The Marines Are Looking For 'A Few Good Women'—Or Are They?

Until recently, women could enlist in the Marines, but they couldn’t serve in active combat. Now the government agency is hoping to lure recruits with its, “A Few Good Women” campaign—or are they?

After watching this 60 Minutes video, which shows pieces of the Marines Infantry Officer Training School, required for passing of any recruit interested in joining their ranks, regardless of gender, I wonder.

A large part of the conversation, which includes interviews with both female and male recruits, Marine officers and lieutenants, focuses on how hard everything is—and, interestingly, anatomy, pinpointing things like the structure of women’s hips as a detriment from carrying 100-plus pound packs through the most hellish of conditions.

There were too many eye rolls in this clip for my taste—but I do think it poses an interesting question of whether there are some people, regardless of gender, who are better cut out for this line of work than others. There are physically weak women; there are physically weak men. Not every gig is for every one, and though the military isn’t a place that’s been historically friendly to women, that they’ve opened the door to possibility is a definite plus. The climb, real or proverbial, though, isn’t over yet.

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