The Marines have always been an elite club. Their marketing solgan – “the few, the proud” – flaunts a philosophy of exclusion and domination. Their mandate – “every Marine is a rifleman” – is a reminder to civilian leaders that their primary purpose is to fight. They are not nation-builders. So the historic announcement that the Marine Corps will open up its infantry officer school at Quantico, Va., as well as some ground battalions to women was nothing short of a revolution 236 years in the making.

Comments

boatwrote

04/30/2012 10:18 AM

Not to be politically incorrect, but it does seem worthwhile to ask whether the U.S. military Code of Conduct will need to have amended a clause that guides male military service members in how to behave in the event that one of their female comrades falls into the hands of the enemy and is threatened with sexual assault. Then there is also the question of early pregnancy for a woman combattant - should such a person be excepted and sent back to softer duty?

This comment has been removed.