The latest female Marine to attempt the grueling 84-day Infantry Officer Course was unable to complete training, but she will get a second chance to take the course, the Marine Corps has confirmed.
The woman left her class on April 21 after 11 training days, said Maj. Anton Semelroth, a spokesman for Marine Corps Combat Development Command. She is still attached to IOC and will have the opportunity to be part of another class in July.
The Marine Corps is not releasing the name of the Marine, who was recycled after she did not complete two hikes, one of which was 9 miles long, Semelroth told Marine Corps Times on Tuesday.
She will now attend the 90-day Marines Awaiting Training platoon along with the others from her class who could not complete the course,Semelroth said. They will work on the skills that were most challenging at IOC.
A total of 30 female Marines have unsuccessfully attempted IOC. News that the latest woman was unable to complete the course was first reported Tuesday by Military.com.
The Marine Corps plans to assign female officers to infantry battalions, but since none has completed IOC, they will not be in leadership positions.
Navy Secretary Ray Mabus recently reiterated that male and female Marines will have to meet the same physical standards to serve in combat jobs.
"I will never lower standards," Mabus said during an April 12 town hall at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. "Let me repeat that: Standards will not be lowered for any group! Standards may be changed as circumstances in the world change, but they'll be changed for everybody."
However, Mabus was persuaded by Marine Corps leadership to allow male and female recruits to continue to train separately during boot camp.
"The Marines did a very good job of showing ... that the way it's done now sets both men and women up for greater success," he said on Feb. 2.
