Military

On Camp Pendleton, 1st Female Recruits Undergo Rifle Qualification

April 9, 2021Hannah Ray Lambert
rifle qualification

Marine Corps recruits with Platoon 3241 have one final day of training April 8, 2021, before rifle qualification at Camp Pendleton, Calif. Photo by Hannah Ray Lambert/Coffee or Die Magazine.

The crack of rifle rounds pierced the morning calm Thursday, echoing across Edson Range on Camp Pendleton, California. Marine Corps recruits kept their heads down, eyes trained on a line of targets several hundred yards away. Expressions were inscrutable when recruits performed well, but disappointment clouded faces when bad rounds got away. Tortured thoughts searched for the source: Trigger squeeze? Breath control? Eye relief? What went wrong?


“You can only control the next round,” Capt. Martin Harris told one recruit.


“Yes sir,” she responded, still looking dejected.


female Marines rifle qualification
Marine Corps recruits line up for rifle training Thursday, April 8, 2021, at Camp Pendleton, Calif. Photo by Hannah Ray Lambert/Coffee or Die Magazine.

The recruits are preparing for rifle qualification, one of the most important requirements they will have to satisfy during training. There’s added pressure for the women of Platoon 3241, Lima Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion: making history as members of the first gender-integrated company to train at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, where they started their journey two months ago.


“There’s a lot of pressure, not just the pressure of qualifying for Table 1,” recruit Teia Chutaro told Coffee or Die Magazine. 


A Marine Corps recruit prepares to shoot during rifle qualification training Thursday, April 8, 2021, at Camp Pendleton, Calif. Photo by Hannah Ray Lambert/Coffee or Die Magazine.

Chutaro enlisted in part to be a role model for her younger siblings and other women.


“It’s a real honor to be chosen to be here and just have the opportunity to make history as well as inspire young women for future generations in the Marine Corps,” she said.


Previously, all women who enlisted in the Marines trained exclusively at MCRD Parris Island, South Carolina, at the all-female 4th Recruit Training Battalion. Last year, though, when Congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act, it included a prohibition against gender-segregated recruit training at both of the Corps’ recruit depots.


female Marines rifle qualification
Marine Corps recruits listen to an instructor in between rounds of rifle training Thursday, April 8, 2021, at Camp Pendleton, Calif. Photo by Hannah Ray Lambert/Coffee or Die Magazine.

The 54 recruits in Platoon 3241 started shooting with their rifles Monday, giving them four days of live-fire exercise before qualification. On Thursday, they ran through the same course of fire they would have to repeat the following day to prove themselves and advance to the next stage of training.


The Marines’ basic rifle qualification course of fire requires shooting from the standing, kneeling, sitting, and prone positions at distances of 200, 300, and 500 yards. During slow-fire iterations, the recruits take their time between each pull of the trigger, and during rapid-fire rounds, the range explodes with sound and casings clattered all over the firing line.


An instructor looks at a recruit’s data book during rifle qualification training Thursday, April 8, 2021, at Camp Pendleton, Calif. Photo by Hannah Ray Lambert/Coffee or Die Magazine.

It was a breezy day, but with a punishing bright sun. By early afternoon, sweat plastered tendrils of hair against some recruits’ faces.


“Holy shit, Ramos! You can shoot,” a coach shouted at a recruit, spreading his arms wide. “Please, for the love of God, do that tomorrow.”


female Marines rifle qualification
A Marine Corps recruit shoots from the 200-yard line during rifle qualification training Thursday, April 8, 2021, at Camp Pendleton, Calif. Photo by Hannah Ray Lambert/Coffee or Die Magazine.

Senior drill instructor Amber Staroscik believes her recruits are ready for the big day.


“I’m fully confident that I’ll have 54 out of 54 recruits qualify,” Staroscik said Thursday afternoon.


As the sun rises over Edson Range on Friday, the fate of each recruit is in her own hands. To earn the title Marine, they’ll have to meet the same high qualification standards that have defined Marine Corps rifle marksmanship training for decades.


Read Next: Baptism in Chaos: First Women Experience ‘Black Friday’ at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego



Hannah Ray Lambert
Hannah Ray Lambert

Hannah Ray Lambert is a former staff writer for Coffee or Die who previously covered everything from murder trials to high school trap shooting teams. She spent several months getting tear gassed during the 2020-2021 civil unrest in Portland, Oregon. When she’s not working, Hannah enjoys hiking, reading, and talking about authors and books on her podcast Between Lewis and Lovecraft.

More from Coffee or Die Magazine
Coffee Or Die Photo
Get Your Viking On: The Exclusive 30 Sec Out BRCC Shirt Club Design

Thirty Seconds Out has partnered with BRCC for an exclusive shirt design invoking the God of Winter.

Grizzly Forge BRCC shirt
Limited Edition: Grizzly Forge Blades on an Awesome BRCC Shirt

Lucas O'Hara of Grizzly Forge has teamed up with BRCC for a badass, exclusive Shirt Club T-shirt design featuring his most popular knife and tiomahawk.

BRCC Limited Edition Josh Raulerson Blackbeard Skull Shirt
From Naval Service to Creative Canvas: BRCC Veteran Artist Josh Raulerson

Coffee or Die sits down with one of the graphic designers behind Black Rifle Coffee's signature look and vibe.

Medal of Honor is held up.
Biden Will Award Medal of Honor to Army Helicopter Pilot Who Rescued Soldiers in Vietnam Firefight

Biden will award the Medal of Honor to a Vietnam War Army helicopter pilot who risked his life to save a reconnaissance team from almost certain death.

dear jack mandaville
Dear Jack: Which Historic Battle Would You Want To Witness?

Ever wonder how much Jack Mandaville would f*ck sh*t up if he went back in time? The American Revolution didn't even see him coming.

west point time capsule
West Point Time Capsule Yields Centuries-Old Coins

A nearly 200-year-old West Point time capsule that at first appeared to yield little more than dust contains hidden treasure, the US Military Academy said.

Ouija Board aircraft carrier
Low-Tech ‘Ouija Boards’ Have Helped Aircraft Carriers Operate for Decades

Since the 1920s, a low-tech tabletop replica of an aircraft carrier’s flight deck has been an essential tool in coordinating air operations.

  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Careers
Contact Us
Contact Us
© 2024 Coffee or Die Magazine. All Rights Reserved