Marine Corps' tent-sharing decision

USMCGrunt

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When I was on active duty in the Army before my 2LT was born, we shared tents in the field by platoon--not by gender. So while this is relatively new to the Marine Corps. This is an example of the news making something sensational out of something that is operationally driven. I think we will all be fine and dogs and cats will not be living in sin and we are not going to Hell in a handbasket. The only people worried about lowering standards are people not actively engaged in the effort to integrate women into the ground combat element. For the Marine Corps in particular, expect a tightening of highly evaluated standards rather than any easing of standards. End of discussion.
 
This is not new to the Marine Corps, I shared a tent with plenty of guys. Was never an issue. Agree that it's just the news sensationalizing something that has happened for decades. Heck I lived in a large tent for nearly 11 months with the other officers. I was the lone female at a FOB for the entire deployment. Was never an issue until a Chaplain came to visit and said, 'I would never let my wife live like this.' I then said, 'well it's a good thing your wife isn't a Marine or deployed here then isn't it?' I got some counseling for that one then high fived by everyone else after.
 
This is not new to the Marine Corps, I shared a tent with plenty of guys. Was never an issue. Agree that it's just the news sensationalizing something that has happened for decades. Heck I lived in a large tent for nearly 11 months with the other officers. I was the lone female at a FOB for the entire deployment. Was never an issue until a Chaplain came to visit and said, 'I would never let my wife live like this.' I then said, 'well it's a good thing your wife isn't a Marine or deployed here then isn't it?' I got some counseling for that one then high fived by everyone else after.
LMAO! Good for you! Can't imagine why you got some counseling, but then I never served. On a more silly note this has nothing to do with women's roles in combat. I hardly call time spent in a tent, combat.
 
This is not new to the Marine Corps, I shared a tent with plenty of guys. Was never an issue. Agree that it's just the news sensationalizing something that has happened for decades. Heck I lived in a large tent for nearly 11 months with the other officers. I was the lone female at a FOB for the entire deployment. Was never an issue until a Chaplain came to visit and said, 'I would never let my wife live like this.' I then said, 'well it's a good thing your wife isn't a Marine or deployed here then isn't it?' I got some counseling for that one then high fived by everyone else after.

Hoops, Hoops, Hoops, loving this.
 
Thanks DrMom and Hoops. I just spoke to my DS who advised that they never got to sleep in tents during TBS but the women officers did share fighting positions and it wasn't a big deal. As you said, this seems to be the media sensationalizing the situation. I happen to know the CO of 1/8 and imagine he is in a tough spot as the USMC works through this.

To be honest, I was laughing at the articles this week. As an Infantry Officer, I can only remember one time we slept in shelter halves (2-man tents) and that was at the end of Gallant Eagle (a rapid-deployment exercise) at 29 palms. Other than that, we were on the ground.
 
I shared my fighting position with a classmate of mine from USNA... a guy named Jeff. Great guy. Not sure why they now have to be shared with another woman. It's a fighting position, dig a hole and sit. I mean we were mean and made the 6'8" guy share one with the 5'1" guy just for fun (we really did). I remember carrying around a shelter half for all of TBS, never used once. I also carried half a tent one time. We slept in them one night at the range, filled out a survey for systems command and gave them back.
 
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As a mom of a daughter who will be commissioning in the Marines corps - it's a non-issue for me. News media must have had a slow news day.
 
A look back at the AP story published 25 Feb 1979, when the first women joined the crew of USS VULCAN. The story was famous because of a "floating brothel" reference from an unexpected quarter. Found it in five seconds putting that in my search string. Enjoy!

Aboard the USS Vulcan (AP).
The U.S. Navy's pioneering women at sea are getting used to the cramped sleeping berths, the lack of privacy, the mess cook duties. Aboard the USS Vulcan, the Navy's first and only ship with enlisted women aboard, they don't complain about the lack of hot water, the attacks of seasickness, even last week's raid of their quarters by some rowdy sailors. But when the 530-foot repair ship left Norfolk on Thursday for a history-making first operational cruise with women aboard headed for Naval Weapons Station Earle, NJ, they were still grumbling about a problem they left back on shore. Those complaining Navy wives. "A floating brothel ... Ban the Broads!" wrote a Navy wife in a recently published letter to the Navy Times. And although this particular wife was from California, the women of the Vulcan were incensed. "The letter was so off the wall. "She did not know what she was talking about," said Ensign Mary Carroll, 23, of Roanoke, Va., who last November became the first woman to board the Vulcan. "We have a working relationship wjth the men on this ship. When we are under way, there is no time, no energy for
anything but work." "We've all got to grow up about this issue," said Capt. Harry A. Spencer, who has talked to many Navy wives and encourages a wait-and-see attitude about the integration of women on Navy ships. "If we're really sincere about equal opportunity, the only
way is to try our very best to make it work. We want to use the full resources of our country, not just half. "We have made history and we will continue to make history," Spencer said, adding that he was "mighty pleased" with the way
things are working out for his crew of 59 women, including two officers, and 805 men. '"I think it's working exceptionally well," said Warrant Officer Joe Whitaker from Hazard, Ky., who's been in the Navy 22 years. "The women do their share handling boats, standing watch, splicing lines. And it's a good feeling to see someone of the opposite sex on board. You develop a new appreciation for women after working with them." 'But is there love on the "Love Boat," nicknamed this by the crew after the popular television program. "If you wanted
to fool around you could probably find a place to do it. There are all kinds of little closets on the ship," said Mike Paradee, 24, from New London, Minn. "But the majority of. guys would never dare try anything. It's not worth it." One sailor, with a history of trouble, who tried a shipboard version of a panty raid when he and some friends broke into the women's quarters, ended up in the brig and was awarded a special court-martial for his efforts.
 
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Not sure why they now have to be shared with another woman.

Hoops: I just wanted to clarify my post. You misunderstood my shoddy writing. My DS reports that while in the field at TBS the male and female officers shared fighting positions without any issue. I didn't mean to suggest that TBS was requiring separation of the officers by sex. My apologies.
 
Further proof of the landmark changes in the Marine Corps! They're leading the way on this!


I hope no one tells them we lived in multi-gender tents a decade ago...
 
Hoops: I just wanted to clarify my post. You misunderstood my shoddy writing. My DS reports that while in the field at TBS the male and female officers shared fighting positions without any issue. I didn't mean to suggest that TBS was requiring separation of the officers by sex. My apologies.

Makes sense! Thanks!
 
Picture of my wife's tent... a few years ago.
In Army Aviation we slept in common tents while in the field, to include women. This was "way back" in the '80's. I think in the field environment "sexuality" was the last thing on anyone's mind. The men naturally gave the women some privacy and were a little careful around them while changing and such, but it was not a big deal.
My daughter is currently a deployed 12B (combat engineer), and says the same thing.
 

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Picture of my wife's tent... a few years ago.
In Army Aviation we slept in common tents while in the field, to include women. This was "way back" in the '80's. I think in the field environment "sexuality" was the last thing on anyone's mind. The men naturally gave the women some privacy and were a little careful around them while changing and such, but it was not a big deal.
My daughter is currently a deployed 12B (combat engineer), and says the same thing.

12B hasn't been open to females for long has it? She must have been one of the first.
 
12B hasn't been open to females for long has it? She must have been one of the first.
A little over a year I think.
She is doing fine, but she was in good shape even before basic. Her high school did not have normal PE. Athletes did "core", so for female athletes such as her she did "women's core" and lifted weights 3 days a week. She then played D1 soccer for a semester before dropping out to enlist.
I think she said about 30% of the females in basic had to reclassify. Usually this was not because they couldn't hang, but they endured stress injuries to their bodies. Those in good shape like my daughter did not have any problems.
Hopefully the new OPAT will take care of this.

https://www.armytimes.com/articles/...ess-test-for-soldiers-who-want-to-switch-moss
 
DD was in a fighting position with a male Marine many times overnight at TBS. Big Storm one night. The only thing they both agreed upon was that they hoped the tree above their position would fall and they could get Medivac out. "Sexuality was the last thing on their mind".
 
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