shit! Do you think a grenade cares if it is thrown by a male or female? That is insane to halve the requirement for them!

 

[majormadmax]

In related news...

Korean soldiers are the first women to earn Expert Infantryman Badge

Two female soldiers in the South Korean army have earned the coveted Expert Infantryman Badge – the first women, Korean or American, to do so.

Staff Sgt. Kim Min Kyoung and Staff Sgt. Kwon Min Zy, both infantry squad leaders in the Republic of Korea Army’s 21st Infantry Division, said they are honored to have had the chance to compete.

Almost 530 soldiers started the test, but only 94 made it to earn the EIB, said Command Sgt. Maj. Andrew Spano, the senior enlisted soldier for the 2nd Infantry Division.

Spano said this is the first time female soldiers have been allowed to test for and earn the EIB, since eligible soldiers must hold the 11-series (infantry) or 18-series (Special Forces) MOSs.

“This is a really big deal,” he said about Kim and Kwon earning the EIB. “This is history in the making, because no other time has a woman ever actually earned and worn the EIB. This is monumental.”

“It doesn’t matter if you’re male or female, a standard is a standard,” he said. “You have to pass that standard. No one gets any breaks, no one gets any deals.”

The two female soldiers were almost dwarfed by their rucks during the foot march, Spano said.

“But they were out there,” he said. “They deserve it because they earned it.”

(Full story at link)

 

[Ole Cowboy]

That may be true about obama; what a conundrum he must have, if so. Because, in reality, commissioned officers are part of an elite society. So how does he destroy the military and preserve elitism xD

That said, you should remember that Marine Corps history, values, traditions, principles, etc will survive long after obama is out. He alone could never destroy it for good.

The history and values will ALWAYS be there, but as a Army Infantry Officer, if I had it to do over again, I would have been a Marine!!! because of what you just said.

We long ago lost our history and values to PC thinking in the Army, in fact I was there when it began with what was called the VOLAR (Volunteer Army).

 

[TX69]

As and Infantry soldier, STRIGHT LEG I can assure you doing 25 mi in 8 hrs with a 120 load is not a walk in the park. If you are in a TO&E unit that trains to that level you cannot eat enough to keep from losing weight. I dropped into the mid 140 lb range and with my 6'2" frame I looked like a needed a lb or two.

In Korea on the DMZ, we did a 2x weekly push, one with full gear and ruck, weapon, basic load the whole deal. The weight was somewhere between 82- just over 100 lbs depending upon your weapon etc. We would go 15 miles over land in 3 hrs ever Sat crossing the LD at 0430 and be in the chow line by 0745. When you got back and dropped your ruck the next step you took you felt like you were floating.

Not many women can play this game, sure there is a few, I knew one, we called her forklift, sure she could have given it a go.

Thank you for your service and for keeping us free.

There is no way I could make that hike even when I was in top shape at the age of 20. Then add the 120lb gear load ...... I'd fall down in a few yards lol.

 

[Younggun]

I love my army, but the dual standard is a load of sh*t.

Good enough for one should be good enough for another. Not good enough should be not good enough or all.

I've got no problem with female soldiers, if you are willing to serve, you should be able to.....if you meet the requirements. Those requirements should be the same for everyone.

Those women made it further than I would.

 

[jrbfishn]

Women that made it as far as those did without special consideration, incuding the Marines, deserve respect. To even make it that far takes a lot.


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