Marine Corps ready to integrate first female Marines into combat jobs

The U.S. Marine Corps said this week that it is moving ahead with gender-integration initiatives after last year’s Pentagon decision to break the gender barrier for all military jobs -- including combat roles.

Marine leaders saw the decision coming down the pike and starting gender integration efforts two years ago. The Corps set off on a series of studies that put female Marines through ground-combat training and kept track of how they did through training.

Now those volunteers who underwent ground-combat training will be the first generation of female Marines to enter Corps combat units. The study's volunteers will be offered Additional Military Occupational Specialties (AMOS) training to supplement their initial training. After that, they will be able to request transfers into the specialized combat units for which they trained.

“Our Marines earned this,” Gen. Robert Neller said. “They volunteered, worked hard, completed the training and earned these AMOS’s. Given the Secretary of Defense's decision last month, we now have the authority to award those qualified Marines the additional AMOS, and we'll continue to keep faith with them. Marines who are eligible and interested can now request to serve in those previously closed jobs.”

Guidelines set forth by the DoD said the Marine Corps must become a fully gender-integrated force by April 1. Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Ronald Green said that thanks to the Marines who volunteered for the studies, the Corps will be prepared to roll out those plans.

“Their dedication has helped us develop a well-planned and responsible integration process that ensures the Marine Corps remains prepared to answer our nation's call,” Green said.