The year is 2018, and a progressive spirit is in the United States. Some advancements are good, some are bad, some controversial, some are widely accepted. The newest advancement is that of women joining the Marine Corps. According to Vice News, for the first time in Marine Corps history, a group of 40 female Marines will begin a fully integrated combat training course alongside male students at Marine Corps Base Camp in Pendleton, California.

The group of 40 arrived Tuesday for the 29-day Marine Combat Training Camp which was formerly only open to male Marines. Ultimately, 1700 women will train at this base and be held to the same standard as their male comrades.

This is a momentous moment in the Marine Corps and in the U.S. military as a whole. Regardless of your opinion on this topic, what cannot be denied is that there is a large number of women in this country who have a deep yearning to serve their country, and the Marine Corps has now made the dreams of many women a possibility. This is truly an incredible moment for the U.S. military.