Did you know a recent study by the Marine's cast doubt on the success on gender integrated units?

In the Marine Corps women Marines are referred to as "WM's". One marine told me that many of his fellow Marines believed that WM's stood for "waste of money". In my opinion, that kind of culture distorts any study on the matter.

As SN Greg Wright said, I've been posting the Summary, expanded summary, and the actual Study as they come available.

I have done my best to remain unbiased regarding this issue itself, relying on the study itself as a touchstone. The Study is PEER REVIEWED. It is extensive (over a year long). It is the result of formal guidance from the Pentagon.

After reading the studies, and the criticisms to the studies, my assessment is as follows.

"As current" (which means subject to long term change), the USMC got this right in that "The loss of Combat Efficiency, combined with the increased INJURY risk to our Marines, justifies the recommendation, of not opening up the 03xx Occupation Specialties at this juncture."

This is not to say women are not capable. Neither as a class, or as individuals. The report does not say that. The report says that "AS A CLASS, Women experience higher degradation in combat skills, and SIGNIFICANT injuries compared to men, AS A CLASS, when forced to perform at the same OBJECTIVE LEVEL."

The Study recommended opening up ALL other MOS, and ALL Units down to BN Level. In essence, there was no recommendation for a "boys club" of any other "moral based nonsense." All it said, was that Risk of Injury, combined with higher work threshold pushed things past an acceptable level.

These violated the two tenets of Marine Corps Leadership. Mission Accomplishment, Troop Welfare. As we risk Mission Accomplishment by degrading combat efficiency, and we also risk our Marines through increased injury, there is no way any Marine Leader could recommend moving forward, currently.

Sgt Kelli Mays Kelli, Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS has a thread on this, that explains in greater detail, more about that study, I think you would find it interesting.