SAN DIEGO (AP) — A 24-year-old Marine based in California has become the first female officer to lead an assault amphibian vehicle platoon.
With her parents looking on, Second Lt. Mariah Klenke made history Tuesday as she graduated from the Assault Amphibian Officer Course at Camp Pendleton.
Col. Dan Yaroslaski pointed out that the now-integrated Marines see no distinction between male and female.
Klenke, of southern Illinois, was the first woman to enter the course after the Pentagon lifted its ban on women in combat roles in 2015.
She says she was never treated any differently from her male counterparts during rigorous training that included simulating four missions a day, on land and at sea.
The San Diego Union-Tribune says Klenke will be assigned to command a platoon in the next few days.
___
Information from: The San Diego Union-Tribune, http://www.utsandiego.com
(Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)