ATHOL — Neil Eitel initially “didn’t think it was that big of a deal” when his daughter was chosen as one of 60 recruits to attend the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego.

It was.

“I wouldn’t have guessed it was going to be this much of a to-do,” the Athol man said.

Lydia Eitel is among a select group of recruits who recently started the Marines’ program as part of the first gender-integrated company to be trained at the West Coast site.

Mia O’Hara, a Lakeland High School 2019 graduate, was also chosen, meaning two from North Idaho were among the top female recruits in the country sent to the San Diego training center.

It's historic, said a Marine recruiter.

Previously, all women who enlisted in the Marines trained exclusively at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina, at the all-female 4th Recruit Training Battalion, according to a report in Coffee or Die.

"We send the best down there," he said.

Eitel’s parents haven’t heard much from Lydia, other than one letter, as she and other recruits are under tight wraps during their 13 weeks of training. She shipped out in late January and underwent a two-week quarantine.

The Marines are known for rigorous training, demanding requirements, and pushing recruits beyond their limits.

But Neil Eitel and wife Camille are confident their 18-year-old can handle it and described her as an "overachiever” and “very disciplined.”

For her senior project, she adopted and trained a wild mustang. She’s a hockey player, horse trainer, and 4-Her used to handling market steer that top 1,000 pounds. That’s in addition to excelling academically and earning acceptance to several colleges.

“I think she’ll be able to pass the physical requirement at boot camp no problem,” Neil Eitel said.

Lydia surprised her parents when she decided to enter the military and chose the Marines, but they supported her.

“I like the idea that it gets you going in a direction,” said Neil Eitel, who served in the Army National Guard, six years active duty and two years inactive.

Lydia was initially set to be trained at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot at Parris Island, S.C., which is where all women who enlisted in the Marines were sent to be part of the all-female training battalion.

But, after a review process and physical tests, the 5-foot, 2-inch dynamo was among the few selected for the San Diego recruit center.

“They went through the U.S. and chose the top 60 women to go to this boot camp,” Camille Eitel said. “We were proud they chose our daughter.”

Lydia selected infantry as her military occupational speciality.

“She was pretty excited about it,” her dad said.

While more women are joining the military, they are still far fewer than men, and few are officers.

According to the Council on Foreign Relation, when the draft ended in 1973, women represented 2% of the enlisted forces and 8% of the officer corps.

Today, those numbers are 16% and 19%, respectively, a significant increase over the past half century.

Women accounted for about one-fifth of the officers in every military service except the Marine Corps, where they made up just 8% of the total.

But change is coming and Lydia is part of that change, which suits her.

“She likes to do things out of the norm,” Camille said.

Coffee or Die reported that Congress when Congress passed the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, it included in the legislation a prohibition against gender-segregated recruit training at both of the Corps’ recruit depots. Congress has given the service until 2025 to fully integrate training at Parris Island, and until 2028 to do the same at MCRD San Diego.

Lydia made a five-year commitment and Neil Eitel believes his daughter will stand out. The military life is about discipline and structure, which are among Lydia's strengths.

“She likes to do things the same way, so this is right up her alley,” he said.