THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, February 11, 1997 TAG: 9702110210
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: JACKSONVILLE LENGTH: 53 lines
A few good women will be training alongside men in Marine battlefield training at Camp Lejeune for the first time next month.
During the 17-day ``Operation Leatherneck'' combat training program, the female Marines will dig foxholes, learn how to navigate on land, make night patrols and even secure airfields side by side with the men.
Now, only male Marines participate in this post-boot camp training for non-infantry enlisted Marines.
``They are going to be so busy for 17 days, they're not going to remember who's male and who's female,'' said 1st Lt. Charlene Walters.
``The women are going to do fine. They have the mental capacity to do as well as men. Women have already proven that at (basic training),'' she said. ``They've already proven they can train alongside men, even outperform them.''
The first female Marines arrive from Parris Island, S.C., on March 19. Camp Geiger, a maintenance camp on the Lejeune reservation, was chosen as the site for integrated non-infantry combat training because of its proximity to Parris Island, where female recruits attend boot camp.
Female Marines will begin training at Camp Geiger once new restroom facilities at the barracks and in the field are completed, said Col. James P. O'Donnell, the commander of Lejeune's infantry school.
The training includes 13 days of field training in simulated combat conditions. Walters and 1st Lt. Kathy Silich are now observing similar training at the infantry school before helping with the integrated training next month.
``I'm just so glad to be out in the field and away from the desk,'' Silich said.
Silich volunteered to come to the training because she ``wanted to make sure they had good leaders, positive leaders.'' Two more female lieutenants will join the once all-male staff. Training will include use of machine guns, light weapons and hand grenades.
O'Donnell recently attended the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute in Florida in preparation for the arrival of female Marines at the infantry school.
In addition, equal opportunity ``advisers,'' who have completed 17 weeks of intensive training, will be on hand to train the staff and make sure everything runs smoothly when the women arrive. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
ASSOCIATED PRESS
1st Lt. Charlene M. Walters, right, and 1st Lt. Kathy L. Silich
discuss training issues as the Marines prepare to integrate the
corps' 17-day combat training program at Camp Lejeune, N.C.
KEYWORDS: U.S. MARINE COPRS