Marine Corps Integrates Training at MCRD San Diego

First Female Recruits at MCRD San Diego

December 11, 2022

The 2020 National Defense Authorization Act is a congressional directive mandating the Marine Corps to integrate training at boot camp fully. MCRD San Diego has until 2028, and Parris Island has until 2025 to comply with the mandate.

On January 5, 2019, the Marine Corps integrated about 50 female recruits into 3rd Recruit Training Battalion India Company.

So far, boot camp has been integrated at the company level, with five male platoons and one female platoon. Marine Corps leadership has shared some concerns with fully integrating at the platoon level. They worry fully integrating may lower the standards for becoming a Marine. Some Marine Corps Veterans believe the Corps is falling short of the greater goal of preparing recruits for life in the Marine Corps. Segregating by gender creates deficits that may be difficult to overcome.

However, the Marine Corps believes the ambiguity in the directive allows them to set its own parameters for integrating recruits. However, the lack of clear instruction has caused some confusion among training staff and recruits about how to define "gender integration."

Several training events below the platoon level will be integrated and the Marine Corps will create focus groups to explore how else they can integrate training events.

As more information comes out about this evolution in recruit training, MarineParents.com will update this page. We will also share updates from official Marine Corps sources as they become available.

Information available at marinecorpstimes.com.