In a historic first, women begin Marine boot camp in San Diego
A female recruit waits her turn to call home to tell her family that she has arrived safely at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego.
(Nelvin C. Cepeda / San Diego Union-Tribune)
SAN DIEGO
Recruits piled off buses this week to the urgent shouts and barks of Marine Corps drill instructors.
They took their spots on the fabled yellow footprints to begin their transformation from civilians to Marines something that has happened countless times in the San Diego boot camp’s almost 100-year history.
Only this time, for the first time, 60 women were among those scrambling recruits. Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego is no longer a male-only institution.
For the first time on the west coast, a company of all women Marine recruits will begin training at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) in San Diego County.
Coronavirus reinfection may NOT be so rare: 10% of Marine recruits who quarantined and recovered from COVID-19 at the start of basic training tested positive AGAIN over a MONTH later
Researchers looked at 3,249 mostly male Marine Corps recruits between ages 18 and 20 during a 14-day quarantine and six-week basic training
A total of 189 had previously been infected with COVID-19 before arriving for the quarantine period and 2,247 had not been
More than 10% of the previously infected group had a second positive test during basic training and 48% of the uninfected group tested positive
Prior to the study, only three known people out of more than 26 million cases in the U.S. had been reinfected with the virus
Marines add women to boot camp for first time in San Diego
For the first time in its 100-year history, MCRD San Diego will begin training women. About 60 women out of 400 recruits are in San Diego for first coed boot camp. Author: Heather Hope (Reporter) Updated: 7:45 PM PST January 26, 2021
SAN DIEGO Making way for new female marine recruits, Capt. Martin Harris said there is a buzz of excitement around.
“We are all very proud to be part of it, and we’re proud to help move our service forward,” said Capt. Harris, Director of Communications Strategy and Operations for Marine Corps Recruit Depot and Western Recruiting Region.
Military Bans New Recruits that Had COVID-19
By Alberto Garcia
Just as states are removing COVID-19 quarantine orders, a new policy by the US Defense Department will permanently bar any person that had the coronavirus from joining the military.
The memo sent from the US Military Entrance Processing (MEP) Command to all 65 MEP centers through the country where new recruits are screened and processed for entry into all branches of the military.
“During the medical history interview or examination, a history of COVID-19, confirmed by either a laboratory test or a clinician diagnosis, is permanently disqualifying,” the memo states.
Recruiters are also instructed to take temperature readings and ask questions about symptoms and potential contact with infected individuals before accepting a potential recruit.