In September, 15 women began Marine Corps Infantry Training in North Carolina, and now three months later three of them will become the first women ever to graduate from the grueling course.
The women passed the same test laid out for men in the course, which includes carrying 90 pounds worth of combat gear on a 12.5 mile march. (Via YouTube / Best Videos Ever)
"We are holding everyone to the same standard, so there is no male or female. There's just the standard." (Via U.S. Marine Corps)
Now, even though the women graduated from infantry training, they aren't going into infantry units. At least not yet.
That's because the combat MOS or Military Occupational Speciality isn't officially open to women. CNN writes, "Their 59 days of arduous work will instead become part of the Marine Corps ongoing research into the possibility of having women serve in combat."
This research is a part of the Pentagon's plan to open 237,000 more military jobs to women by 2016, some of which include combat roles. (Via YouTube / War Documentaries)
Though USA Today notes women have already seen their fair share of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan: 292,000 women have served in war zones, 950 have been wounded in action and another 250 have died from combat or non-combat issues.
The three women are set to have their historic graduation Thursday.
