Marine Corps Gender-Integration Study Criticized for Being Biased

A U.S. Marine Corps gender-Integration study has been heavily criticized on the grounds that it was engineered to keep women out of the infantry units. The study compared the performance of inexperienced female Marines who were fresh out of training against male infantrymen, according to a Marine source familiar with the effort.

The study compared the performance of male and female Marines while focusing on accuracy and speed when engaging targets using multiple weapons. The Marines in the test group moved quickly from one task to another which made it difficult to develop unit cohesion.

Female marines who had volunteered for the study were screened at a lower physical fitness standard as compared to men. But they were tested for the same endurance and strength levels as males on tasks that included evacuating causalities, negotiating obstacles, and others.

The findings of the study showed that all male units performed at a higher levels as compared to gender-integrated units on 69% of the evaluated tasks. However, the four page summary report has been criticized for not showing the true picture and relying on biased methods that favored male Marines.

The Marine Corps had released findings of the study in early September this year, which had put Navy Secretary Ray Mabus at odds with the leadership over the question of women serving in direct-action combat tasks. Mabus was criticized for his support for including female Marines in all combat arm jobs.

Around 300 men and 100 women participated in the GCEITF or Ground Combat Element Integrated Task Force. The executive summary of the report stated that it was necessary to conduct such a research after the Congressional notification requirements “prohibited simply introducing female Marines into previously closed ground combat units.”

But critics say that the way the units were formed for conducting the research was biased. Males in the unit were mostly seasoned professionals while most of the females were fresh out of the Marine Corps Infantry Training Battalion course.

Moreover, the female volunteers had to meet the minimum male score for passing the Combat Fitness Test and Marine Physical Fitness Test. They were not required to meet the top male standards, and therefore could not compete with the men on equal footing.

The all male unit performed much better in overcoming obstacles as compared to the gender-integrated units. For instance, the male Marine Corps threw the packs to the top of the wall in negotiating the wall obstacle, while female Marines required assistance in getting their packs to the top.

Mabus criticized findings of the Marine Corps study in The Washington Post stating that the study did not measure performance of individual female Marines. Instead it used only averages in evaluating the performance of female Marines.

Defense Secretary Ashton Carter stated on Sep 30 that he has all the reports about The Marine Corps infantry, Navy SEALs, and other combat jobs in the Navy Department related to women. But he will not be making any decisions until January next year.