Free Republic

... But when I arrived at Parris Island in June 2014 to command Fourth Battalion — the only training unit for enlisted female recruits in the Marine Corps — I saw something that shocked me. Lined up behind the female formation stood a conspicuous row of chairs. I was told that if any of these women who were about to join the few and the proud felt tired or lightheaded, she was invited to sit. Men had no such luxury. At that moment, I realized new Marines were taught that the corps had lower expectations for women. One of my...

The Marine officer who made female recruits better shots at boot camp has been relieved of her command, igniting controversy. Military Times reports that Lt. Col. Kate Germano served only a year as the head of the 4th Recruit Training Battalion on Parris Island, S.C., before her dismissal. She got bounced June 30 after a command investigation accused her of "toxic leadership" by berating and showing contempt for subordinates in public. The 300-page report found her to be "hostile, unprofessional and abusive " and told recruits that sexual assault was preventable, and that those who drank put themselves in a...