Lieutenant becomes first woman to lead Marine infantry platoon

http://thehill.com/ ^ | 8/9/18 | MORGAN GSTALTER

[BBell]

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.

[BBell]

I've been out of the Marine Infantry 29 years but I still can't see it. The culture must have changed a whole lot.

[G Larry]

What is the penalty for running right past her?

[BBell]

Anyone have any pictures? I did a cursory search and did not find any.

[Balding_Eagle]

The culture has changed a lot. Unfortunately, War has not.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Rush Limbaugh’s All-American First Cavalry Amazon Battalion has come to pass.

[BBell]

Probably bad, but if you smack her on the butt as you are running by i'd be real bad.

This was a common practice when I was in. Smackem' on a$$... when you go past.

[BBell]

Now they just have to wait until they synchronize them.

[AAABEST]

This is so deadly horrible, on so many levels.

We're willing to sacrifice our people, just so (some) girls can play with the boys.

[taxcontrol]

As a former Army Infantry squad sergeant, I doubt she is leading. Occupying the slot and filling the parade duties, but “leading” ... you cant lead if you cant do.

In my experience, women cant do the duties of an infantry soldier. It requires a hell of a lot of upper body strength to do things like, setup a M2 .50 caliber machine gun, dig fox holes, transport a wounded team member, even humping a battle ruck. And it is not sexist to say so.

[Governor Dinwiddie]

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I was an E-7, Sergeant First Class Platoon Sergeant. 132d Support Battalion, 32d Infantry (Red Arrow) Brigade. RA attached to an Army National Guard unit in Wisconsin, (TAGO) so basically part-time soldiers.

My Platoon had 40 soldiers in it, 3/4 of them male. Piece of cake. ;)

This was in 1991. We were activated for Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm that year but it was over so quickly, we didn’t end up going over to The Sand Box.

But we were Ready, Willing and Able. :)

[KDF48]

One problem is a disproportionate effort to protect her or to make her headlines may get a few good men killed. Semper Fi! G 2/5 Tet 68.

[PGR88]

Will she get a separate hole in the ground for a latrine?

[TADSLOS]

Whatever happened to Mad Dog Mattis?

Maybe he’s bunking with Jeff Sessions.

[Rebelbase]

After their camping trip is ruined by a rainstorm the troop seeks shelter in the Beverly Hills Hotel.

[Cvengr]

Doesn’t matter. Enemy would be able to smell the estrogen several hundred meters away, after you get your field senses.

[ExTxMarine]

I hope it works out!

Not because I think this is a good idea...IT IS NOT! But, if it doesn’t work out now, they will continue to lower the standards until it DOES work!

And the only thing the LOWERING of the standards accomplishes is the INCREASING of the number of dead Marines! All so that the social justice idiots can claim that “women are the same as men;” when compared to different standards!

Semper Fi! My brothers and sisters!

[Cvengr]

Doesn’t matter. Enemy would be able to smell the estrogen several hundred meters away, after you get your field senses.

BTW, why is a 1stLT a PltCO? It’s a 2ndLt billet. 1stLt would be the CoXO.

[Lizavetta]

This is such a bad idea for so many reasons.

[BBell]

I'm not thinking about the physical requirements as much as the way the culture was. So many things we did and the ways we acted were not even acceptable behavior in other parts of The Corp back then. Homophobia,misogyny, the crudeness, porn everywhere, foul language rampant, pranks, I can't even think of it all. When I arrived at my unit from ITS it took me awhile to get use too. I did not know how to take those a$$holes I was surrounded by. I learned real fast though.

Marine grunts were the uncultured warriors of the culture.