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First women qualify as submarine officers
KOMO TV (Seattle ABC affiliate) ^ | Dec 8, 2012 | Kelly Koopmans

Posted on 12/09/2012 10:05:12 AM PST by Salman

For the last century all fully-qualified submarine officers have been men. But that all changed when two women were honored with their Navy dolphin pins.

The ceremony on Wednesday at Naval Base Kitsap was a graduation day of sorts with crowds, caps, and uniforms.

From a cluster of colleagues, two female crew members of the USS Maine ballistic missile submarine were called front and center for a designation that made them qualified submariners. The two junior lieutenants were among the first three women in the submarine force's 112-year history to get their dolphins.

"This is the mark where your command puts their confidence in you," said Lieutenant junior grade Jennifer Noonan.

Fellow submariner Lieutenant junior grade Amber Cowan also got her pin and said she was thrilled.

"I'm a little bit in shock I think," she said.

Cowan, a University of Washington graduate, and Noonan, a Boston native, each reported to the USS Maine nearly one year ago after completing 15 months of nuclear power school and rigorous training.

Now, they're officially part of the team.

"They really become like a family more than just the people you work with every day," said Noonan.

The next group of female submariners will begin arriving at boats in January. That's when they'll begin their training toward earning their own dolphin pins.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: submarine; women
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To: Salman

Pull this thing over right now! I need to pee ...

21 posted on 12/09/2012 11:22:14 AM PST by Liberty Valance (Keep a simple manner for a happy life :o)
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To: Salman

22 posted on 12/09/2012 11:25:09 AM PST by PLMerite (Shut the Beyotch Down! Burn, baby, burn!)
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To: Liberty Valance

I’ll bite. Is that pic for real?


23 posted on 12/09/2012 11:39:17 AM PST by CrazyIvan (Obama's birth certificate was found stapled to Soros's receipt.)
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To: Salman

I personally do NOT like it or ‘approve’ BUT if they went through the same tests, mental AND physical, passed all their Quals etc fine.

My gut tells me some corners were cut here.

Now for all those that are predicting ‘instant doom’, they have been aboard for 15 months and it would be hard to believe they ‘kept it in tact’ till they got their dolphins.

If they ‘earned’ them going through the same routine as their male counterparts, they are to be congratulated.

I personally ‘blew my head up’ in the 105’ free ascent tank and was thereby disqualified from Submarine Service so I may be a tad ‘envious’ here - even though I understand they haven’t done the ‘blow and go’ for many a moon now.


24 posted on 12/09/2012 11:44:42 AM PST by xrmusn (6/98 "It is virtually impossible to clean the pond as long as the pigs are still crapping in it")
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To: CrazyIvan
As far as I know it's real. Here's some copy to go with the pic:

Soviet designed and built "Typhoon" Type nuclear submarine as it wafts along a beach in Severodvinsk in the White Sea. Really amazing to see this monster (worlds largest submarine until 2010), so close to a public beach.

25 posted on 12/09/2012 11:48:55 AM PST by Liberty Valance (Keep a simple manner for a happy life :o)
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To: Argus

Well, if Dick Sargent could serve, what's the problem?

26 posted on 12/09/2012 12:04:57 PM PST by mikrofon (Chief Petticoat Officer)
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To: Chode

What you are saying is we will have more than submarines swimming around down there? LOL


27 posted on 12/09/2012 12:16:35 PM PST by biff (WAS)
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To: xrmusn
it's not a case if they can pass a test but more of a case of morale... wives at home will not be pleased and that will translate to the husbands in the crew where a happy home life is VERY important to a happy crew

and if they are having sexual relations with crew members, those not getting it will not be happy either...

it's a case of do they bring something needed and positive to the efficiency and well being and of the running the boat or is it just another social experiment

28 posted on 12/09/2012 12:22:22 PM PST by Chode (American Hedonist - *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
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To: seowulf

In the 90s it was the l.y. spear.


29 posted on 12/09/2012 12:27:48 PM PST by merry10
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To: biff
something like that...
30 posted on 12/09/2012 12:29:26 PM PST by Chode (American Hedonist - *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
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To: Salman

for later


31 posted on 12/09/2012 12:30:59 PM PST by Doctor 2Brains
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To: Salman

This is about as stupid as those bubble headed women that actually go out on a football field and interview the coach. Stupidity reigns!


32 posted on 12/09/2012 12:32:12 PM PST by pepperdog ( I still get a thrill up my leg when spell check doesn't recognize the name/word Obama!)
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To: merry10

“In the 90s it was the l.y. spear.”

I am retired Navy and spent many years recruiting. A female I put in was assigned to that ship and told me how it was. According to her, the CO and XO were totally upfront about what they wanted from their attractive female sailors.

Another was the USS Lexington. The wrinkle there, even in the 90s, was it was all lesbians. Straight women were pressured to join in. For someone to complain they had to go through the master chief of the command. From what I was told, the MC was the lesbian ring leader.


33 posted on 12/09/2012 1:08:31 PM PST by suthener
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To: Salman

They’ve been going down, working their way to the top.....


34 posted on 12/09/2012 1:21:53 PM PST by traditional1 (Don't gotsta worry 'bout no mo'gage, don't gotsta worry 'bout no gas; Obama gonna take care o' me!)
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To: Chode

it’s not a case if they can pass a test but more of a case of morale.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Don’t get me wrong.
I understand all that and I am against women in combat, mixed crews on ships etc. BUT if it is going to happen - like civilian police and fire departments - don’t jeopardize the lives of others just to prove a point.

These ‘social engineers’ don’t have a clue as to real life.
They think they can put a bunch of young virile lads and lasses on a ship - I don’t care how big or small - and everything will be hunky dory.
Then they DEMAND people get punished when they act like you already suspect they are going to act.

Poor but like example....Judge Judy tries cracking jokes and make cute remarks during her cases BUT when the audience laughs she gets upset.


35 posted on 12/09/2012 1:37:19 PM PST by xrmusn (6/98 "It is virtually impossible to clean the pond as long as the pigs are still crapping in it")
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To: Salman
They look like very decent young women so we have to hope for the best.


36 posted on 12/09/2012 2:20:19 PM PST by Menehune56 ("Let them hate so long as they fear" (Oderint Dum Metuant), Lucius Accius (170 BC - 86 BC))
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To: traditional1

What color would subs be repainted?


37 posted on 12/09/2012 2:58:27 PM PST by Leo Carpathian (FReeeeepissed)
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To: Menehune56
They look like very decent young women so we have to hope for the best.

Which means we hope that we can absorb this blow and minimize the damage that it will cause.

This will hurt us, as all of these advances by the left against the military, do.

We gain zero.

38 posted on 12/09/2012 3:14:30 PM PST by ansel12 (A.Coulter2005(truncated)Romney will never recover from his Court's create of a right to gay marriage)
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To: Liberty Valance

The biggest I have been around are the LA class and they seemed huge. What a monster!


39 posted on 12/09/2012 3:31:06 PM PST by CrazyIvan (Obama's birth certificate was found stapled to Soros's receipt.)
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To: Leo Carpathian

Pink comes to mind first, of course it could end painted like the Rain-Bow flag given the end of D.A.D.T.

pink coes to ming


40 posted on 12/09/2012 3:40:15 PM PST by SandRat (Duty - Honor - Country! What else needs said?)
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