Brazilian Marine Corps Observes Gender Integration at MCRD Parris Island

Photo By Cpl. Sarah Grawcock | Marines with the Brazilian Marine Corps conduct a tour of Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island S.C., June 8, 2023. The focus of the Brazilian Marines touring Parris Island is to educate the group on the processes of training to bring back to their own branch of service. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Sarah Grawcock)  

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, UNITED STATES

06.15.2023

Story by Maj. Thomas Perna and Gunnery Sgt. Daniel Wetzel

U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South

PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. – The United States Marine Corps hosted a delegation of Brazilian Marines here recently to discuss and observe how the Marine Corps is integrating male and female recruits on their path to becoming Marines.

The visit, from June 5-9, 2023, was designed to share information and best practices on the area of training female recruits and to help incorporate lessons learned from the U.S. Marines to make the upcoming integration efforts in Brazil as successful as possible.

The Brazilian Marine Corps leadership is launching an initiative to integrate women into the Corpo de Fuzileiros Navais (CFN, Brazilian Marine Corps) by 2024. Beginning next year, their organization will start to admit enlisted women into their entry-level training program. The Brazilian Naval Academy will also graduate the first two female marine officers next year as well.

“This historic move by our Brazilian partners to integrate women into their Marine Corps will expand access to a pool of talent that was previously unavailable,” said Capt. Benjamin Fischer, Brazil desk officer with U.S. Marine Corps Forces, South. “The U.S. military’s all-volunteer force has greatly benefited from the service of women in our Armed Forces during the last 75 years.”

Female service members are not new to Brazil and have served in their armed forces since the 1980s. Brazil was the first army in South America to accept women, however only in the Women’s Reserve Corps. In 2012, the Brazilian armed forces made history when Rear Adm. Dalva Maria Carvalho Mendes of the Brazilian Navy became the first woman to achieve the rank of flag officer in all the armed forces.

The Brazilian government passed Public Law No. 13.541 in December 2017 that expanded the role women could serve. Prior to this law, women could only serve in health and support roles; however, with the passage of Public Law No. 13.541, they can now serve in all capacities to include combat operation roles and within the marine corps for the first time.

This movement comes under congressional mandate from the Brazilian government and is part of a growing effort to advance women’s rights in the Western Hemisphere region.

The United States has experienced comparable congressional mandates in the recent years expanding opportunities for women to serve in combat arms military occupational specialties and increasing the level at which gender integration occurs throughout entry-level and unit training.

In 2015, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter formally announced lifting the ban on women serving in combat roles. Women began integrating into previously closed-off combat arms billets in 2016.

“The U.S. has faced similar challenges in the recent years with women being allowed to join combat arms specialties in the Marine Corps in 2016, and the recent transition from Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego from an all-male training base to an integrated one in 2021,” said Maj. Matthew Philpott, training officer at MCRD Parris Island. “We have several lessons learned and a lot of experience with training women here in Parris Island to share with our Brazilian partners and friends to help make the process as smooth as possible.”

Although the incorporation of training women at MCRD San Diego began in 2021, the Marine Corps has been training women at MCRD Parris Island since 1943 and has an extensive history of transforming women into Marines.

Continuing to advance the role and integration of women, MCRD Parris Island graduated its final female-only company of Marines in November 2022. Now companies are fully integrated with both male and female platoons training together as companies.

“This process takes time to make sure we are doing it the right way with appropriately staffed and trained personnel, facilities that support integration, and policies to protect the recruits and the staff, both male and female,” said Gunnery Sgt. Jonathan Sanchez, drill instructor at MCRD Parris Island. “We are proud of where we are now and are honored to share this program with our Brazilian teammates to make them successful in their integration efforts.

The delegation consisted of five Brazilians from the CFN, both enlisted and officers, to include Terceiro-sargento Fuzileiro Naval (Brazilian Marine Corps sergeant) Evellyn Sanchez Choque, a female sergeant who is currently one of the only women in the Brazilian Marine Corps and is on specialized assignment to the CFN Band. Being one of the only women in the organization at this time, she is heavily involved in the establishment and success of these integration efforts.

“It is truly an honor to be here and be involved in this process to ensure the success of our integration efforts while maintaining our standards and culture,” said Choque “Seeing the level of professionalism and integration of the U.S. Marines is motivating and gives us a great target of what success looks like.”

Mr. Mark Anderson, deputy director of operations at MCRD Parris Island, welcomed the Brazilian delegation and hosted the team for a command overview brief laying the foundation of how the Marine Corps is structured to receive, train and make new Marines.

Over the next several days, the delegation spent significant time observing the facilities and all facets of how women train and operate on MCRD Parris Island. They spent dedicated time with leadership and staff observing marksmanship training, physical fitness sessions, classroom instruction and general daily routine activities.

“The opportunity to see firsthand how the Marines integrate women into the training cycle was extremely beneficial for us to observe and take back to our own operations,” said Capitão de Fragata (Brazilian commander) Vanderli Nogueira Cordeiro Junior, future commander of Centro de Instrução Almirante Milcíades Portela Alves (Brazilian recruit training). “Just as critical was the opportunity to talk with the staff and drill instructors, both male and female, to understand the challenges, opportunities and to implement lessons learned from our partners.”

The delegation observed female integration into the culminating event of recruit training, the Crucible on June 8. The Crucible is a grueling 54-hour event that tests everything learned throughout the training cycle. It is a series of ranges, events, and challenges conducted in a tactical setting with continuous scenario-based training. Recruits are tested mentally and physically, receiving little to no sleep during this period. At the completion of the Crucible, the recruits receive their Eagle, Globe and Anchor through a ceremony and are officially called a Marine for the first time.

The delegation’s visit concluded this morning with observing the traditional Morning Colors Ceremony followed by the graduation ceremony of Company I, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, which included approximately 50 female Marines.

The trip to Parris Island is possible due to a long developed and close partnership between the two Marine Corps. At any given time, there are Brazilian Marines embedded with Marine Corps units in the United States and vice versa as part of a comprehensive exchange program between the two countries. Brazilian Marines attend service schools such as Expeditionary Warfare School, Command and Staff College, and for the last few years, the highly esteemed War College. U.S. Marines participate in this exchange as well attending Brazilian service schools to share information, learn alongside each other, and advance the force.

Cmdr. Alexandre Villarmosa is the current Brazilian Marine liaison officer that works in New Orleans, on the MARFORSOUTH staff. He participated in and supported the delegation’s visit and is a critical element to the ongoing planning and coordination to facilitate trips and events that advance the relationship and readiness of both organizations.

“We work together often and have built up trust and an enduring partnership,” said Col. Joseph A. Katz, MARFORSOUTH operations officer. “This just goes to show that we can lean on each other to help build awareness, share information, and support each other as we have, and will continue to, face similar organizational challenges.

Since the easing of travel restrictions following the COVID-19 pandemic, together the two Marine Corps have participated in multiple exercises, subject matter expert exchanges, and key leader engagements. Brazil has hosted multinational exercises and events and has been a major player in the security of the region and South Atlantic Ocean.

“Not only do our forces share a tactical mindset based on a warfighting ethos,” said Fischer. “They share a similar set of values founded on democracy, human rights, and service to our countries.”

• Date Taken: 06.15.2023
• Date Posted: 06.15.2023 12:19
• Story ID: 447269
• Location: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, US