Marine Corps test out women in combat roles but find that only a few can handle the mental stress of the job and many drop out

• The trial took place over nine months in California and North Carolina
• It aimed to test out what a gender-integrated Marine corps would be like
• Only a few women were able to stand the mental and physical stress
• Just two women out of 24 were left standing after undergoing the trial
• The military will have to open combat positions to women by January 1

By Belinda Robinson For Dailymail.com

Published: 11:10 EST, 9 September 2015 | Updated: 11:30 EST, 10 September 2015

An experiment aimed at seeing how women perform in combat roles for the Marine Corps has had mixed results after many simply could not handle the stress of being on the front line.

The trial took place over nine months, in Twentynine Palms, Californina, and Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

But officials quickly noted that only two women out of 24 were able to stand the mental and physical stress that went with the job and the majority dropped out.

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The trial took place over the nine months, in Twentynine Palms, Californina and Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, not pictured, 

According to a report in The Marine Corps Times, only a small number of women were left by the experiment's conclusion mostly due to the physical and mental stress of the job.

Others complained that they were being treated unfairly by their peers.

The report also found that women had a difficult time completing physical tasks, like moving 200 pound dummies off the battlefield or handling large equipment.

Lance Corporal Chris Augello, a male reservist who had been in favor of integration now believes it could be a mistake.

He told The Marine Corps Times: 'The female variable in this social experiment has wrought a fundamental change in the way male [non-commissioned officers] think, act and lead.' 

He suggested that the presence of women was distracting to male marines and relationships between the female and male Marines in his platoon would sometimes become romantic.  

Officials quickly noted that only two women out of 24 were able to stand the mental and physical stress that goes with the job

The experiment raises questions about exactly what roles women should take on in the military, particularly as all branches face a January 1 deadline to open all combat positions to women.

The experiment raises questions about exactly what roles women should take on in the military, particularly as all branches face a January 1 deadline to open all combat positions to them. 

At present, roughly, six percent of women are enlisted in the marines. 

Women are now free to take jobs in the NAVY seals, or in basic infantry battalions. Many roles in the military used to be closed to women.

The U.S. Army and Marine Corps for example, have a host of units and jobs closed to women, particularly the armored divisions, combat roles, arms, infantry and artillery divisions.

In contrast, the Air Force and Navy only ban women from serving in a few roles. 

At present, roughly, six percent of marines are women

The gender-integrated Ground Combat Element Task Force attempted to provide insight into what the marine corps would look like if women took on the roles that are currently closed to them.

Women were placed in the artillery and infantry units and tasked with using tanks, carrying out armored reconnaissance and working alongside male marines. 

The women underwent a four-month training period at Camp Lejeune, followed by a five month 'deployment' to the Mojave Desert in Twentynine Palms. Their ability to handle equipment was tested along with their shooting abilities.

They also carried out training at Camp Pendleton and did mountain warfare in Bridgeport, California, according to The Washington Post. 

All of the recruits were monitored regularly, and had their hearts monitored. 

Lance Corporal Callahan Brown, one of the two final women to remain in the task force, told The Marine Corps Times: 'Every time a female would drop, it motivated the crap out of me to stay there.' 

Officials placed a specific number of women in the roles to reflect what an integrated Marines corp would look like. 

And, at least 90 percent of the unit were men.

Military officials will now use the information to determine how best they can use women in roles in the Marine corps.

Marine Commandant General Joseph Dunford will pour through the detailed report to determine how to place women in combat roles. '

WOMEN ON THE FRONT LINE: HOW WOMEN HAVE SERVED THE U.S. MILITARY

The experiment aimed at monitoring how women cope on the front line is the first of its kind. 

But women have been serving in roles that have brought them close to or into combat over the past 15 years. 

During two wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, female marines were drafted in to interact with the women in both countries.

However, the type of training they would receive varied.

The Marine Corps Times report suggested that women received different training from their male infantry counterparts. This made them less prepared for their roles. 

Women have been involved in the U.S. military since the Revolutionary War.

In 1948, the Women’s Armed Service Integration Act came into force. It enabled women to serve as permanent, regular members of the armed forces in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force.

Over time, the Department of Defense steadily eased the bans on how closely women could get to the front lines. 

During the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the 1994 rule barring women from direct ground combat was challenged.  

Source: The Washington Post / The Marine Corps Times / Time Magazine

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