Lifting of the 1994 Combat Exclusion Policy - Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps responds

Since 1918, women have been an integral part of the Marine Corps and for the past eleven years of fighting, have proven themselves worthy in the face of the enemy. Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps Micheal P. Barrett addresses the recent lifting of the 1994 Combat Exclusion Policy and assures Marines that this will not affect mission accomplishment or lower standards.
Video by:
Sgt. Andrew Milner

[@kqacom]

OohRah! Women can do it!!! After the Corps, IO spent 26 years as a Detroit cop. It was a female cop that saved my ass from destruction in my young days. Their build and strength is different than ours, along with their emotions, but I am thankful for the woman that I worked with that night. I'm still here!

[@jklharris]

How can he say that we're not lowering the standard when we're now opening combat MOSs to people who are only required to run three miles in 21 minutes instead of the normal 18?

[@pittsburghpiff]

As much as I believe in equality and as much as I love the armed forces I genuinely believe that this will cause problems on the front lines.

[@queenofsummer]

My older brother met him at Marine Week Cleveland this past summer, he invited my brother to sit with him at the Indians game he went to, and talked and took pictures with him at the Marine Corps Ball.

[@112404290126]

If this is going to happen, then truly make it equal for all Marines. Women should have to sign up for the draft, and they should all face the possibility of being assigned to the infantry, just like it is for men. Physical standards should be the same for men and women. Being a grunt is a different life, even within the Marine Corps. Weeks in the field with no showers, little food, water, or sleep and shitting in straddle trenches are just some of the highlights of being a grunt. Go for it.

[@CharlesHenrySanson]

Great response from a Marine who has been their and done that. Semper Fi.

[@neildees1761]

How wonderful...

[@baywolf14]

*cooks for the house* sorry for the typos forgot to put house

[@stawksop]

Won't that be a logistical nightmare because they'd need a separate barracks?

[@TheTacoBoy001]

This is a very controversial call; perhaps if men and women bond, they may defend each other like husband and wife, lol.

[@NickHaruk]

I bet a majority will end up as clerks in the company office or armorers.

[@green84705]

Had the privilege to meet this man in person back in 2014. In the solomon islands. Salute to you Sir.

[@sauxbmUSMC]

How is it that people are supposedly responding at me but its not in the comments ?

[@makethman007]

he is reading from a screen...

[@VL1975]

It's sad too...b/c 20 yrs ago TODAY I shipped off to Parris Island. Corps is a long ways from when I was in.

[@Joseangelgutierrez2003]

"We will not lower our standards" 8 years after they mixed male and females.

[@lerox22]

Anyone else hear got the "Marines your freedom of speech is secured" talk from their SNCO's on this subject?

[@657RockOn]

This isn't just the Marine Corps. It is all branches.

[@DrDocDRM]

In my 10 years in the Corps (86-95), I knew some WMs (cry me a river if that's not PC) that were harder than wood pecker lips, but as far as combat or even combat arms units woodpeckers aren't what's called for. Tired of the feminization of males and lack of recognition of the differences between genders. Sorry SgtMaj - this WILL affect readiness/morale. And like the inclusion in combat arms MOSs in my years that causedin more INEQUALITY and burdens, it will be exponentially worse now.

[@robertsimon8877]

Lyudmila Mykhailivna Pavlichenko (Ukrainian: Людмила Михайлівна Павліченко; Russian: Людмила Михайловна Павличенко Lyudmila Mikhailovna Pavlichenko; July 12, 1916 - October 10, 1974) was a Soviet sniper during World War II. Credited with 309 kills, she is regarded as the most successful female sniper in history.

[@MoonlitMemories]

I'm not arguing the fact.All I'm saying is if there is a female(which there are,though rare)that can meet the standards/exceed them,she should have a chance to try for the same job as a male who perform far worse than her.Just because the option is there, doesn't mean every single woman is going to jump at the chance to go fight front lines.Trust me they aren't. But there are a few who will want to try.They should have the option to and know just what they are getting into in the process.

[@MoonlitMemories]

I stand corrected.

[@robertsimon8877]

Hathcock had 93 confirmed kills during his two tours of duty; the actual count may be higher. Hathcock's unconfirmed kills are believed to be in the 100s. Nevertheless, his confirmed tally was so high that North Vietnam once put a bounty of $30,000 on his head.

[@baywolf14]

and I'm also on a cheap(but reliable) 3G phone and when typing comments, the phone sometimes dosn't register someof the letters a pushed so if a word is missing a letter or there is no space then thas why

[@AndrewMilner]

This doesn't mean that women are going to flood the infantry ranks. There will be a long process for the services to decide which MOS's will be excluded. Also, only a few women will want to try. I know a lot of female Marines that have know desire at all to try, but for those who want go give it a go, more power to them.

[@MBayas1]

I see that some people forget what they were taught.

[@MoonlitMemories]

It will be mandatory in 2014 for females to do pull-ups. This years is a transitional period so its optional until 2014.

[@xXLegendXxish]

then why do they have weaker fitness standards then men. you really think they have the capability of fully operating an M249 saw independently and affectively, or being able to carry any marine on her back if someone is injured. I think you need to look at the facts

[@ladyslovelucas82]

Ok well we should change the PFT standards then. Make them equal for men and woman. At least 7 pull ups or its a fail

[@LTZK21]

We'll need major societal changes if this is going to work as advertised. Young girls will need to sign up for selective service (will likely happen now because exclusion was the only thing keeping it from happening). Haircuts, Uniforms, PT, all standards must be equal. Combat is not the place to conduct social experimentation. The actions required in the infantry are well documented and known. Standards are established based on this. Substandard performance = failures. I welcome real equality.

[@UpTick21]

When the gods wish to punish us, they answer our prayers. OK! You want combat?? You got it!! Be careful what you ask for . . . you just might get it. (Calliope playing . . . ringmaster arrives and announces "LET THE CIRCUS BEGIN!!!")

[@GDProduktions]

No one is denying the fact that women have done a lot for the military and in civilian life, but face the facts. Women are usually physically smaller and weaker than men and that's not being mean, it's the truth. Combat is not about political corrected-ness. It's about lives and people under the most demanding situations both physically and mentally. If women can't hack it physically, then they shouldn't be able to serve in front-line infantry positions.

[@plexmasterp]

First it's sleeves, now this!??

[@DeondreLequarius]

He is just stating that there is a difference in expectations between male and female Marines, all standards are set differently. A huge aspect of being a Marine is physical endurance and many female Marines lack in that department. I have met a few outstanding female Marines and statistically there are many more male Marines that make them look like garbage. Its not about standing out in your division or classification, i.e. females, in combat, you need to be the best of the best. Period

[@genogary88]

Sooo women can join infantry? How would that work out and how'd the living arrangements work?

[@hellhouse27]

You do have a point. Plus, they still have to pass training...

[@CAPTJACKRACKHAMZGM]

"Brothers and Sisters" Always Faithful.

[@alejandroavellaneda9156]

DAMMMMMMMMN. DAT STACK!

[@shotgunner308]

Marsoc position of sandwich maker has been added.

[@FormerDevilDog1]

I know EXACTLY how the Marine infantry are as I served 8 years as a Field Radio Operator assigned to a grunt unit and then later as the COMM NCOIC.. I carried everything a basic rifleman did plus comm gear. No amount of research or watching KZbin Videos will allow you to understand the culture and community of the USMC. Have you ever been around a "WM"? The ones I have met are tough and professional. Female or not, a Marine is a fucking Marine.

[@sauxbmUSMC]

OK you for you who can not read I said nothing about him but to a earlier poster. Not that I have to justify myself to you, but since I spent the better part of my life in the Corps yea I think I might just know what I speak on.

[@mildude]

Well said sir

[@TheMudbug6483]

Durring my time in I met two females with the physical strength who could have drug a wounded man out of firefight. Neither could have carried one. None of the females i knew had the endurance to do the other mundane tasks required at the same level as their male counterparts. The level of training doesn't mater if they literally can't pull their own weight. We are not held to the same standards and in combat that would often make the difference in weather a wounded Devil dog lives or dies.

[@daveonjones17]

ah this open one hell of a debate

[@sauxbmUSMC]

Sir I am sorry you lost your sons please do not allow that anger an pain to paint a picture of the entire Corps. Above all we are brothers and most of us understand that and stand for each other. Once again my condolences for your loss.

[@MissAngelJ22]

That's a matter of personal opinion, sir.

[@MBayas1]

We ,as Marines are made. Everyone goes through bootcamp. If you can't hack it you dont get the title. In the fleet, if you dont produce you are discharged. Just like us, they have to prve themselves.I have served with female Marines who have been just as tough as their Male counterparts and with more guts. If they fight next to us either way they are Marines. We dont discriminate about race, this should not be any different. We are all Marines. One unit, one corps. Semper Fi

[@MoonlitMemories]

Excuse the typo crazy men= crazy things*

[@Plangevin96]

Are women now allowed to join Recon?

[@MBayas1]

I'm no Dem. Or Rep. I'm a Marine and aways will. If we don't back our own no matter what who the F**k will. There is enough hate towards us, we don't need to attack ourselves. Whatever the outcome Semper Fi is Semper Fi.

[@Batman33ization]

We have boot camp for a reason. To weed out the physical and weak minded. It is not about whether a individual can pull someones weight but if they can pull their own. It is about IF a marine can fight as well as the man or woman next to them. If you earn the title of a marine then you are a marine. I believe you are a male chauvinist. All in all, everyone deserves the chance at the title of becoming a US Marine.

[@USMC0311CplJackson]

No shit.. Ive never said this before but Im glad I got out... Its starting to become embarrassing to even admit to being in the service now a days.. let alone a grunt...

[@tylerj172]

I don't want a woman watching my back in combat. I'll tell you this though, the thought of that's scares the living shit out of me. I don't want to die in a shit hole because some woman froze up or was a bit late to save my ass or just plain out couldn't do her job correctly. I keep coming back to this video because I love the marine corps but I hate how it's being feminized and civilianized. You can't experiment with the fucking infantry shit like that does not go down well!!! Go marine corps!

[@AngelinaRobison]

I am a female marine. I have an issue with this. Not every woman in the Marine Corps is physically ready to fight on the front lines. Oh they will do their best but are they really able to pick up their male counterpart when he gets shot. Probably not. Is she going to be able to pick up that 50 or 60 cal and run with it if need be. Probably not. Women and men are not equal. We are tough but there are certain jobs that are better left to the men.

[@USMC0311CplJackson]

Sad truth ladies and gents.. but even of females get cut down to line units those line units wont be sent to the action.. no commander would put the unit at risk like that.. they will be assigned plush sit around and do nothing jobs.. like armories.. area security.. support roles.. things like that.

[@itsniquenique45]

What problems?

[@bwhaz]

It's about time. Instead of thinking of women as fragile and having to be handled with kid gloves, we can soon realize that they can do anything a man can do. America isn't about discriminating others.

[@chamorrodan]

I've seen many female Marines MORE than capable of keeping up with the "guys." I just hope they start requiring women to sign up for the draft as well. That would further the overall goal of equality and non-discrimination. The ideas that women are too much of a distraction or are mentally unqualified are old and false. With appropriate training/supervision, male-female interactions have remained professional for years. They've been performing some very important roles on the front lines already

[@robertsimon8877]

Pavlichenko actually became one of two thousand female snipers in the Red Army, as Russia utilized women in warfare with almost the same manner as they did men, this is something that never happened in the west and is unfamiliar to westerners.

[@CptWafflezUK]

Seems someone doesn't believe in rights...

[@mikepasek]

like a boss!!!

[@matthew562]

Joint Chiefs of Staff lifted this ban, not liberals.

[@QueenTeriquable]

There are some women who can keep up with the guys. I have known some.

[@hammersticksjoey7574]

Deep down, I know he disagrees with it...but we all do what we're told

[@VL1975]

did u serve with them on the front lines? I doubt it.

[@DeondreLequarius]

Ditto, terrible decision. I have a feeling they had their back up against a wall on this case. I can't see them doing this willingly. They said we (Marines) all took a survey to decide on the matter of if we thought it was a good idea. I never saw that survey, neither did any Marines in my unit.

[@sauxbmUSMC]

BTW if you weren't posting at me sorry utube sent me email saying you were

[@publicsafetydan]

Semper Fi SgtMaj!

[@loreleidiangelo8468]

Nailed It

[@3RWE3]

You did say MCT ? right ? NOT SOI !

[@USMC0311CplJackson]

@IndiaSergeant Because no amount of want or will can change biology. Women are not suited for direct combat roles on a purely physical, and biological level. Not to mention the ramifications of the induction process into the infantry life style.

[@williamrodden9034]

Like most Sgt-Majors this guy is a Politician. It's sad what has happened to the Corps to advance an "Unworkable Social Experiment".. .

[@USMC0311CplJackson]

Urah... soft core marine corps inc. I feel sorry for the seasoned guys that are still in.. what very few are left... and I feel even more sorry for the boots... that know not of where they came...

[@0369caat]

Gotta call bullshit on FormerDevilDog1...doubting you were an 03.

[@SantiagoTheMarine]

This is going to be one hell of a change.... but fuck it women Marines are better than any Army infantry man. So women show them how it's done!!! SEMPER FI!!

[@FormerDevilDog1]

Women already have fought and died in Iraq and Afghanistan and proven themselves in doing so. They have earned the right with their blood to have the option to join a combat unit if they choose to do so. As the Sgt.Maj said a MARINE is a MARINE regardless of gender. Both men and women wear the same uniform and the same EGA. As for women not able to make it in the infantry. Give me a dedicated Marine and 6 weeks and I'll have her making the men look bad at the School of Infantry, that's a fact.

[@USMCPooleeDallas]

The Corps is changing the physical fitness for women, so instead of flex-arm hang women are now going to do pull-ups.

[@MoonlitMemories]

Women don't make men do crazy men. A man's lack of control and ability to keep a sound mind during combat makes him do crazy things. That in itself is thanks to society.

[@azuremain]

Whenever the first caskets come home, people want revenge. Once the first female soldier or Marine is gang raped and hell what not, very irrational reactions will follow joepardising the whole mission. Women make men do lots of crazy things. We should not allow this to happen in the combat zone when lifes are at stake.

[@Seth92493]

Its actually "The Few, The Proud"

[@yuks714]

A woman in the field for weeks without a shower....... you could make a shit load of bread with all that yeast.

[@mildude]

While you do bring up a good point, you have to remember that the nation today isn't the same as it was back then. We've gotten soft, always having to be politically correct and afraid of offending someone even in the smallest sense. People are sitting on their asses with their greedy, nasty hands out as if the whole world owes them something when they haven't done squat. Oops, sorry, I went off for a minute there. I'll step off the soap box now.

[@b0tch02]

Just because someone is a female they have a RIGHT to serve in combat? No. There are some females that could hack it, but that doesn't give them a right to just jump into an infantry unit. They would have to do just what the males do, and they don't have any more of a right to be in an infantry unit than anyone else does. This gives them rights to attempt School of Infantry. If they can't hack it, hump their weight, and are a detriment, they shouldn't be in the infantry - male or female!

[@Sargentfanboy]

How are Women going to be in combat positions if they don't even have to do a pull up...

[@vlouie03]

Semper Fi Marines both Male and Females do your duties!!!!

[@dalelallred]

well lets just say that i will stay "PC" and say nothing. EVEN though i seen lots of bad WM's and a lowering of standards for them.

[@dayton3375]

Its us men that will be affected when we have to carry the shot up body that we know is someone's daughter out there. Its tragic enough losing the men we have. Wish we could keep it as brothers in arms. Soon transvestites and all will be the next dilemma. We have more than enough infantry men volunteering and for this to take effect especially now really clogs up the infantry jobs even more. Women are not built to be warriors. They don't have testosterone and can't sleep in combat with guys.

[@MoonlitMemories]

If they are even able to play the girl card, and their leadership gets away with it. Then maybe you should be looking at leadership to blame rather than the female whose using what she knows they'll let her get away with. I've seen plenty of males do the same thing because "we went drinking together last week man, just don't says anything about it" with their NCO or SNCO.Then they wonder why that same Marine got a DUI two weeks later doing the same thing that was covered up for him.

[@D2Icarus]

Well, historically, women have been better snipers than men but I don't think they would fair as well in close quarters as most women aren't psychologically capable of handling the stress. Not trying to be sexist about this at all, just trying to point out the historical and statistical data.

[@baywolf14]

its 11:42 and I'm so board I'm still on youtube and also grammer has been a slight problem because I'm forgetful,lazy,and disorgaized, I'm kinda Impoving but I think It's gonna take a drill insrocter to drill responsibility into my brain(see what I did there lol)

[@thomasfaure8661]

And that's why the STANDARDS WERE NOT :LOWERED! They are the same. So if a woman CAN cut it, she gets into the infantry. If she can't, then she can't be infantry. Done deal. what problem would you have if the female Marine can do exactly what her male counterpart does physically?

[@sauxbmUSMC]

Wow the Corps was the last group I ever expected to go PC. I don't care what devildog says... he must have never been a ground pounder. There are very few females that can move a geared up guy out of fire. Not sure what they teach now but we were taught no one left behind. The debate is not if they can shoot or fight but can they be a full grunt. I am sorry but they had to adjust the PDT for them as it is..... There are exception to the rule but I am pointing out the majority

[@matthew562]

The only thing i'm afraid of is that male Marines will treat the female Marines differently.

[@anymouse1487]

The fact of the matter is; why the would we remove gender discrimination from combat arms where lives are at stake but not address that we still have gender segregaded competitive sports? Maybe we need to take a step out side the box here. NFL with women?! no.....NHL?! Soccer? Baseball? THE OLYMPICS?!?!? The NBA is half way there, but its only because there is an entertainment value involved....we need to relly think about what is at stake here.

[@SuperCitizensnips]

this is epic

[@baywolf14]

oh and dude21if, if your part of the military I mean no disrespect , just didn't take my time to think if your part of it. so I take that "go to hell" back

[@USMCPooleeDallas]

And you are?

[@dagobert5716]

True

[@davidkinser9016]

An 0369 Staff Sergeant with 8 years in the Marines, keep your mouth shut until you earn your EGA, if you do

[@baywolf14]

I think that when join, I'm going to stay a grunt for my enlistment, so I'm not forced to say lies like this to my fellow leather necks.