Posted on 02/12/2018 1:41:00 PM PST by MarvinStinson
The U.S. Marine Corps will no longer require prospective officers to pass a punishing combat endurance test to graduate from the service’s Infantry Officer Course.
Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Robert Neller quietly made the shift to standards in November, altering the test from a pass/fail requirement to just one of many exercises measured as part of overall IOC evaluation, the Marine Corps Times first reported on Thursday.
The course is considered among the military’s toughest training programs, with about a quarter of all students failing to complete it, according to the Washington Post. Most of the 30-plus women who have attempted IOC dropped on the first day during the combat endurance test.
Only one female Marine has graduated from the course since former Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced that all military combat roles would be open to women in 2015.
Marine Training Command officials rejected the notion that the change slackens service standards and said it brings the exercise back to its original intent of assessing the "retention of knowledge, skills, and fitness achieved" at IOC, Military.com reported.
"Over the past 40 years, the Marine Corps has made multiple modifications to Infantry Officer Course (IOC) program of instruction (POI) to reflect the requirements of the operating environment," Training Command said in a statement. "The quality of the course remains the same."
Officials said a Marine’s score on the combat endurance test would "inform" their overall graduation assessment.
Though some have proposed abandoning the test as a fail point in IOC, others have said such a change would lower overall Marine standards.
Marine 2nd Lt. Emma Stokien argued in a 2014 op-ed that removing the required passage of the test would negatively impact female integration into the service.
"Changing this rite of passage will be doing female Marines no favors in trying to be infantry officers," Stokien wrote in War on the Rocks. "Female Marines often have to work much harder than their peers to earn the same respect, and entering the infantry under the dark cloud of even perceived lowered standards will make this a practically impossible challenge and potentially cause real harm to unit cohesion and the faith between leader and led."
Isn’t the test supposed to be punishing, in order to weed out those folks who might be more ideal for other parts of the corps? They say punishing as though it were a bad thing, I’m presuming.
And this is the infantry officer course, which calls for people even tougher than the other infantrymen. Sheesh.
(Can I still say infantrymen without being attacked by social justice jerks?)
#BoycottHollywood
Given that there are horror stories about female bosses in the civilian world, I understand your sentiment.
Reported to bootcamp end of July 1967. Since you mention So.Cal, can I assume you are a “Hollywood” Marine? I was living in Yuma at the time of my enlistment, so I definitely went to MCRD San Diego. First Battalion.
As I mentioned in my previous post, I got my postcard draft notice midway through bootcamp. When I asked one of the platoon DIs how to respond, he said (and I quote) “Just write ‘Presently on active duty with the United States Marine Corps.’ Add your service number and mail it back to them.”
Obviously, they had dealt with this issue before. What puzzles me is why can I remember his exact words 50+ years later?
By the way, can you still remember your service number? I can and I use it all the time. However, I must admit I cannot remember the serial number of my bootcamp M-14. Just a slacker, I guess.
Obviously, they had dealt with this issue before. What puzzles me is why can I remember his exact words 50+ years later?
When GOD speaks, one listens and remembers!
Remember the Tailhook Incident?
Women ready to defend the country but cannot defend themselves at a cocktail party.
Try reading the entire thread instead of just looking at pictures.
Girls from the suburbs get raped by hoods while in ‘National Service’. We get lots of abortions and bastard children. No thanks, I saw enough of that Fort Eustis and Devens. How about just having a robust military manned by volunteers and conscripts as needed. No reduced standards to accommodate the gals or deferments to accommodate Dick Cheney: the Romney boys have to serve too.
My comment was intended for a different post. Your comment # 18 makes perfect sense.
I’m having a tough day today. Please read my post #90, which should have been addressed to your attention.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.