Women Will Serve on Submarines, Navy Secretary Says

[Navy for Moms Admins]

Release Date: 10/7/2009 9:12:00 PM
By John J. Kruzel, American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said Oct. 6 women soon will serve on submarines, suggesting a reversal of the long-standing ban by the Navy.

Appearing on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," Mabus signaled that the Navy is moving closer to allowing coed personnel on submarines.

"It will take a little while because you've got to interview people and you've got to be nuclear trained," he said, referring to prerequisite steps before a Sailor is assigned to a submarine.

Officials previously have cited a lack of privacy and the cost of reconfiguring subs as obstacles to allowing female crew members to serve aboard the vessels.

But Mabus is one of several top Navy officials recently to call for an end to the policy. The Navy secretary's comments yesterday amplify his previous endorsement of ending the ban.

"This is something the [chief of naval operations] and I have been working on since I came into office," Mabus, who was confirmed as Navy secretary in May, said last week. "We are moving out aggressively on this.

"I believe women should have every opportunity to serve at sea, and that includes aboard submarines," he told reporters following a tour of Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Newport News shipyard.

Navy Adm. Gary Roughead, chief of naval operations, acknowledged that special accommodations would be a factor in the decision, but one that's not insurmountable.

"Having commanded a mixed-gender surface combatant, I am very comfortable addressing integrating women into the submarine force," he said in a statement last month. "I am familiar with the issues as well as the value of diverse crews."

Roughead said he has been personally engaged through the years in the Navy's debate of the feasibility of assigning women to submarines.

"There are some particular issues with integrating women into the submarine force -- issues we must work through in order to achieve what is best for the Navy and our submarine force," he said. "This has had and will continue to have my personal attention as we work toward increasing the diversity of our Navy afloat and ashore."

Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, addressed the issue with the Senate Armed Services Committee last month.

"I believe we should continue to broaden opportunities for women," Mullen is quoted as saying in response to written questions posed by the Senate Armed Services Committee. "One policy I would like to see changed is the one barring their service aboard submarines."

Mullen, a champion of diversifying the services, said this month that having a military that reflects the demographics of the United States is "a
strategic imperative for the security of our country."

For more news from the Secretary of the Navy, visit www.navy.mil/local/secnav.

[Achseh]

I believe that women are capable of filling these positions, however, I believe the logistics of such a thing are monstrous. Having been associated with this Navy for the majority of my life, I can attest that there are too many, men and women, who would be unable to handle the even tighter spaces on a sub and perform professionally. Add in tight living spaces, hotbedding, stress levels- it's not something that is going to come quickly. And I'm not even factoring sex, as they're all too exhausted to even think about sex underway.

That said, Mullen and Roughhead can say all they want, but in the end, the Nuclear community has a heck of a lot of pull and will make their own decisions about such things. Remember, Rickover did not have to tell Congress everything about this program and the funds to overhaul each of these subs to make this work is mindboggling.

I'd love to see an all female sub, though, to prove that women are capable enough to do the job without any male 'influence'.

[Steve's Mom]

here is an article from April

One of the first female Prospective Commanding Officers for submarines is Commander Sarah Bentworth.

click here

[Lisa, Nuke Wife]

I giggled at ... "I went to submarines to get a breather from my wife and her mother. Especially her mother. Now I have to spend 60 days underwater with women? You know how long they take in the bathroom."

I have to say my husband is totally opposed to the idea too. One of the things he likes about being on a sub is the lack of women. Not that he thinks they're incapable, but because women are treated differently than men, period. My husband has been screamed at, thrown up against a wall as a 'welcome to the fleet' initiation process. He comes home telling me about who punched who, who tackled who, among many other disgusting male habits especially among all the junior sailors. Not that any of that cannot be changed, but its the tradition, its the culture of submarines and the men that serve on them. I think that when they allow women on they are all going to have to face many re-socialization processes and give up their fraternity culture. I foresee a lot of conflicts with this. Its not that is can't be done, its more about the hardships the navy and sailors will endure along the way of the integration.

I could absolutely never see myself in the military, its not a lifestyle that I would want so I can't speak for those women. But I've been on a sub, I know I would never ever want to be on one for longer than seeing my husband and would certainly never want to live on one with a bunch of silly boys.