Assuming that some final formalities are completed, the United States Marine Corps will have its first female infantry officer – a future platoon leader – after a ceremony on Monday.

The marine, whose identity is being shielded for now, completed the notoriously tough training at Twentynine Palms, Calif., on Thursday.

That’s a milestone on a very long march. More than 30 women tried and fell short during a test period that began in 2012. (Overall, about 1 in 4 trainees washes out.)

The halting integration of women into the military’s male bastions – including the Army Rangers – is a story that the Monitor has followed closely in recent years. That this latest surge involves the Marine Corps marks a particularly significant shift: 2017 is also the year in which a large number of marines were implicated in an online, photo-sharing scandal that was roundly scorned as an example of deeply ingrained misogyny.

Is this shift in thought real and enduring? “Officials shared few details about the lieutenant Thursday,” read a report in The Washington Post, “saying it is unlikely she will agree to do any media interviews, preferring instead to be a ‘quiet professional’ and just do her job.”

That’s the remarkable becoming more routine.

And now to our five stories for your Friday, ones that highlight fairness, collaboration, and understanding.