The Marines Defend Their Women

Not only would come in a help , take that piece of shit to the tree line and beat the living shit out of him.

While I will admit that there is a lot of messed up stuff that happens within the Army (since I really can only speak on behalf of the Army), there are still those who believe that we are a family. In spite of our differences in upbringing, color, gender, age, etc., I believe that those I serve alongside are my brothers and sisters, and I will do anything and everything to keep them safe and make them aware of my dedication to the mission and the family.

And I know that there are those within the ranks who feel otherwise, and will betray the trust given to them by others. However, they are not just limited to the "aggressors." I have seen and heard of females who "cry wolf" and destroy males careers for personal reasons. It is sad, but a fact. And they are no better than those who will force themselves upon another, or verbally harass or degrade another.

Problems will exist within any community, it is just a fact. However, the best course of action is to ensure that your small little slice of the pie is made better through your actions. Ensure that those who are the cancer of our society are brought to light. Spread the feeling of togetherness and unity.

Wow, reading that... it was kind of preachy. Sorry.

The safest, most effective way to limit harassment and gender-related issues is max integration. Not because everyone is perfect, but because frequent contact shines a light on everything. When I've lived in integrated billeting, had to negotiate shared living/working spaces, etc. -- people didn't fraternize because there was no mystique. You knew who farted, snored, what they looked like in the morning, what their hygiene standards were, etc. And there wasn't a lot of outside relationships, either -- if you were gone often, everyone knew and checked up on you. If someone came by to hang out, all your unit knew and weighed in on whether that person was good enough, right for you, etc. etc. And then there were a million eyes seeing that person in other locations -- so if the relationship went a different direction, it came home pretty quickly, but everyone was there if you were down, and you weren't just moping around in your room by yourself being miserable.

We've gone to segregated gender billeting, and increased privacy for Soldiers across the board -- but that's eliminated a lot of what makes the military "home" or "family" for folks. It would be okay for the pendulum to swing back the other way a little bit.

It has been said before and i'll echo it again here. Speaking from the point that I myself am a Marine we, Marines, don't see color or sex or any other "identifier" all we see is green, the color of our uniform. I treat every Marine the same and hold you to the same expectations. We should concern ourselves with our fellow service members, not just those who are; female, black, hispanic, gay or lesbian, etc. All we should see at the end of the day is the color of the uniform and that should be cause enough.

We should protect all those that can't do it for themselves.

I am in the Army Reserves and work as a civlian for the Marine Corp and I can say the Marines I work with are nothing but upstanding. They conduct themselves with such professionalism. This is an awesome article!

I am reading a book now about three women who served, and there is a lot of mention of how much those particular women, with their own set of circumstances, enjoyed flirting with men. There is no condoning any immoral or illegal acts, period. But the concept of men and women and how they interact has existed from the dawn of time, complete with all the twists and turns. Many men like to flirt and women enjoy their attentions, and vice versa. Controlling nature is difficult in any event.

The real issue is about respect - from self-respect to mutual respect. Would you kiss your sister, daughter or mother? I like that question. Maybe it is time to evaluate people as people and teach them self-respect. That could be a real time course pre-PCS for your first assignment. What do y'all think?

Brothers and Sisters,

It appears We for the most part are all on the same page in the belief that Sexual Assault/ Harassment or any other type of assault/ harassment is something that needs to be Everyone's Duty to prevent and or stop no matter the Rank or Branch of service. We all know the Chain of Command and what steps can be taken if one feels their concerns/ issues are not being meet. The worst thing any service member could do is turn a blind eye to the problem from Top to Bottom. Those that do are just as guilty as the one(s) who is Committing the offence in the 1st place. We as a Family need to stay true to ourselves and others by staying Diligent.

We're were taught that we are all the same color just lighter or darker shades of green. We are a different breed that is for certain and those true to the code carry that legacy well passed out days of being enlisted.

With the current climate around us, the youth today could learn from that code of honor and conduct and respect for one another. It's the true meaning of being a solider. It's the true meaning of being a man. We serve. We protect. Doesn't matter color race or gender.

Having been a Marine I am obviously biased, yet there are some truths to be gleaned and objective differences.

The Army has traditionally, and even to this day, stressed the importance of the individual to the team. You are Army strong, Be all you can be, etc. This carried over into their doctrinal training where they concentrate on the importance of knowing your job. You need to be the expert at your job and be the best at what they train you for.

The Corps takes a different approach. It seems harsh to outsiders but once you learn the difference, and it is nuanced, you can begin to understand why Marines think of themselves as a different breed of the same species known as "The Warrior."

The Marines essentially teach you that as an individual you are essentially worthless. Your effectiveness comes from how well you enable others to do their jobs. It is a perspective difference. The army units that are most combat effective actually teach this same outlook. Delta, SF, etc. the all go against standard Army doctrine in this outlook.

The Marines are taught that we are all "Green." We may be different flavors of Green but in the end, we are all Green. That creates what some call an elitist attitude. Some Marines do have an elitist attitude, the issue is how is that put into action with everyday scenarios.

The closest analogy I can come up with for other people to understand Marines is that we think of ourselves as one big family. Now to be sure there is dysfunction in families, but if you see family that is arguing with itself and you are not of the family and try to break up or mediate the disagreement, what ALWAYS happens? The family turns on you, the outsider.

The Corps is the same way. We have bad apples just like everyone else. The difference is that those bad apples are generally dealt with severely and swiftly. Sure there are instances when that doesn't happen, but if you think about it, most people still have the same reaction when they hear publicly of a Marine getting in trouble. That is because Marines generally take care of their business before it gets widely known, and they take care of it properly.