Posted on 08/10/2018 8:37:00 AM PDT by Simon Green
First Lt. Marina Hierl has reportedly made history by becoming the first woman in the Marine Corps to lead an infantry platoon.
The 24-year-old is one of four platoon commanders in Echo Company, a group of 175 Marines and Navy sailors who were recently sent to northern Australia, The New York Times reported Thursday.
Hierl is one of two women to the 13-week Marines Corps Infantry Officer Course, according to the Times.
“I wanted to do something important with my life,” she told the newspaper. “I wanted to be part of a group of people that would be willing to die for each other.”
She is now leading a platoon of roughly 35 men for six months of training exercises in the Pacific, the Times reported.
Capt. Neal Jones, commanding officer of Echo Company, reportedly asked for Hierl to be assigned to his unit.
“If you’re the first to do something, that implies you have so many positive traits,” Jones said. “And that’s not always the case when it comes to every lieutenant — including myself.”
Women have been eligible for combat roles in the military since 2013, when former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta lifted a ban.
Now there are 184,473 active-duty Marines, of whom 15,885 are women — including 80 serving in previously restricted combat roles, the Times reported.
The newspaper noted that other Marines in Echo Company made what were described as sexist jokes when Hierl arrived, adding that the jokes have subsided as training continued.
“She’s one of us,” Lance Cpl. Kai Segura said of Hierl.
The measure will be how her men perform.
To all the detractors posting on here, maybe she is actually qualified.
She may be great but, no, don’t put her in combat.
One week out of every four it will be the meanest platoon in the Corps.
We have to at least respect the fact these women VOLUNTEER to do this.
Unlike some “men”.
One can tell their’s something not right about the decision just by looking at the photo. She is not capable of doing all and more than any of those men can do.
Insanity. Mattis could put a stop to Obama’s insanity of trying to destroy the military with PC crap. But “tough guy” Mattis has no intention of getting women out of infantry or Special Operations units. He has no intention of ever carrying out the president’s order to get rid of drag queens. Last I heard they were re-enlisting. Women in combat and homosexuals openly serving was never approved by Congress. It was an Executive Order by Obama and Trump could repeal it today. As long as Obama generals still run things it ain’t happening. They’re liberals.
No, she isn’t qualified. She is a female. Young horny men in peak fitness and aggression in a high morale unit see themselves as tough guys.
Her very presence is disruptive in so many ways that only a Marine grunt could explain, and probably wouldn’t be able to. She is disruptive sexually. She is destructive of morale.
When they want to be seen as badasses, it will always be pointed out to them that a girl does what they do. They will never be able to relax without the “me too” BS worries.
And these young agressive male Marines will get judged and evaluated every day...by a chick.
And in my experience, when women pretend to be be men, they lose all common sense and go overboard to show everyone how tough and “male” they are.
I’m guessing you weren’t a grunt.
No matter if she is a marathon runner and excellent shot, she isn’t qualified.
Everything has been watered down. Ranger school was made easier as well.
That platoon is going to get yelled at by a female voice. Total morale buster. And as any grunt can tell you, the other platoons will laugh at them constantly as the chick platoon, and other unprintable things.
“But “tough guy” Mattis has no intention of getting women out of infantry or Special Operations units. He has no intention of ever carrying out the president’s order to get rid of drag queens. “
Mattis never married or had kids. Just sayin’
“that implies you have so many positive traits”
No, it means you are an Affirmative Action hire and a failure for not making it on your own.
“We have to at least respect the fact these women VOLUNTEER to do this.”
Volunteering for a fashion poser show is easy. She’ll get a cushy desk job soon and the deserving men will be left in the field.
No, we don’t.
Good news is she'll be promoted out of platoon leader by being so trendy quickly.
The measure will be how her men perform.
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These armchair internet soldiers are able to tell from a story and a photograph how incompetent she is. Apparently women soldiers in Israel, russia and numerous other places have no such infirmities, nor do women in law enforcement seem to be a problem. Its only among the enlisted battalion of old coots whose total talent is telling privates to police the area that women are incompetent. No wonder enlisted are not respected for their intelligence.
“We have to at least respect the fact these women VOLUNTEER to do this.Unlike some “men”.”
That was a profoundly STUPID statement since she is standing in front of ALL MEN.
I'm thinking it'll be a different "C" word ...
Chesty Puller must be rotating in his grave.
Green Lieutenants do not last long on the battlefield. Bad ones quickly . I would not worry to much about it. My old man used to drive his retired full bird Army Colonel nuts telling him a Marine Gunnery Sargent E7 has more authority than an Army Colonel in combat or otherwise. Oorah!
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