Females on Submarines what do you think about it.

[Gloria P.]

Hi everyone I have a question. I saw on navy.mil and on the news about the Navy planning on letting female sailors on submarines in the near future. I'm not sure how I feel about this since they will be in very close quarters. Its not like the big ships where they have plenty of room for both male and females. I've heard that the SSBN are bigger and might work on those subs. But the SSN are smaller. Just wondering how everyone feels about having female sailors on submarines.

[submom]

I have been on a fast attack sub that my son was on. I could not see both men and women serving together on these. However, what about an all female crew on a sub? Something to think about!

[Denise Nuke EM Mom]

When I got my Navy Times and saw the article in there I had to open it and read it right away. I read it out loud to my hubby who is a retired submariner. He served on 3 fast attack and 1 boomer. Yes the boomers are a bit bigger but still small. We have talked about this for years from when he was in to now. It comes up from time to time. I know there are many things that women weren't allowed to do with the military for years. One of the reasons for looking at this at this time is since the conflicts/ wars the line of women being in combat has been blurred due to IED's and road side bombs. That is a quote from the Navy Times article. Having done dependant cruises I understand the smallness and they would mark off certain "HEADS" (toilets) for the women.
At this time it is being propsed and I will wait and see what comes of this. We have all raised our sons to be gentleman and will hope they will behave appropiatley. I wouldn't want to be on that first cruise unless to be the fly on the wall. It will be interesting see how this all plays out.

[Melanie]

my opinion is its going to take a STRONG woman to be on a submarine and good for her, however yeah i dont think its a good idea lol.

[Pooky]

I have written before about my feelings. Having seen what happens to men when women on detachments, ships, out of country, end up pregnant or with female trouble, this just ticks me off. This will mean, just like the others, that the men will have longer time on subs to make up for the billets that the women will leave out of. If this means the women will have to stay on duty, no matter what the female problem and do their rightful share, then its a maybe. If they want to fill a male billet, then they better be willing to totally fill the male billet. If they cant, then they should be taken out of the rate or out of the Navy.

[Rhonda8881]

I personally cannot think of 1 good reason for females to be allowed on a submarine!

[Mark]

Really? Not one? I'm not a fan of the idea, but the Navy will manage; there's no doubt in my mind that there are some women that will excel, and are looking forward to the opportunity. It will be a painful transition for the submarine force for sure, though and the drawbacks may outweigh the benefits. I'll be happy for those that pull it off successfully and pull their weight though.

[Adam's Mom Sharon]

My son is in his fourth week at boot camp, and will be a submariner. He and his wife have neighbors who met in the Navy, and have since retired. They both told Adam that he should be glad he won't have to deal with females on a sub. The wife, who was a female on a ship herself, told him that the female drama on a ship is horrible, and it spoiled a lot of things for everyone. I am sorry to hear the Navy plans to change that policy. Adam was glad that he would be part of a men-only brotherhood.

Adam feels this way even though he is a guy who has a great deal of respect for women. He knows women are strong and resourceful and smart and capable. I raised him through his teen years as a single mom and only parent. He has a younger brother and sister, a wife and two step-daughters. His mother-in-law lived with them for a few months, and his wife's grandmother lives alone. There are no men in his wife's family except for one uncle. All these women have looked to Adam for care and leadership for the last two years. He has fixed cars, moved furniture, done handyman repairs, driven his wife's family of five women on long trips and kept them fed, comfortable and safe. One of the reasons he joined the Navy was to provide well for his family. They adore him. However, he still values serving in the Navy on an sub filled only with men. As a man, he desires the brotherhood and company of good, strong, brave men committed to serving their country.

[LLovesmysailor]

If your son wants to be on a male only boat then have him request a Fast Attack submarine. The Navy plans on only putting female Officers on Boomers. They have enough room to accommodate Female Officers. The change is the result of the need to get female Nukes enough sea time to allow them to qualify for future promotions. With the Navy cutting back on the number of Carriers in the fleet, these Officers would have had trouble staying in the same promotion pool with their male counterparts. There is no plan to put females on the smaller Fast Attack submarines.

[Adam's Mom Sharon]

That's good to know. Adam could make anything work, and I think he wants to be on the most family-friendly sub he can get.

It must be concerning to female Nukes to have their opportunities curtailed. I am a professional in an industry dominated by males. I know how hard women have to work to succeed under certain conditions.

[Rhonda8881]

Adam's Mom Sharon - He is definitely brave to take long trips with 5 females in the car!!! Congrats on raising such a respectable son! And Good Luck to him in his Navy career. My son is on a Fast Attack sub that won't have women on it, and he is glad. But he grew up with only 1 woman in the house (me), and he saw enough emotions to know he would not want to be on a sub with any woman!!! He says it is bad enough with just the guys sometimes...LOL!!!

[Adam's Mom Sharon]

Thanks so much, Rhonda! I figure after his life with 5 females, the RDC at boot camp will seem like a marshmallow.

[Rhonda8881]

He will probably welcome all the men around him!!! But for me, I couldn't imagine living on a sub with 150+/- men in a closed location. Stinky!!! LOL!