#back at base

[npr]

The women who trained on tanks and armored vehicles say they proved they belong. Such ground combat jobs will open to women in January unless the Marine Corps makes the case they should be closed.

They Survived Training, Now Female Marines Await Word On Ground Combat

Photo credit: David Gilkey/NPR Caption: Marine Lance Cpls. Julia Carroll (left) and Paula Pineda lift a 220-pound test dummy during training. 

[npr]

Darryl Davidson watches his pot-bellied pig eat a snack on April 22 at his home in San Antonio, Texas. His family also owns five dogs, four cats and two bearded dragons. 

Davidson was in the National Guard for 17 years before retiring in 2011. He completed two tours to Iraq, and struggled to receive help for his post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. Although none of his pets are service animals, Davidson says they help him emotionally. 

National Guard Members Face Challenges In Seeking Help For PTSD

Photo credit: Julysa Sosa for NPR

[npr]

Lance Cpl. Jasmine Abrego is an office clerk who dreams of becoming a warrior.

She's flat on her stomach in the dirt, in full combat gear. Suddenly she pops up, slings a 44-pound metal tripod on her back and lurches forward in a crab-like run. Finally, she slams the tripod to the ground. A male Marine slaps a .50-caliber machine gun into place.

They fire imaginary bullets at an unseen target before pulling back. The exercise is over. Abrego who is just 20 years old and stands at 5 foot 2 inches explains why she volunteered for this training at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.

"Hopefully, I'll be able to go overseas and kick bad guys butts," she says. An uncle who served in the Marines inspired her, and she wants to be a role model to her six brothers and sisters. But she knows she will have to train hard to get a slot in the infantry.

"I've just got to get used to it," Abrego says. "The more I do it, the better I get. A strong mind can do it."

But even a strong mind and body might not be enough. The Marines will spend the next year trying to decide whether women — who make up just 7 percent of the Marine Corps — have what it takes to serve in the tough, unforgiving world of ground combat.

Take a look at what the Marines could look like with more women joining the ranks. While you're there, follow along with our series, "Back at Base," a collaboration between NPR and seven public radio stations around the country to document the lives of America's troops.

Photo credit: Travis Dove for NPR

[guardianphoenix]

This is so amazingly wonderful. After listening to a bunch of teenagers scream for 3 days straight I'm listening to some of the most bass-aliscious songs and just having the pound pound pound go on in my head. Normally this would be aggravating to me but this is just like a warm blanket of sound. I fucking love it.