Battle at Boot Camp

1. Set Focus
Pose these essential question to guide discussion: What does it mean to have gender equality in a society? What are some obstacles to achieving gender equality?

2. List Vocabulary
Share with students some of the challenging vocabulary words in this article. Encourage them to use context to infer meanings as they read.

• proximity (p. 8)
• integrate (p. 10)
• exceptions (p. 10)
• insistence (p. 10)
• revolves (p. 10)
• antiquated (p. 11)

3. Engage
Explain that, unlike other branches of the U.S. military, the Marine Corps currently separates men and women during most training exercises. Ask: Why do you think the Marine Corps has resisted full gender integration?   

4. Read 
Have students read the article, marking the text to note key ideas or questions.

5. Discuss
Distribute or project Up Close: Battle at Boot Camp, a close-reading activity for students to work on in small groups. (Note: The questions on the PDF also appear in this lesson, below, with possible responses.) Follow up with a class discussion. If you’re short on time, have each group tackle one or two of the questions. Collect students’ work or have each group report its findings to the class.

• According to the article, what is the point of view of Marine Corps officials toward gender integration during platoon training? (Point of view, summarize)
  (According to the article, Marine Corps officials say creating a platoon identity is a crucial factor in training effective Marines. These officials argue that having all members of a platoon sleep, wake, and train together is what creates that platoon identity. They say that integrating men and women in platoons would break that model because they sleep in separate areas and, therefore, would come together as a platoon only in the morning.) 

• General James F. Glynn says, “Anything outside of this is unknown.” Do you think this is a valid rationale for maintaining gender segregation in platoon training? Support your response with details from the article and your own experiences. (Evaluate claims, cite text evidence)
  (Students’ responses will vary, but students should support their ideas with evidence, such as how integration in other branches suggests it would be successful in the Marines.)

• How has the Marine Corps differed from other branches of the U.S. military in moving toward gender integration? (Compare & contrast, key details)
  (The Marine Corps has been slower than other military branches in moving toward gender integration. In 2016, when combat positions in the military were officially opened to women, instead of preparing for the change, as other branches did, the Marine Corps looked for exceptions to the rule. Though its efforts failed, it still segregates training. Today, the Marine Corps has the lowest percentage of women of any military branch.)

• What was the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act meant to ensure in relation to recruit training? Why was the Marine Corps able to avoid implementing rules related to training outlined in the act? (Cause and effect, key details)
  (The act was meant to ensure that training in the Marine Corps would be gender integrated, down to the platoon level. However, language in the act was vague and left room for the Marine Corps to interpret the directive in its own way—keeping women and men separate other than for larger exercises.)

• How does the first part of the bridge anecdote end? What happens in the second part of the anecdote? What information does the author include between the two parts of the anecdote? Why do you think the author chose this structure? (Text structure, author’s purpose)
  (The first part ends with a male recruit dismissing a female recruit’s idea. In the second part, the female recruit’s idea proves to be superior. In between these sections, the author explains the Marines’ reasons for resisting gender integration. Responses may vary, but students might note that this structure prompts readers to wrestle with the validity of the Marines’ point of view about gender integration.)  

• Do you think the Marine Corps’s stance in keeping men and women in separate platoons during training hindered or helped Jacob James in leading his team through the bridge challenge? (Make inferences)
  (Students’ responses will vary, but students should support their ideas with evidence from the text. Students may note that if James and Katelin Bradley had trained together, he might have been more open to her suggestion.)

6. Writing Prompt
What insights did James gain during the bridge obstacle? How might he apply these insights when serving in leadership roles in the future? Explain in a brief essay.

7. Video
Watch the video "Breaking Through the Brass Ceiling," about women in combat. What does it add to your understanding?

8. Classroom Debate
Bradley broke ranks during the bridge obstacle. Was she right to do so?

9. Quiz
Use the quiz to assess students’ comprehension.