Warfare training begins in Phase II, which lasts six weeks for male recruits, and seven weeks for female recruits. Here they practice marksmanship with the M 16A2, to include their first experiences on the rifle range. The Corps takes marksmanship very seriously. If you cannot consistently hit targets on the range with a M16, you will never be a Marine. In Phase II, the general military knowledge taught in Phase I is tested, and there is the recruits' first experience with the Physical Fitness Test (PFT). Like proficiency with the M16, the successful completion of the PFT is mandatory to be certified as a Marine. Also in Phase II is the recruits' first experience with the new water-training facility recently completed at Parris Island. A surprising number of recruits have never seen a swimming pool, lake, or ocean, and they must learn to swim if they are to serve in an amphibious service. In the swimming facility the recruits learn how to float and move through the water, even when fully loaded with a rifle, uniform, boots, and pack. This training includes a series of drops from platform boards, which can be terribly unnerving to young people whose only experience with water may have been an open fire hydrant in an inner-city neighborhood.
Finally, there is the tactical training that is so necessary to becoming a Marine warrior. This includes rudimentary small-unit and assault training, as well as traditional Marine training in "hitting skills" (fundamental to hand-to-hand combat), and training in the use of pugil sticks (large padded clubs). This part of basic training introduces the recruit to the unpleasant fact that life as a Marine can involve the very personal act of assaulting other people, and perhaps even killing them. Tactical training not only does this, it also teaches the new Marines how to measure and use force in combat.
Earlier, I pointed out that female recruits spend a week longer in Phase II than their male counterparts. Now is a good time to talk about why. Since World War I, women have augmented the strength of the Corps, freeing men for combat jobs. And like other branches of the U.S. military, the USMC has gradually expanded its range of opportunities for women. Today, something like 93 % of all Marine MOSs (Military Occupational Specialty codes, which determine the jobs personnel are trained and certified to perform) are open to women Marines This even includes aviation jobs, such as flying fighter jets and attack helicopters. But for women Marines the official Defense Department definition of "combat" still restricts them from combat-related MOSs, the specialties senior leaders consider most necessary for promotion. This includes infantry, armor, and other ground combat positions. The stated reasons for this restriction are the same as those of the U.S. Army: Women are said to lack the strength and endurance necessary for the rigors of ground combat. But this situation is changing, as General Krulak is currently considering lifting the restriction from artillery and some other combat MOSs.
Now, despite the restrictions on women serving in front-line ground units, the Corps still has training and readiness standards for all Marines, and every Marine has to be prepared for combat, anywhere and at any time. This means that female recruits also train for combat. But the female recruits have a somewhat different training regime from their male counterparts. For starters, they are housed and trained in a separate training unit at Parris Island, the 4th Recruit Training Battalion. The 4th Battalion facilities make few concessions to alleged female requirements (personal privacy and such). Squad bays have roughly the same layout and equipment as the male ones. Some 4th Battalion executive officers and Sergeant Majors are male, but there are no male DIs or Series Commanders.
One significant difference between male and female training, however, reflects an ugly reality of our society: A high percentage of the women who enter the Corps report they have been physically or sexually abused, molested, or raped prior to their entry into Recruit Training. While Marine leadership is quite discreet in discussing this subject, its action on behalf of female recruits is specific and effective. The 4th Battalion has a psychiatrist on call to help deal with emotional problems, as well as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker at Beaufort Naval Hospital. Though the percentage of female recruits with previously confirmed histories of victimization is reported as 7 %, something approaching 50 % of these wind up telling of such experiences during initial Recruit Training interviews. You may think people scarred with such experiences should not be put in a position of responsibility (like becoming a Marine), but the Corps views this situation differently. Marine leadership sees any person who is mentally, morally, and physically qualified and who completes Recruit Training as someone worth having — a part of their family. Furthermore, it is the experience of the Marines that such women are survivors, exactly the kind of people who can succeed in the male-dominated culture of the Marine Corps. The payoff is that while the initial dropout rate among women has always been about 50 % higher than that of men, the rate has been dropping rapidly over the last few years. As a bonus, the retention rate of women Marines who re-enlist for additional tours of duty is actually higher than that of their male counterparts.
Female recruits do everything at Parris Island that their male counterparts do. At the same time, the generally smaller build and lower body strength of women (compared to men) is taken into account. For example, on the obstacle course, a few (though not all) of the obstacles are scaled down slightly. It is just as difficult for women to get over them as it is for the men to get over the obstacles on their course. I should also say that the Corps is constantly reevaluating the curriculum of both the male and female recruits to see where improvements and/or additions should be made. For example, the Commandant recently merged the male and female requirements for distance running in the PFT, a change many leaders felt was long overdue.
When male Marines finish Recruit Training, they go to the School of Infantry at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, where they learn ground infantry tactics and master heavy weapons. The Corps requires graduation from the School of Infantry before a Marine can join a ground combat unit. But because of the Congressionally-mandated DoD prohibition on women in ground combat units, female Marine recruits get an abbreviated course in heavy weapons and infantry tactics while they are still at Parris Island, adding one week to the training cycle. Thus, even before their male counterparts, the women recruits are firing machine guns and practicing rudimentary assault tactics!
For everyone, Phase III arrives as the most cherished part of Recruit Training. Once a recruit is in Phase III, he or she is over "the hump," and the DIs are working hard to ensure that every last recruit completes the course. Lasting two weeks, Phase III consists of final examinations and makeups. Final marks for PFTs, marksmanship, and other drills are scored; and records are updated. Included in all this are final inspection, drills, and rehearsal of the graduation ceremonies. It is a heady time for the young recruits. Frequently, new training series/platoons will be allowed to march to see the Phase III units, so they will know that it really is possible to become a Marine!
