And at the 2017 Golden Globes Awards ceremony, in a rousing speech as the first African American woman to receive the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement, Oprah Winfrey laid it out. She said that the issues of sexual discrimination and misconduct impact every aspect of society and the workforce—including the military.
Wow.
For the first time, military women are being included in the movement to change the way we view gender in America. As the Time's Up initiative grows, I want to ensure military women have a seat at the table for discussions about gender and the workforce. I want to ensure that we are able to show that we aren't that different, even if our jobs involve weapons and camouflage, rather than golden statues and formal gowns.
We know that without public scrutiny and left to its own devices, military leaders will likely continue to fumble the sexual misconduct football. I want Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's Military Justice Improvement Act (MJIA, or Senate Bill 1752), which aims to reform the military justice system to ensure justice for sexual misconduct victims, to pass—and that won't happen without the strength of a movement to drive the momentum. The act takes the decision about whether a sexual assault case should be moved to trial out of a military commander's hands and into those of trained, independent military prosecutors. This would help victims feel safer about reporting crimes without facing repercussions within their units, as well as taking away the conflicts of interest that come when a commander bases his or her decisions on keeping a unit ready to deploy, rather than what's best for an individual.
I want military women to be responsible for developing strategies to combat gender bias and sexual misconduct in the military. And there should be a consistent approach, adopted by all of the services, to eliminate foot-dragging and resistance (ahem—Marine Corps) to those proposals. Such strategies should be based on successful interventions from other industries.
I want military leaders to be held accountable for the sexual harassment and assault rates in their units. If commanders are responsible for maintaining good order and discipline, they should be evaluated, on their performance evaluations, about how they prevent and deal with sexual misconduct.
Of course, I want Marine Corps boot camp to be integrated.
But, most importantly, I want for young women to know that if we do these things, there will be a place in the military for them, where they can thrive and succeed. I want parents to be confident that if their daughters choose to join the military, that they will be taken care of by their brothers- and sisters-in-arms.
Military leaders do not own the military establishment—the American people do, and it is time for them to start asking questions about why, for so long, women have been held to lower expectations in the Marine Corps. Without the public and members of Congress acting as checks and balances for the military, most senior leaders in the Marine Corps will continue to resist leveling the playing field for women, by maintaining segregated boot camp and having lowered expectations for female performance.
So listen up, Marines.
I am here to stay, and this time, I've surrounded myself with women and men who have my back.
I will never again allow anyone to make me feel like my life isn't worth living.
And I still have plenty of time to push to the fire the boots of those who have tried to hold women back, as well as to cheer for the accomplishments of women who will continue to serve as the tip of the spear.
After all, I'm a Marine.
Note: Marines think of everything as boats. You aren't “at” a base; you're “on” it. Building floors are “decks.” Bathrooms are “heads.” And so on…
after-action review (AAR): after completing an exercise, such as a hike, a review of what went well and what went poorly
attrition rate: number of recruits who don't complete a training program
battalion: A military unit, typically commanded by a lieutenant colonel (such as Germano), made up of about one thousand people. Within the battalion, there are typically about four companies, usually commanded by a captain and made up of between 80 and 150 people.
BOLO: fail
Bradley Fighting Vehicle (BFV): thirty-ton armored fighting vehicle
Chesty Puller: Lewis Burwell “Chesty” Puller, aka the most decorated Marine in US history. He lived from 1898 to 1971, and served in World War II and the Korean War.
CO: Commanding officer. This can apply to any level of command, so the officer in charge of a company is the CO, as is the officer in charge of a battalion.
commissary: military grocery store
commission: military appointment as an officer
company: A military unit, typically commanded by a captain and made up of about 250 people. Within the company, there are typically about four platoons, each of which is usually commanded by a lieutenant and made up of about 60 people.
court-martial: when a military court is called upon to enforce military law
cover: hat
Crucible, the: A 72-hour training exercise that is the final step before recruits become Marines. The final event is a nine-mile road march, and it ends with the emblem ceremony.
cyber-bullying: harassing someone online
deadly explosively formed penetrators: self-forging rounds that penetrate armor
deck: floor. (Remember, buildings are like boats.)
delayed entry program: the time between when a person signs up as a Marine and ships to boot camp
depot: the military installation at Parris Island
DI: drill instructor
early/late check officer (ELCO): the person assigned to make sure the recruits are safe late at night and early in the morning
emblem: the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor (EGA) symbol seen on Marine Corps uniform brass
EWS facad: faculty advisor
expert: highest level one can attain on the rifle range
fitness report: annual job review
Golem effect: the idea that if you have low expectations for a group of people because of their race, gender, or ethnicity, they will underperform
head: bathroom
hooch: a small building
