'Women (and Men) Face Big Hurdles in Training for Marine Infantry Units'

Article here. Excerpt:

'QUANTICO, Va. — A group of Marine second lieutenants, all men, stood before the ropes on an obstacle course. They looked exhausted, though the day was far from done. One by one, they took their shots at scaling the line. One by one, most of them dropped short of the top. They were already three hours behind the front-runners in their class.
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The 86-day Infantry Officer Course, which was started in 1977 by Vietnam combat veterans, is viewed with special reverence within the corps, the most infantry-centric of the armed services. Though its students tend to be top performers in basic officer training, more than one in five are dropped during the infantry course. Some are allowed to try again, but most find other jobs in the corps.
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But for that to happen, he said, they will need to start preparing in college or high school, as many men do. He has begun urging the Naval Academy and reserve officer training programs to help potential female candidates strengthen their upper bodies, do more hiking carrying weight and study infantry history.'