Military.com reports that California Democratic rep and chair of the House Armed Services Military Personnel subcommittee Jackie Speir has issued an amendment to the defense authorization bill, which would prohibit gender-segregation at Marine Corps recruit depots.

If Spiers’ amendment goes through, all Marine training must be made co-ed in eight years.  The measure was passed 31-26.

Spiers said that making Marine training completely co-ed makes “our military stronger.”

Men and women share about 65% of their Marine training now.

This year the first ever co-ed company graduated from Parris Island, South Carolina.  The genders lived apart but trained together.  The company scored higher in marksmanship but lower in water survival training than all overall recruits.

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