Legion participates in women in combat jobs, units roundtable

American Legion Media Relations Director Joe Plenzler participated in a discussion about recent successes and current challenges with integrating women in ground combat jobs and units during a roundtable event April 5 at the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., hosted the roundtable, which was organized by the Servicewomen's Action Network, National Women's Law Center, Women in International Security and American Civil Liberties Union. Speakers included Katrina Simpson and Wednesday Nelson, both of whom are second lieutenants and new infantry officers for the U.S. Army.

Simpson and Nelson recently graduated from the Army's Infantry Basic Officer Leader Course at Fort Benning, Ga., and shared their motivations to joining the infantry as well as their experiences in training.

"I wasn't thrilled to be in field artillery, but it was the only ground combat branch open to me at the time,” said Simpson, a New Hampshire native who had previously served in field artillery. “I wanted to get as close to ground combat as possible. I wanted to challenge myself and be pushed to my limits to see what I was made of."

Although she wasn’t worried about her physical ability, Nelson said she was concerned about her gender and how she would be perceived by both peers and the training cadre. When asked whether they were treated differently as females, Nelson said the cadre was focused on her as a soldier and a student — not as a woman.

Nelson and Simpson both scored very high on the male physical performance test prior to attending the training. By the end of the course, Simpson said the men who were skeptical at first were convinced that women could pull their weight and hold their own.

"I was hoping people wouldn't use my gender to keep me down,” Simpson said. “We were able to prove that we could perform at the same level or better than the men. I finished third on an eight-mile ruck run in the dark and one of my male peers found it hard to believe a woman finished ahead of him.”

To date, 200 women have volunteered and enlisted in the infantry and armor. About 30 women have qualified as infantry and armor officers as of March 1, with another 32 women who are currently in or slated to begin training.

Additionally, two female captains, both Ranger qualified, and 14 female lieutenants joined the infantry branch in late 2016. Fourteen more female lieutenants accessed into the armor branch and 24 female non-commissioned officers have either completed or are enrolled in training to move into infantry and armor jobs.

Progress in integrating women in the Marine Corps, however, was somewhat slower despite the smaller size. About 30 women are currently serving in previously closed ground combat jobs; two female Marine field artillery officers graduated in the top of their artillery school class in 2016; and 236 enlisted women completed infantry training during the Marine Corps ground combat experiment and are eligible to transfer into infantry jobs.

Gillian Thomas, senior staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, provided an overview of past and ongoing legal challenges related to full integration of women into ground combat jobs and units. "The Army has done a better (job) in this current phase (than the Marines) by a long shot," Thomas said.

Retired Marine Lt. Col. Kate Germano discussed the impact of segregated training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island on its culture and unit cohesion. "Having a system of dual standards is corrosive to unit cohesion," she said. "When women are expected to do more, they respond and do more. Mutual respect is born out of results.”

Germano not only offered ways for the Marines to improve bootcamp by integrating men and women during training to build mutual respect and cohesion, but also suggested increasing standards for women both in recruiting and training.

"We need to consider the impact of segregation and its impact on preventing women from being able to do their jobs in combat," Germano said. "Our country learned long ago that separate is not equal."

To date, no woman has passed the Corps Infantry Officer Course. Some have even questioned current Marine Corps Infantry Officer Course graduation requirements, specifically the approach march equipment loads, times and distances.

Plenzler, a retired Marine lieutenant colonel, spoke about the burdens that infantry soldiers and Marines have been expected to carry throughout history.

"While the Infantry Officer Course was the best and hardest military school I've ever attended, all standards must be tied to job-specific requirements," Plenzler said. "According to the law, these must be regular and recurring tasks to be considered a standard. We are breaking infantry Marines and soldiers and there is a lifetime cost to that that is born by the taxpayers through the Department of Veterans Affairs in terms of disability payments.”

In order to help alleviate the burden on infantry soldiers and Marines, Plenzler said lawmakers need to provide additional funding to research and develop lighter equipment for those serving in the infantry, especially in the areas of body armor and batteries.

“Eliminating segregation and having women and men train together is the key to integrating women in the Marine Corps,” said combat veteran Greg Jacob, a retired Marine captain who instituted a one-standard policy for both men and women.

Plenzler also spoke about American Legion Resolution No. 221, which requires that all military jobs and units to be open to all qualified servicemembers regardless of their gender or age. He communicated the Legion's support in Resolution No. 218, which calls for women, ages 18 to 25, to register with the Selective Service.

Since its inception in 1919, The American Legion has long recognized the significant role women have played in the military, honored their service and accepted them for full membership. Women were allowed to vote for the American Legion national commander before they had the rights to vote for the U.S. president, Plenzler said.

"With the best of intentions, we have turned our infantry into overburdened, kevlar-clad turtles that have a hard time closing with lightly-burdened enemy," Plenzler said. "We can do better and our infantry deserves better.”