On the shores of California one recent morning, female Marines were heaving heavy chains to secure amphibious assault vehicles that soon would roll into the waves.
The exercise was one part of a yearlong experiment aimed at settling the question of whether women can handle the punishing world of ground combat.
Told by the Pentagon that it must open combat roles for women by 2016— unless it can show a good reason not to — the Marine Corps has partnered with the University of Pitt