RECRUITS ARE STILL BEING MADE MARINES THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY!?

RECRUITS ARE STILL BEING MADE MARINES THE OLD-FASHIONED WAY!?

By Andy Weddington

Thursday, 04 August 2022

A hair divides what is false and true. - Omar Khayyam

More than 39 years ago I reported to the Commanding General, Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island for duty - in the Recruit Training Regiment.

It was a man's world. 

Three training battalions with two letter companies each in the Regiment (with Headquarters, Support, and Weapons Training battalions) and my good fortune to serve three years in Second Recruit Training Battalion in both letter companies and headquarters company to include command. 

Women's Recruit Training Command ("WRTC"), not in the Regiment, trained females. For separate barracks, chow hall, physical training fields, etc., there was not interaction between male and female recruits (with exception of dental, medical, and liberty before graduation). 

Through the years, as Congress so directed, separate training of males and females (trained only aboard Parris Island not San Diego) morphed to integrated training. 

WRTC became 4th battalion (women only) and joined the Regiment.

That an enormous macro paradigm shift. 

And integration meant establishing a standard for a recruit to earn the title and emblem. Micro changes necessary. 

Compromise. 

There had to be for males and females are not, generally speaking, capable of the same strength and stamina feats. 

There is not time to present the debate of one standard (requirement) for graduating recruit training. 

Nor is such the purpose of this short commentary - home a week after a reunion at Parris Island and considering what seen and heard in contrast to experiences four decades ago.

Integrated. 

Female platoons train with male platoons. 

Same uniform. Same training. Side-by-side, but one looks different. 

Came the obvious question ...

Why is it, this day of pronouns confusion, gender-neutrality, one standard, one uniform, etc., male and female recruits are still readied for training the old-fashioned way?

That is, why is the male recruit stripped of identity by shearing hair to the scalp while the female recruit is not? 

Particularly since ample proof a Marine is made without stripping identity, locks to stubble, why?

Why not a recruit standard - scalp all or none?

The old guys bantered (the serious question) without logical conclusion, then grabbed a beer for more important discourse - compare health problems and bald heads. 

Anyway, another reunion - grand it was - in the log book.