US Marine Research Articles

A qualitative assessment of perceptions of gender-based stigma among US Marine Corps officers in training

ABSTRACT Military culture is historically rooted in masculine characteristics and ideals. Yet, as of 2016, all occupational specialties in the United States military are open to women and, as such, the number of women that make up the Services is projected to continue rising. The growing presence of women within the military ranks may be at odds with the traditionally masculine military culture, potentially resulting in gender-based stigmatization of female Service members. The current study qualitatively assessed perceived gender stigmatization among newly commissioned male (n = 654, 87%) and female (n = 101, 13%) US Marine Corps officers entering The Basic Course (BOC) at The Basic School (TBS), a six-month secondary training course. A thematic analysis of open-ended survey questions identified that males and females described aspects of gender stigma similarly, with emphases on females’ tendency to be viewed as weaker and needing to “prove themselves,” and a call for equal physical fitness standards for both genders. There were mixed opinions as to whether gender stigmatization should be acknowledged and addressed or dismissed and ignored. Some participants voiced that bringing gender stigma to the attention of Service members could artificially inflate the magnitude of the issue and increase gender stigmatization that is otherwise negligible or non-existent. The insights offered by the participants of this study can help shape the direction of policies and procedures aimed at increasing equality and opportunities for success for Marine officers of all genders. Ultimately, the goal is to optimize physical and mental health and readiness for all Service members.

Low psychological resilience and physical fitness predict attrition from US Marine Corps Officer Candidate School training

ABSTRACT The objective is to examine the predictors of attrition in male and female candidates undergoing a 10-week early career military training program. 1006 candidates (79.5% male, 24.7 ± 3.2 years) consented to participating in a larger study examining predictors of injury during US Marine Corps Officer Candidates School (OCS). Participants completed a blood draw, demographic and psychological characteristics questionnaires, and two fitness tests. Participants were then grouped based on successful completion of OCS or not. Associations between potential predictors and attrition were analyzed using simple logistic regression analyses, followed by a backward stepwise elimination method. Area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine the accuracy of the attrition prediction model. 260 candidates (25.8%) attritted over the 10-week training, with the highest number of discharges during week 5. Musculoskeletal injury (MSKI) was the most common cause of attrition (30%), followed by non-MSKI medical (21.5%), and volitional withdrawals (19.6%). Sex, body mass index (BMI), resilience, initial physical fitness test score, combat fitness test (CFT) score, and prior military service were all significantly associated with attrition from OCS (all p < .05). The final prediction model of attrition included CFT score (p = .027) and resilience (p = .018). Multiple demographic, psychological, and fitness characteristics are associated with attrition from an early career military training course (OCS) and may be utilized as part of early screening procedures to identify and provide guidance for individuals at risk for not completing OCS.

Cancer Incidence among Marines and Navy Personnel and Civilian Workers Exposed to Industrial Solvents in Drinking Water at US Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune: A Cohort Study.

Drinking water at US Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, was contaminated with trichloroethylene and other industrial solvents from 1953 to 1985. A cohort cancer incidence study was conducted of Marines/Navy personnel who began service and were stationed at Camp Lejeune () or Camp Pendleton, California () between 1975 and 1985 and civilian workers employed at Camp Lejeune () or Camp Pendleton () between October 1972 and December 1985. Camp Pendleton's drinking water was not contaminated with industrial solvents. Individual-level information on primary invasive cancers and in situ bladder cancer diagnosed between 1996 and 2017 was obtained from 54 US cancer registries. Proportional hazards regression was used to calculate adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) comparing cancer incidence between the Camp Lejeune and Camp Pendleton cohorts, adjusted for sex, race, education, and rank (or blue-collar work), with age as the time variable. Precision of aHRs was evaluated using the 95% confidence interval (CI) ratio (CIR). Cancers among Camp Lejeune Marines/Navy personnel and civilian workers totaled 12,083 and 1,563, respectively. Cancers among Camp Pendleton Marines/Navy personnel and civilian workers totaled 12,144 and 1,416, respectively. Compared with Camp Pendleton, Camp Lejeune Marines/Navy personnel had aHRs with CIRs for all myeloid cancers (; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.49), acute myeloid leukemia (; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.85), myelodysplastic and myeloproliferative syndromes (; 95% CI: 1.07, 2.62), polycythemia vera (; 95% CI: 0.94, 2.11), and cancers of the esophagus (; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.56), larynx (; 95% CI: 0.98, 1.50), soft tissue (; 95% CI: 0.92, 1.59), and thyroid (; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.45). Lymphoma subtypes mantle cell and marginal zone B-cell and lung cancer subtypes adenocarcinoma and non-small cell lung cancer also had aHRs with CIRs . Compared with Camp Pendleton, Camp Lejeune civilian workers had aHRs with CIRs for all myeloid cancers (; 95% CI: 0.83, 2.36), squamous cell lung cancer (; 95% CI: 1.10, 2.41), and female breast (; 95% CI: 0.97, 1.52) and ductal cancer (; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.71). Increased risks of several cancers were observed among Marines/Navy personnel and civilian workers exposed to contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune compared with Camp Pendleton. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP14966.

Old Woman Meteorite: microstructures, analyses, and stories

Abstract The Old Woman Meteorite (OWM), the second largest found in the USA, was located by prospectors in a steep canyon in the Mojave Desert about 20 km south of Highway 66 in March of 1976. Because of its weight of nearly 3 metric tons it had to be airlifted out of the mountains by a US Marine helicopter. A small triangular metallographic sample, on loan from the University of California Los Angeles, UCLA, was examined by light microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis to identify the structures and phases present. Rhabdites and schreibersite are visible in the as-polished condition. Nital etchant reveals grain boundaries and Neumann bands. Etching with Klemm I colors kamacite grains(ferrite) and Neumann bands in shades of blue and brown according to the crystal orientation. Prism shaped rhabdites stay white. Many rhabdites show cracks at the intersection with Neumann bands. Three areas with unusual structures were found. EDS dot maps identified one as schreibersite, another area contains troilite, schreibersite, brezinaite and possibly taenite, the third location contains Fe, Ni, P and S.

Visiting Contested Terrain: Archiving, Auditing, and Reforming Commemorative Place Names on US Marine Corps Bases

In recent years, commemorative naming has been discussed and called into question in the U.S. military, and with the establishment of the Confederate Naming Commission by Congress in 2021, representatives for branches of the US military and Department of Defense were tasked with evaluating commemorative practices associated with valorizing Confederate history. In this paper, we focus specifically on place naming patterns on US Marine Corps bases through an engagement with military archives. These archives are part of a hegemonic control of memory that sits uncomfortably at the intersection of the racialized history of the Armed Forces and its growing reliance on a multi-cultural America. We argue and find early evidence that the archives constitute contested terrain and the commemorative audits conducted by military institutions are a potentially fraught practice given possible self-interest and potential lack of a critical perspective on the past and place. We encountered many of the difficulties that complicate name reform and the commemorative audits, such as negotiated access to the physical archives and data, inconsistent practices and documentation which contributed to an incomplete audit, and conflicts with institutional interest. Even with the Confederate Naming Commission’s recent reports and recommendations for renaming some military bases and structures, there remains a demand for greater attention to the audits of commemorative place names utilized to make such recommendations. This demand necessitates a recognition that the legacy of racism and racial violence goes far beyond the years of the Confederacy, particularly regarding the landscapes of the United States military.

Body composition of extreme performers in the US Marine Corps

BackgroundThe creation of highly muscled and strong fighters is a recurring theme in human performance enhancement concepts. Physical readiness standards, intended to prevent obesity in the military, produce contradictory objectives,...

Allostatic Load Is Associated with Overuse Musculoskeletal Injury during US Marine Corps Officer Candidates School.

Overuse musculoskeletal injuries (MSKIs) remain a significant medical challenge in military personnel undergoing military training courses; a further understanding of the biological process leading to overuse MSKI development and biological signatures for injury risk are warranted. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between overuse MSKI occurrence and physiological characteristics of allostatic load (AL) characterized as maladaptive biological responses to chronic stress measured by wearable devices in US Marine Corps officer candidates during a 10-week training course. Devices recorded energy expenditure (EE), daytime heart rate (HR), sleeping HR, and sleep architecture (time and percent of deep, light, REM sleep, awake time, total sleep). Flux was calculated as the raw or absolute difference in the average value for that day or night and the day or night beforehand. Linear mixed-effect model analysis accounting for cardiorespiratory fitness assessed the association between overuse MSKI occurrence and device metrics (α = 0.05). Sixty-nine participants (23 females) were included. Twenty-one participants (eight females) sustained an overuse MSKI. Overuse MSKI occurrence in male participants was positively associated with daytime HR (β = 5.316, p = 0.008), sleeping HR (β = 2.708, p = 0.032), relative EE (β = 8.968, p = 0.001), absolute flux in relative EE (β = 2.994, p = 0.002), absolute EE (β = 626.830, p = 0.001), and absolute flux in absolute EE (β = 204.062, p = 0.004). Overuse MSKI occurrence in female participants was positively associated with relative EE (β = 5.955, p = 0.026), deep sleep time (β = 0.664, p < 0.001), %deep sleep (β = 12.564, p < 0.001) and negatively associated with absolute flux in sleeping HR (β = -0.660, p = 0.009). Overuse MSKI occurrences were associated with physiological characteristics of AL including chronically elevated HR and EE and greater time in restorative sleep stages, which may serve as biological signatures for overuse MSKI risk.

Determinants of medical care-seeking behavior for musculoskeletal conditions during US: Marine Corps training: A thematic analysis.

Musculoskeletal injuries (MSK-I) are a well-documented problem in military populations and a leading contributor to disability across military services. However, only a portion of Service members who sustain MSK-I report it to medical providers. Although several studies have identified barriers to seeking medical care in military populations, less is known about what motivates Service members to seek care for MSK-I. To describe determinants of medical care-seeking behavior for MSK-I and/or musculoskeletal pain (MSK-P) in recently-enlisted Marines during military training. Qualitative Study. School of Infantry-West (SOI-W), US Marine Corps Base XXX, XXX. 1,097 US Marines entering Infantry Training Battalion or Marine Combat Training at SOI-W. Participants completed written surveys at entry to (baseline) and graduation from SOI-W. Closed-ended question responses were used to calculate MSK-I/MSK-P and care-seeking frequencies. Open-ended responses describing determinants of care-seeking behavior were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Ten percent of participants self-reported sustaining MSK-I during basic training, while 14% self-reported sustaining MSK-I in SOI-W training. A greater proportion reported seeking medical care for their MSK-I/MSK-P during basic training compared to SOI-W training. The thematic analysis resulted in three main themes that describe drivers and barriers for seeking medical care: 1) Self-perceived need for medical care; 2) Prioritizing military training; and 3) Training-specific influences. Understanding determinants of care-seeking behavior is valuable when designing intervention strategies to promote early MSK-I treatment. Our findings add to previous research to elucidate reasons underlying the decisions about care-seeking for MSK-I/MSK-P. Interventions, including educational strategies and direct approaches, like embedding medical providers within units, to minimize barriers to seeking medical care in the military may reduce the burden of MSK-I/MSK-P on Service members throughout their military careers.

Cardiovascular Demand Differences Between Male and Female US Marine Recruits During Progressive Loaded Hikes.

Schram, B, Orr, R, Niederberger, B, Givens, A, Bernards, J, and Kelly, KR. Cardiovascular demand differences between male and female US Marine recruits during progressive loaded hikes. J Strength Cond Res 38(8): e454-e458, 2024-Despite having to carry the same occupational load, female soldiers tend to be lighter than male soldiers. The aim of this study was to determine the differences in cardiovascular load between female and male US Marine recruits during progressive load carriage hikes. United States Marine Corps recruits (565 male recruits; 364 female recruits) completed 6 loaded hikes over 6 weeks (1: 10 kg, 30 minutes; 2: 10 kg, 45 minutes; 3: 15 kg, 30 minutes, 4: 15 kg, 45 minutes; 5: 20 kg, 30 minutes; 6: 20 kg, 45 minutes) during which cardiovascular response was measured. Average heart rate (HRavg), HR maximum (HRmax), and pace were measured via a wrist-worn physiological monitor. Independent sample t -tests were conducted to compare between sexes, with significance set at 0.008 after adjusting for multiple comparisons. The average female recruit had significantly lower body mass (BM) compared with the average male recruit ( p < 0.001) and thus carried a significantly heavier relative load. (10 kg ∼17%, 15 kg ∼25%, 20 kg ∼33%, p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in pace in any hike, and no significant differences were found in HRavg or HRmax when comparing female and male Marines during Hike 1. For female Marines, HRavg was significantly higher compared with male Marines during Hike 2 (+6.5 b·min -1 , p < 0.001) and Hike 3 (+7.4 b·min -1 , p < 0.001), and both HRavg and HRmax were significantly higher in Hike 4 (+11.9 b·min -1 , +8.4 b·min -1 , p < 0.001), Hike 5 (+7.7 b·min -1 , +7.9 b·min -1 , p < 0.001), and Hike 6 (+6.9 b·min -1 , +7.1 b·min -1 , p < 0.001), respectively. Female Marines endured greater cardiovascular demand compared with male Marines during load carriage events when carrying loads greater than 15 kg (∼25% BM).

Quantification of daily workload, energy expenditure, and sleep of US Marine recruits throughout a 10-week boot camp.

During periods of high-volume vigorous exercise, United States Marine Corps recruits often experience musculoskeletal injuries. While the program of instruction (POI) for basic training is a defined training volume, the total workload of boot camp, including movements around the base, is unknown. The present study aimed to quantify the daily total workload, energy expenditure, and sleep during basic recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot (MCRD) San Diego. Eighty-four male recruits from MCRD San Diego wore wrist wearable physiological monitors to capture their complete workload (mileage from steps), energy expenditure, and sleep throughout the 10-week boot camp. Marine recruits traveled an average of 11.5±3.4 miles per day (M±SD), expended 4105±823 kcal per day, and slept an average of 5 : 48±1 : 06 hours and minutes per night. While the POI designates a total of 46.3 miles of running and hiking, the actual daily average miles yielded approximately 657.6±107.2 miles over the 10-week boot camp. Recruit training requires high physical demand and time under tension due to the cumulative volume of movements around base in addition to the POI planned physical training.

Analyzing daily sorties at NAS Kingsville utilizing alternative refueling methods

Training Air Wing TWO (TW-2) is responsible for the intermediate and advanced phases of Undergraduate Jet Pilot Training and provides the US Navy and Marine Corps with newly winged aviators. The objective of this study is to improve daily operations at TW-2 using sortie output and aircraft refuel waiting time as measures of performance. We define a sortie as any flight event attempted on the daily flight schedule to facilitate student training. We create a discrete-event simulation to model daily jet flow and operations at TW-2. We compare current operations with several alternative refueling strategies that incorporate hot pit refueling to minimize the time jets spend on the ground between consecutive sorties. We consider different factors and run a variety of experiments to determine the impact of various fueling strategies on resource utilization rates in an effort to generate more sorties. Our analysis finds that TW-2 can increase daily sortie throughput by an average of 60 sorties by incorporating both hot pit and cold refueling. We recommend using two hot pits to decrease the yearly idle fuel-burn cost by over $342,000 and reclaim a value of $98,422,500 from the annual maintenance contract at TW-2.

Comparing access to US marine and terrestrial protected areas

Comparing access to US marine and terrestrial protected areas

Introduction to the special issue on Sea Grant: Science serving America’s coastlines and people

The National Sea Grant College Program is thrilled to partner with Oceanography to publish a special issue focused on Sea Grant’s contributions to enhancing the use and conservation of US coastal, marine, and Great Lakes resources to create a strong and sustainable economy, healthy coastal ecosystems, and resilient and inclusive communities. This introduction presents an overview of the National Sea Grant College program and highlights articles in this special issue.

The Small Wars Doctrine of the US Marine Corps and Colonial Experience of the European Powers

The rapid transformation of the current world order excites renewed interest of the expert community in the phenomenon of empire (as a form of the organization of political life). And since the United States plays a central role in this transformation, the history of the Pax Americana, its formation and development, both at the level of the idea and in the field of real politics is of particular relevance. The author argues that clarification of the role and significance of the colonial background in the projection of US military-political power in the late 19th — early 21st centuries allows for better understanding of the theory and practice of international relations both in the era of ‘high imperialism’ and world wars of the 20th century, and in the context of transition from global colonial empires to nuclear superpowers. It may also be instrumental in addressing the deepening contradictions between advocates of a ‘global leadership’ concept and proponents of a multipolar world during the post-Cold War period. In this regard, the paper examines the works of the US military theorists of the late 19th − first half of the 20th centuries that focused on the colonial experience of the leading European powers, as well as the experience gained from interventions involving the US Army and Marine Corps. Special emphasis is given to the concept of ‘small wars’. Building on a wide array of primary sources, presented both by the works of military experts, direct participants in various counterinsurgency operations in the colonies, as well as by the teaching materials and field manuals of the US Marine Corps, the author traces the evolution of this concept which implied establishment of external management and/or control through military and police measures. This allows the author to restore the historical genealogy of current models of internal security promoted in American foreign policy in conditions of proliferating, protracted, and increasingly hybrid civil conflicts. The author concludes that in the interwar period the US law enforcement agencies pragmatically implemented the relevant experience of global empires in Latin American countries within the framework of the Monroe Doctrine, while regarding European powers as political rivals. It is noted that conflicting imperatives of asymmetric and conventional threats to US national security urge researchers and practitioners to revisit after a post-Vietnam period of neglect the approaches of colonial empires to the conduct of small wars and to adapt them to modern conditions. The findings broaden the understanding of the modern leading powers’ approaches to internal security models transfer, as well as of its limits.

Macrotraumatic Fractures of the Multisegmented Ankle-Foot Complex in Military Tactical Athletes: A Cohort Study.

Ankle-foot injuries are common in military personnel and substantially degrade function and force readiness. The purpose of this retrospective cohort study was to assess the incidence and contributing factors of traumatic ankle-foot fractures in the US military. A population-based study of all service members in the US military was performed assessing the factors of sex, occupation, service branch, rank, and year on segmental tibia-fibula, rearfoot, and forefoot fracture incidence between 2006 and 2015. The Defense Medical Epidemiology Database was queried for the number of individuals with fractures of the tibia-fibula, rearfoot, and forefoot using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification on the initial medical encounter. Unadjusted relative risk (RR) calculations were performed assessing sex and occupation. A negative binomial regression assessed the adjusted factors of sex, branch, rank, and year. During this study, 95,540 enlisted service members (8.4 per 1,000 person-years) and 13,318 military officers (5.8 per 1,000 person-years) were diagnosed with ankle-foot fractures. In the adjusted analysis, sex was found to only be a significant factor in forefoot fractures (RR, 1.54), with female service members having a significantly higher risk. There were no significant sex-related differences observed in tibia-fibula or rearfoot fractures. US Navy and Air Force personnel had significantly lower risk of tibia-fibula fractures (RR range, 0.76-0.84) compared with the US Army. Forefoot fracture risk was significantly higher in the US Marine Corps (RR, 1.47) compared with the US Army. Officers had consistently lower risk for fractures in each segment (RR range, 0.68-0.77) compared with enlisted personnel. Enlisted engineers, aviation, and artillery/gunnery compared to infantry, and ground/naval gunfire officers had the greatest relative risk compared all other officer fields (RR range, 1.11-3.67). Sex, occupation, branch, and rank were salient factors for macrotraumatic ankle-foot fractures. These findings can be used to inform and increase precision in medical planning and in the targeted development of preventive interventions.

Physical performance and body composition reference values for modern US Marine Corps women

Women’s roles in the US military have progressively changed over the past several decades. Previously women were barred from combat roles. Recent change in policy allow women into combat roles...

Comparing Fictional War Hero, Paul Baumr, and US Marine, Sam Siata: A Trauma Study of PTSD Victims in Soldiers

This research focuses on new PTSD symptoms highlighted in C. J. Chiver's case study in "The Fighter" published in the New York Times under the trauma theoretical perspective with the aim to interpret the same in the character of Paul Baumer, the fictional war hero of All Quiet on the Western Front by Eric Maria Remarque. The research first defines PTSD in modern psychiatric terms and reviews it in light of the psychiatric theoretical studies outlined by Miriam Reisman and the trauma theorized by Dominick LaCarpa and Judith Herman. Reviewing the relevant literature to form a theoretical framework for the analysis of PTSD in Baumer, the research seeks to prove that Baumer suffers from PTSD signs. The research finds that Baumer is a soldier tougher than Siam Siatta, the US marine, who suffered the same during his Afghanistan tour. The research also highlights Baumer's peaceful death as compared to Sam Siatta's pulverization of the social fabric to highlight its significance as well as demonstrate ways to cope with such war victims.

Micropatterned Ion-Exchange Membranes for Membrane Capacitive Deionization

US Marine missions require technologies that produce potable water from various water sources that include both seawater and ground water. Reverse osmosis (RO) is the most wide-spread and economical process for desalinating water from seawater. However, it is only cost-competitive and practical when deployed in large, centralized production facilities and is not conducive for marine squad units. Membrane capacitive deionization (MCDI) is an alternative water desalination platform that is enticing to military missions as it does not require high pressure piping and it does not generate significant acoustic, thermal, or electromagnetic signals. MCDI removes ions from the liquid solution using electrical energy, and the commercialized variant, flow-by MCDI, feature two porous electrodes covered by ion-exchange membranes(1). During deionization, the positively biased electrode has an anion exchange membrane (AEM) in front of it while the negatively biased electrode contains a cation exchange membrane (CEM) in front of it.Our previous research improved the energy efficiency of MCDI by using ion-exchange membranes with lower area-specific resistance (ASR) values(2) and porous ionic conductors in the spacer channel that augment solution conductivity and curtail ohmic losses(3). Reducing these resistances enabled the MCDI to operate at higher current density – which is important for shrinking the size of the MCDI unit and lowering the overall capital costs.This talk highlights our recent work examining ionic charge transport resistance at the membrane-electrode interface in MCDI. We studied the impact of this resistance on MCDI performance metrics (salt removal and energy normalized adsorbed salt (ENAS)) by systematically changing the interfacial area of the ion-exchange membrane-electrode interface via patterning of the ion-exchange membrane surfaces using soft-lithography. This strategy has been shown to be effective in reducing charge-transfer resistances in both proton exchange membrane (PEM)(4) and AEM(5) fuel cells and reducing the water dissociation kinetics resistance in bipolar membranes(6). Micropatterned AEMs and CEMs based upon poly(arylene ether) and all-carbon poly(arylene) backbones(7) were fabricated with periodic line and cylinder topographies and lateral feature sizes that vary from 2 to 20 μm. The patterned membranes were coated with graphitic carbon electrodes. It is posited that smaller lateral feature sizes, which gives rise to larger interfacial area values, reduces interfacial resistance values in MCDI and larger ENAS values. Keywords: Desalination, Membrane capacitive deionization, Ion exchange membranes, Soft lithography, Energy normalized adsorbed salt, Membrane electrode assembly References S. Porada, L. Zhang and J. E. Dykstra, Desalination, 488, 114383 (2020).V. M. Palakkal, J. E. Rubio, Y. J. Lin and C. G. Arges, ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 6, 13778 (2018).V. M. Palakkal, M. L. Jordan, D. Bhattacharya, Y. J. Lin and C. G. Arges, Journal of The Electrochemical Society, 168, 033503 (2021).Y. Jeon, D. J. Kim, J. K. Koh, Y. Ji, J. H. Kim and Y.-G. Shul, Scientific Reports, 5, 16394 (2015).S. Jang, M. Her, S. Kim, J.-H. Jang, J. E. Chae, J. Choi, M. Choi, S. M. Kim, H.-J. Kim, Y.-H. Cho, Y.-E. Sung and S. J. Yoo, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 11, 34805 (2019).S. Kole, G. Venugopalan, D. Bhattacharya, L. Zhang, J. Cheng, B. Pivovar and C. G. Arges, Journal of Materials Chemistry A, 9, 2223 (2021).W.-H. Lee, Y. S. Kim and C. Bae, ACS Macro Letters, 4, 814 (2015).

Linking knowledge and action for climate-ready fisheries: Emerging best practices across the US

Despite progress in understanding and predicting climate change impacts and possible responses for US marine fisheries, use of climate-related information in federal fishery management decisions remains limited. One barrier to progress in linking climate knowledge to management action is that individual management bodies’ efforts tend to be isolated, with few opportunities to coordinate or communicate about successes and shared challenges. To promote cross-regional learning, we distill eight best practices from emerging climate-focused efforts, drawn from a collaborative workshop, literature, and authors’ experiences. We conceptualize these best practices as interrelated—and incomplete—pieces of a knowledge-to-action “puzzle” that could be adopted based on regional context. One best practice, mapping out management processes and structure to identify “on-ramps” for climate information (3.1), represents a foundational centerpiece that enables other best practices. Three practices apply primarily to internal management processes: frame climate initiatives within existing management mandates and processes (3.2); strategically incorporate qualitative information to deal with uncertainty (3.3); and pilot initiatives with healthy or lower-risk stocks (3.4). Another set pertains to efforts that include broader stakeholders: engage stakeholders early and often (3.5), emphasize local priorities (3.6), employ structured processes to keep initiatives on track (3.7), and leverage collaborative research to build trust and overcome capacity constraints (3.8). We highlight emerging initiatives that demonstrate how these practices were implemented, discuss continued challenges, and identify opportunities where these practices could be expanded in support of climate-ready fisheries.

Sex differences in musculoskeletal injury epidemiology and subsequent loss of tactical readiness during Marine Corps Officer Candidates School

IntroductionThe US Marine Corps (USMC) Officer Candidates School (OCS) is a 10-week training course for Marine Officer Candidates (MOCs). OCS training is rigorous and demanding, which results in a high...