A number of U.S. Marines are outraged after they were told the word “man” would be removed from their job titles to make the Marines more gender-neutral, according to The Telegraph.
Nineteen of the 33 titles used in the Marines Corps will be altered. With most of the titles, “Marine” will replace “man.”
For example, “basic infantryman” will become “basic infantry Marine” and “amphibious assault vehicle crewman” will become “amphibious assault vehicle Marine.” Some titles, such as “rifleman” and “mortarman,” will not be changed.
This change comes after a six-month review was ordered in January by U.S. Naval Secretary Ray Mabus. In December, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced all military roles, including combat roles, would be open to women.
“As we achieve full integration of the force, this is an opportunity to update the position titles and descriptions themselves to demonstrate, through this language, that women are included,” Mabus said in January.
However, many current and former Marines are angered by the title changes, calling the move “idiotic” and “pointless.”
“We have reached peak crazy,” one reader commented on a Marine Times article.
“On one hand, the name changes from ‘man’ to ‘person’ or whatever they want to call it doesn’t really matter. They could call mortarmen ‘bakers’ for all I care. But on the other, it’s a direct reflection on society’s crybaby political correctness,” Sgt. Geoff Heath, a Marine rifleman, told The Washington Post
“I can’t help but feel this is less about equality and more about catering to the frail egos of the easily offended,” a former Marine told The Telegraph.
An official announcement regarding the title changes is expected this week.
