Marines Release First-Ever Ad Spotlighting Woman In Combat Position

The Marine Corps has released a recruiting ad that, for the first time, focuses on a female Marine in combat.

The commercial comes as the Corps faces intense scrutiny over sexism within its ranks, including a scandal over male Marines sharing nude photos of female Marines without the women's consent.

The commercial — called "Battle Up" — shows a young girl standing up to bullies, playing rugby in the rain and growing up to be a Marine. In the ad, she powers through an obstacle course and engages in a firefight as a voice-over describes the "fighting spirit." In the final scene, she helps with outreach to the homeless.

The woman in the ad is played by a Marine who served in Afghanistan, Capt. Erin Demchko. The Associated Press spoke with her about the experience. Here's the wire service on the goal of the ad:

"For a Corps that has struggled with the perception that it is the least welcoming of women among the military services, the new ad is part of a campaign to appeal to a new generation of Marines. It is also a bid for more female recruits for 'the few, the proud,' particularly athletes capable of meeting the tough physical standards required.

" 'The water was 27 degrees and coated with a layer of thick ice,' said Marine Capt. Erin Demchko, describing the great difficulty of the [gantlet], all while being surrounded by camera crews. 'Giving the film production staff what they wanted, while maintaining my bearing as a Marine officer and trying not to look cold, was a challenge.'

"Demchko, a deputy commander at Camp Courtney in Okinawa, Japan, is part of the Marine Corps' expanding effort to recruit women. The smallest military service has the lowest percentage of women and wants at least 10 percent representation by 2019. While female Marines occasionally have appeared in ads and been featured in online videos, this is the first time a woman is the focus of a national television commercial for the Corps."

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