USA: WOMEN RECRUITS SPEND FIRST WEEK AT THE CITADEL MILITARY SCHOOL

(26 Aug 1996) Natural Sound

Four young women have had their first taste of "Hell Week" at a tough American military school called The Citadel.

Part of their introduction to the South Carolina academy were new haircuts: close- cropped all around, above the ears and well off the neck.

But not shaved like the male new recruits.

Last year The Citadel had its first female recruit - but she could only take the stress for 4 days before leaving.

As the new recruits fell out into formation, each training company formed in a separate corner of the courtyard.

The new female cadets - Nancy Mace, Kim Messer, Jeanie Mentavlos and Petra Lovetinska, a Czech national who lives in Washington D-C -- arrived on campus Saturday.

All have ties to the military, the Citadel, or both.

On Monday, the women performed drills, got uniforms, and received military-style women's haircuts: close-cropped all around, above the ears and well off the neck.

The women's hair is longer than the men's, whose shaved cuts have earned freshmen the name "knobs."

Women will be treated the same as men in most areas. But unlike men they have latches on their doors and blinds on their windows.

Cadets will receive their physical training tests on Wednesday and the women will be judged by Army physical standards for women.

The Citadel opened its gates to women in June, two days after the U-S Supreme Court ruled the all-male admissions policy at Virginia Military Institute was unconstitutional.

Last year, Shannon Faulkner became a cadet under federal court order but became ill and dropped out after only four days.

Faulkner said she left because of her isolation on campus and the stress of the court fight challenging the all-male admissions policy at The Citadel.

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