Final Version, 6 Mar 2019

Response to Congressional Inquiry ICO Gender Integration of United States Marine Corps Basic Recruit Training “The committee also notes that the United States Marine Corps is the only military service that has not integrated men and women at basic recruit training. Therefore, the committee directs the Commandant of the Marine Corps, no later than one year after enactment, to report to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives on the required changes and cost the Marine Corps would require to execute a fully integrated basic recruit training, to include the construction or renovation of barracks.” Thank you for the opportunity to respond to your inquiries concerning gender integration and the required infrastructure to sustain it. Over the past two years, the Marine Corps has combined approximately 90% of the training associated with our Entry Level Training Continuum while ensuring platoon integrity based on gender.

The Marine Corps remains committed to maintaining rigorous standards for its Entry Level Training and enculturation. Our approach has reliably produced a world-class fighting force that others seek to emulate. Our standards based methodology ensures all recruits, regardless of gender, meet demanding graduation requirements in a training environment that prepares them to not only survive on the modern battlefield, but to fight and win.

Recruit training is the first step in the Entry Level Training Continuum, with follow on training occurring at the School of Infantry and then Military Occupational Specialty Schools, prior to a Marine entering the Operating Forces. Marine Corps recruit training is based on a gender-separate platoon model that adheres to the applicable laws associated with billeting and privacy, while maximizing the training time afforded to recruits. This model provides flexibility to select the mixed-gender training opportunities that yield the best returns. Following recruit training, all newly-minted Marines attend the School of Infantry (SOI), where Marines train side- by-side and live in gender-separate billeting. The final step in the Entry Level Training Continuum is the individual Military Occupational Specialty School, where all training is integrated in a manner that replicates, where possible, the conditions of the Operating Forces. It is important to note that even at the shortest Military Occupational Specialty School, males and females are only separated for the first 3-weeks out of their 25-weeks of Entry Level Training. As it stands, the Marine Corps Entry Level Training Continuum is gender-combined and integrated 88% of the time. The platoon is the building block for transforming recruits into United States Marines. At recruit training, Marines are organized into gender-specific platoons composed of 50 to 90 female or male recruits. We strongly believe that this approach best supports the development of newly- arrived recruits by providing the drill instructors with the opportunity to forge a relationship in an uninterrupted manner 24-hours a day, 7-days a week. This methodology is integral to our transformation process. The initial period of separation during the first three weeks builds confidence for males and females in like-gender, platoon-sized units and provides recruits crucial mentorship time with Drill Instructors. These Drill Instructors are thoroughly vetted role models who give critical, persistent presence and instruction to their recruits, focusing on life skills, Final Version, 6 Mar 2019 teamwork, leading peers, and what it means to be a Marine. Platoon-oriented training in the squad bays provides our Drill Instructors with the best opportunity to maximize the use of mentoring in a time-constrained environment, ensuring around-the-clock recruit training. The program is purposely designed to progressively phase in gender-combined training events throughout the 13- week curriculum. Additionally, this year we added a Fourth Phase to recruit training. Led by our Drill Instructors, this stage focuses on leadership and character development through small group discussions on a variety of life-skills to better prepare new Marines for the next phase of training and life in the Operating Forces. While we continually seek ways to improve and refine how we make Marines, we are challenged by an aging infrastructure at our historic recruit depots – particularly at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, which has been making Marines since 1915. Female Marines began training on Parris Island on February 23, 1949 and have occupied their current facilities since 1976. In November of 2001, our 4th Recruit Training Battalion expanded to its current size and capacity in order to effectively train the larger number of female recruits entering the service. Due to the nuances of barracks constructed with varying timelines and designs, a disparity in bed space capacity exists, limiting our flexibility during periods of increased recruit activity. During the summer months, Parris Island currently uses the full capacity of all available facilities to accommodate the summer influx of recruits. In order to conduct year-round combined-gender training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, we would need to tear down and rebuild a new barracks complex estimated to cost $200 million (Rough Order of Magnitude). This investment would allow for four standalone barracks with gender-separate billeting and an additional messing facility capable of supporting roughly 20,000 recruits training aboard the depot every year. Currently, the number of female recruits joining the Marine Corps has not reached the point that necessitates training them at both Marine Corps Recruit Depots Parris Island and San Diego. While the number of female Marines in the Corps has risen from 14,081 in FY15 to 16,147 in FY18, there remains sufficient capacity at Parris Island to continue to train all female recruits. Accordingly, the Marine Corps has not, for purposes of preparing this response, considered the cost of expanding gender integration to Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. If in the future we need to fully integrate basic recruit training at both depots, we will need a more thorough analysis to identify the infrastructure requirements and potential impacts such a change would incur upon our Recruiting and Shipping Model. The Marine Corps continually examines and evaluates our training to ensure its effectiveness, and we implement changes based on validated requirements. While we look for new opportunities to conduct gender-combined training, we remain firmly committed to the benefits and proven success of the gender-specific platoon training model. We are confident our current recruit training model produces superior results. When we consider making changes, we do so deliberately, careful not to do anything that would compromise our combat capability. With your help, we will continue to produce the highest quality, combat ready men and women who represent what was articulated by the 114th Congress and validated in the FY-16 NDAA: The Marine Corps must always be ready when the Nation is least ready.