Secretary Mabus' recent call to integrate basic recruit is a disservice to the Corps and ignores the purpose of recruiting training, which install discipline and esprit de corps.
To paraphrase one female Marine on social media:
"This is a very bad idea. Seperation allows us to be the elite. I never had to worry about being looked at or trying to impress anyone at bootcamp. .... I enjoyed never seeing males. It made it so much more focused. I'm down for insuring females are up to the same standards as males physically but I take great pride in my 1 shared battalion w every female Marine that ever was. We are all from 4th battalion Parris Island. No matter where we end up in the world we have that."