Throughout the Department of Defense, the question lingers: Should women be integrated into combat military occupational specialties? In 2014, the Marine Corps took the bold step to put the question to the test. In July of 2014, the Marine Corps stood up the Ground Combat Element Integrated Task Force, which was created as part of the Marine Corps Force Integration Plan. The plan was for the Marine Corps to conduct integrated, gender-neutral training and analyze the results. The unit was composed of nearly 100 female Marine volunteers and 300 male Marine volunteers, all of which were sent through military occupational specialty schools.
On Sept. 10, 2015, the Marine Corps Force Integration Office released the research results obtained from the GCEITF. The results showed an overwhelming response that the all-male units outperformed the integrated units, though there were indeed instances where the integrated units outperformed the male units.
Even with all the data, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus stated days later that "Nobody's asking for an exemption in the Navy," and continued in saying, "I've been pretty clear, and I've been pretty clear about this for a while: I'm not going to ask for an exemption for the Marines."
So as a female who participated in the Ground Combat Element Integrated Task Force, I sit here astonished and ask myself: why did I just waste the last year and a half of my life?
The Marine Corps spent nearly $36 million and had almost 600 Marines and sailors participate in an experiment that blatantly would have had no effect on the outcome of the integration of women into combat jobs.
As if finding out that the Secretary of the Navy already made up his mind before the start of the experiment wasn't bad enough, in a Sept. 11 NPR interview, Mabus stated that he believed that the Marines involved (including myself) were biased against the idea of women in combat and also stated that the over watching officials should have picked higher-quality female volunteers to assess. Excuse me, Mr. Mabus, but what?
Let me review this for you, since apparently it wasn't briefed in your Monday meetings. The assessment was a volunteer force, meaning Marines had to volunteer. The Marines would have to want to be there! Ask around the Marine Corps now and there are very few females who wanted to risk injury in challenging themselves with this task. There were also very few male Marines who wanted to be a part of that 'female test.' Beyond the concept of volunteers, the females had to meet male standards! Even if I was to get a third-class physical fitness test (lowest passing score), according to the Marine Corps that’s good enough for males to be in the infantry. So if you are saying that meeting that standard isn't good enough, than you should re-evaluate the males in the infantry as well.
I would be lying if I didn't say that I am so incredibly offended. I missed important milestones in my family's lives to participate in this historic experiment and you are saying that myself and my peers were not high quality. Who were you expecting to participate? What is the ideal female in your eyes? Please, let me know because the females that I encountered in the assessment were some of the strongest, most determined females I have ever met. The females in the assessment did the tests to the best of their abilities, and saying that about them is not only unfair but just plain rude.
Mabus also went as far as to say that the fact that the average woman couldn't perform certain infantry jobs is irrelevant. Seriously? The test was to see if females could and if the results indicate no, then why would we risk the lives of our service members. That statement alone counters the interests of national security! Your sole job as the Secretary of the Navy is to have the best interest of the Navy and Marine Corps and that, sir, is not the best interest.
I ask you, Mr. Mabus, as a participant, as a student, as a veteran and as an American citizen, to put aside your preconceived ideas and just look at the facts!