No ‘sir’! Marines mull scrapping gender identifiers in training camps
Ryan King
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To boost inclusivity in boot camp training, a report commissioned by the Marine Corps is urging the military branch to drop gender-specific salutations.
Use of salutations such as “ma’am” or “sir” elevate one’s gender and pose the risk of misgendering drill instructors, the 738-page report found.
Although several military services have moved to “de-emphasize gender” already, leaders in the Marine Corps are reportedly reticent about making the recommended change.
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“All of a sudden, we change something at recruit training, and recruits start coming in and using a different identifier. It’s not something we would change overnight,” Col. Howard Hall, chief of staff for Marine Corps Training and Education Command, told the Marine Corps Times.
“Again, we’ve got a history of ‘sir, ma’am,” he added. “If we change something at the root level, how do we make the corresponding change at the Fleet Marine Force? So it’s not ours to implement alone.”
Hall was open to some of the report’s recommendations for changes in the training regime, but he said he is concerned about changes that could put training practices out of sync with procedures in the fleet.
The report was conducted at the University of Pittsburgh from 2020 to 2022. It studied gender-integrated recruitment in the Marines.
The report also explored ways in which Marine Corps boot camps elevate male recruits while overlooking female recruits in training sessions. Dropping gender identifiers was part of one of about half a dozen major recommendations in the report.
Service history taught in training sessions often omitted any mention of female Marines, and many discussions of valor centered on male servicemen, the report found. It also emphasized that other military branches, such as the Army and the Navy, have toned down gender.
“The Army, Navy, and Coast Guard effectively de-emphasize gender in an integrated environment,” the report claimed.
“Instead of saying ‘ma’am’ or ‘sir,’ recruits in these Services refer to their drill instructors using their ranks or roles followed by their last names. Gendered identifiers prime recruits to think about or visually search for a drill instructor’s gender first, before their rank or role.”
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Instead of “sir” and “ma’am,” recruits could merely use the term “drill instructor” to help ease gender tensions.
“Gender-neutral identifiers are an unambiguous, impartial way to circumvent these issues,” the authors of the report contended. “Employing gender-neutral identifiers eliminates the possibility of misgendering drill instructors, which can unintentionally offend or cause discord. By teaching recruits to use gender-neutral identifiers for their drill instructors, Services underscore the importance of respecting authoritative figures regardless of gender.”
Some conservative critics, including Republicans of Congress who are poised to retake control of the House, have criticized the military for becoming too “woke.” Ultimately, Hall emphasized that addressing gender concerns in the Marines will not be a “quick fix.”