The Marines Defend Their Women

I would like to added my 2 cents I am a civil service employee now for 6 years and I was also a Army soilder that served for 8 years. I had female soilders and officers in my units, Aviation units have more then most units in the Army outside of medical. As a soilder and leader when I was in I didnt agree with how females in general where treated. I understood that I couldn't change that on a major scale but I could in my squads and PLTs so I made it a point to get my soilders to look after each other as family and treat each other like family. Some drank the Kool-Aid some didnt, however I beleive it starts and ends with leadership. As a civil service employee going to work on a Naval Base I see Marines and Navy personnel everyday and work beside them. I see they both have the same problems as the Army does on numerous things. But again leadership is the key, bad soilders, Airman, Marines, seamen, etc become bad leaders which in turn produce bad units. you can go to every situation that a female had been harassed or assulted and I can bet you there where bad leadership at more then one level. I know its a easy answer but I beleive that as a military its all about taking care of each other if we cant do that why are we in.

There is a phrase that we Marines are instilled with during basic, it's SEMPER FIDELIS.
It's Latin for "Always faithful".
We're tought to be and stay always faithful to our brothers and sisters.
OOH RAH!!

SSG V. Michelle Woods This is a great question and I clearly see both sides. I see females literally holding their C of C hostage because of their unwillingness to boot a troop out who is a living, breathing waste of oxygen in a uniform. I have seen lines out side of doors in the barracks for "trains" without even knowing what that meant. I get hammered for insisting that females carry their own toolboxes to the flight-line when they can't pass a PT test. There are marriage vows breaking left and right. My favorite leadership failure was a dual military couple who loved to beat on each other and their kids. As the command had them separated with a no-contact order, the female soldier turned up pregnant....on two separate occasions. As an EOR, I tracked complaints and was privy to more info than I cared to know. More damage happened in the unit from others who became powerless to act because they knew that the command would not act impartially. I am purposely being vague, but you get the gist. People think that they can only talk to the C of C or do a Congressional. Command Climate! Don't do your mandatory quarterly training and think that you have checked the box. Get the POSH/EO/SHARP guys to poll the unit. They have the tools required to gather information from within the organization. I've been out of the loop for too long to talk specifics anymore, so I digress.

One has to wonder what the sleeping arrangements were where this guy could sneak up to her and do that.

When I first entered the Corps back in '79, the women stayed in separate barracks and we didn't have them mixed in with the guys. If you were caught at their barracks, it was office hours. Anyone visiting had to do so through the duty personnel at the Quarterdeck and then you weren't allowed up to the room. They called the person down to see you. When I retired back in 2000, the military was still trying to figure out what to do with women.

By 2000, they had for the most part transitioned from open squadbay type barracks to motel style Dorms (entrances were on the outside) and they were starting to mix up men and women at the barracks. You could be in a 2 man room next to 2 women in a room... and you know what happens then. The last unit I was in had an incident where one of the girls wanted to have sex with a bunch of the guys and she ended up giving them Chlamydia. There literally was a line outside her door of guys waiting to have sex with her. Frankly, I just don't think we gain anything by trying so hard to integrate men and women in the military -- especially in the infantry and when it comes to women in combat.

In my opinion (which is more old school), it's just easier to keep women out of the front lines than have to deal with stuff like that. Am not against women being in the military but let's be honest, they aren't built to take the same punishment men are, and we aren't gaining a thing by sticking them in the infantry. Unfortunately this degradation of our combat effectiveness is being forced on us by liberals in Congress.

I don't believe we should be mixing women up with the men where they sleep and I trust that the Marines who intervened on this girls behalf did what they had to do to make sure this guy never tries that again.

I am glad to see this! Thanks for posting!

ANY MILITARY PERSONNEL (male or female) "should have" enough integrity, honor, and respect for their colleagues (male OR female) 24/7!! Why? - Because our military is the strongest and modern force for defending our country (and "some others" that can't defend themselves-but not as a "world police force"). We came together as a "force to be reckoned with" from a country that was controlling, taxing, and militarily superior - did that stop us from defending our own survival and freedom? NO! (Dbl check your American History)! And - read carefully - the women helped more than men may want to acknowledge!! That being said, if we let individuals take advantage of our fellow personnel then we are degrading the very loyal fabric of our (earned) military integrity! Get it together guys!! Would YOU want some guy taking control of your Sister or Mother, or Grandmother??? I think not - so grow up, grow a pair and use them for what YOU WERE TRAINED FOR - FIGHTING THE ENEMY NOT YOUR OWN WOMEN (or Men)!!

I saw this article a long time ago and like someone said previously in the thread, this one has grown legs and it's appropriate. I've seen a lot of Marines commenting and I'm glad that things have improved radically. One of the respondents mentioned her service in the '80s and I can relate. I served from 1979 though 1999.

During the '80s it had to have been tough on the women. Due to circumstances beyond their control, the standards were softer for women and there were some resentful guys. There was a lot of off-line grumbling about women not having to meet the same standards, they didn't have to field march like the guys -- or if they did, they could throw their pack in the back of a six-by. On and on.

You also have to understand that there were also a few women taking advantage of the situation, flaunting their sexuality on occasion, or generally being protected or promoted. Additionally, guys were being crucified for sexual harassment pretty routinely when many Marines around them suspected differently.

During the late 80's/early 90's, things started changing. Standards were being evened out and there was less perceived favoritism. And more women were in senior enlisted and officer ranks. And those women were holding other women accountable.

My favorite story of how things had progressed was when I was the SNCOIC of a department in the early 90's. I had just checked in and was replacing the outgoing SNCOIC who was accused of sexual harassment (I do not know how that turned out) by a female NCO.

A few months later, I was contacted by the company First Sergeant telling me that said NCO was due to attend NCO school. I called the individual into my office and, as we were instructed, delivered the order to pack her trash to attend NCO school as if it were my own order. The NCO quickly responded that I was sexually harassing her to send her to NCO school. I asked her to hang out a minute while I contact the First Sergeant. The First Sergeant (a female) responded with "REALLLLY?? Send [the NCO] to see me. We'll go see the Battalion Sergeant Major (a female)!"

That moment in time represented a major shift in the Marines for me.

Has resentment or harassment been completely eradicated? I doubt it. But from what I'm seeing in the thread, things have improved a lot "my Corps" and I see that my female Marine sisters (shoot, I'm old enough now to be Dad or Uncle) are now standing tall and being counted. Now if we could only stop arguing about uniforms! :) Best regards and Semper Fidelis Marines!

STRAIGHT TO THE POINT: The serious amount of daily MENTAL/SEXUAL/PHYSICAL ABUSE by the male Marines against us female Marines is not only 100% REAL, but it is GETTING WORSE. I will not talk on my own personal "experiences" (to put it LIGHTLY) because I am extremely UNTRUSTING/CAUTIOUS. Instead, check it out for yourselves: simply Google 'female marines funny', or 'female marines wooks', or 'JTTOTS'...I could go on and ON with where to witness what is happening, but- hey, let's be real- I'm just a POG, WOOK, WHORE, DIKE, WM (Walking Mattress) right? Least- that's what the Marine Corps says.

SSGT. V. Woods,
Yes, I know the Marine Corps is quite different, but the circumstances are not. I can't speak for every Marine that served in our Corps because I'm from a different generation of Marines. At the time I came in the Corps in 1972 we once had three distinct Marine Corps. One for Men and the other for Women and our Air Wing Marines. No pun intended here. Over the years ALL had become ONE Marine Corps. I had Marines of both genders under my command or vise versa and other branches of services, but I can tell you this. It doesn't matter to me if you are a Male or Female. Every Marine should be treated with Respect and Dignity. That's one for the Gunny and one for the Chief. The Army is a huge service environment in the DOD structure and a very good one indeed. The Marine Corps is small, but we still both have our missions and one of them is to TAKE CARE of OUR OWN. This is a disgrace to all Services, the Officers and the Senior Staff NCO Corps and especially to the DOD leaders. What's going to happen when the DOD decides for all who is concern to be unionized. I Hope to God not. Semper Fidelis, (Always Faithful) James

That's why the Marines motto is "Semper Fidelis", Always Faithful.