Women in the Marines since 1972 Women in the United States Marines

captain elizabeth a. okoreeh-baah, first female mv-22 osprey pilot, stands on flight line in al asad, iraq after combat operation on march 12, 2008.

frontiero v. richardson, 411 u.s. 677 (1973), landmark supreme court case decided benefits given military family of service members cannot given out differently because of sex.

approximately 1 thousand women marines deployed operation desert storm (1990) , operation desert shield (1990-1991).

in 1991 tailhook scandal occurred, in marine corps (and navy) aviators accused of sexually assaulting 83 women (and 7 men) @ tailhook convention in las vegas.

before don t ask don t tell policy enacted in 1993, lesbians , bisexual women (and gay men , bisexual men) banned serving in military. in 1993 don t ask don t tell policy enacted, mandated military not ask servicemembers sexual orientation. however, until policy ended in 2011 service members still expelled military if engaged in sexual conduct member of same sex, stated lesbian, gay, or bisexual, and/or married or attempted marry of same sex.

on april 28, 1993, combat exclusion lifted aviation positions les aspin, permitting women serve in aviation capacity.

in 1994, pentagon declared:

service members eligible assigned positions qualified, except women shall excluded assignment units below brigade level primary mission engage in direct combat on ground.

that policy excluded women being assigned organizations based upon proximity direct combat or collocation policy referred it. according army, collocation occurs when, position or unit routinely physically locates , remains military unit assigned doctrinal mission routinely engage in direct combat.

american women in marines served in afghanistan war 2001 until 2014, , in iraq war 2003 until 2011.

in 2013 leon panetta removed military s ban on women serving in combat, overturning 1994 rule. panetta s decision gave military services until january 2016 seek special exceptions if believed positions must remain closed women. services had until may 2013 draw plan opening units women , until end of 2015 implement it. in 2015 joseph dunford, commandant of marine corps, recommended women excluded competing front-line combat jobs. year u.s. official confirmed marine corps had requested keep combat jobs open men. however, in december 2015, defense secretary ash carter stated starting in 2016 combat jobs open women. in march 2016, ash carter approved final plans military service branches , u.s. special operations command open combat jobs women, , authorized military begin integrating female combat soldiers right away.

also in 2016, female lance corporal in marines requested lateral move infantry military occupational specialty, making first female marine sign infantry.

it announced on june 30, 2016 that, beginning on date, otherwise qualified united states service members not longer discharged, denied reenlistment, involuntarily separated, or denied continuation of service because of being transgender (including not limited transgender women).

in 2017 nude photo scandal occurred; reported scandal contained marine corps, scandal involves rest of military.

also in 2017, maria daume, born in siberian prison , later adopted americans, became first female marine join infantry through traditional entry-level training process.

also in 2017, first woman graduated infantry officer course of marine corps; name not made public.

also in 2017, mariah klenke became first female officer graduate marines assault amphibian officer course.

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