A RY
T
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MYT
Women in the Service
hile there’s a wealth of information out there about
W
joining the military, there’s also a wealth of MISinfor-
mation. Cpl. Krista E. James, a Marine specializing
in marketing and communications, debunks some of
the most common myths about military service.
ootcamp is designed to make
MYTH: B you
fail.
False. Recruit training is designed to break down the old version of
recruits and mold them into well-disciplined members of the mili-
tary. Recruits learn the value of teamwork and leadership, straying
from a, “What’s in it for me?” mentality into a, “How can I help the
team?” mentality. Recruits in training are taught to walk with their
heads held high, to lend a helping hand to those in need, to thrive
in today’s society with respect, leadership, discipline and integrity,
and to serve their country.
ll military service members
MYTH: A
have to go to war and fight.
I’ve heard things that range from,
“I didn’t know women were in the
Marine Corps,” to, “There’s no way
females do the same things males
do.” Female recruits go through the
same training as male recruits do.
Our Marine Corps Recruit Training
schedule directly reflects that of the
males. Females are even allowed to
join the infantry, and they only make
it to graduation for their specific
job field if they can perform the
same tasks as the males. Women in
the Marine Corps are among the
fewer and prouder, and make up
only about eight percent of this elite
force.
False. While it is a Marine’s duty to serve their country, whether in
a war-zone or in a peaceful atmosphere, there are many Marines
who have never seen combat. I myself was on a non-combat
deployment for six months on the Black Sea Rotational Force
in Mihail Kogalniceanu, Romania. Our primary job was crisis
contingency, not fighting a war. We spent our time there strength-
ening relationships with partner nations in the region.
hat you learn in the military has
W
MYTH: no applicability to life outside of
the service.
False. There are many Military Occupational Specialties (MOS’)
in the Marine Corps that translate into the civilian world. We have
jobs in fields such as administration, communications, electron-
ics maintenance, legal services, music, aircraft maintenance, and
many others that can all translate into the civilian world. When I
joined the Marine Corps, I was in public affairs. Now that I’m in
Alabama at a Recruiting Station, I do marketing and communi-
cations. I’m 25 years old and I have a ton of responsibility. Many
people think we are just taking young adults and sending them
off to war, but we are actually preparing them to be great leaders
in the community, and teaching them invaluable lessons at a very
early age so they can be as successful as possible.
34 |
Winter 2018
oing into the military forfeits
G
MYTH: your chance to get a college
education.
False. We have many resources, such as the Naval Reserve Officers
Training Corps Scholarship, that allow recipients to get a college
education and then serve their country as an officer. We also pro-
vide tuition assistance. That means Marines can serve their coun-
try, receive benefits like medical and dental, and still go to school
free of charge. After their time-in-service has ended, Marines can
still utilize their GI Bill. This bill provides up to 36 months of edu-
cation benefits, to include a housing allowance. The Marine Corps
is dedicated to the overall advancement of our Marines.
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