Women to be assigned to fast-attack submarines by January 2015

Stars and Stripes ^ | October 16, 2013 | Jennifer Hlad

[Pan_Yan]

The USS Virginia and the USS Minnesota will be the first two gender-integrated fast-attack submarines, the Navy announced Tuesday.

Six women — four nuclear-trained officers and two supply corps officers — will report to the subs by January 2015, after completing the nuclear submarine training pipeline, according to the Navy.

Women are already serving aboard the ballistic missile subs the USS Wyoming, USS Louisiana and USS Maine, and the guided missile subs USS Florida, USS Georgia and USS Ohio.

The Navy in 2010 officially changed the policy that had previously prohibited women from serving aboard submarines. Since then, 43 women have been integrated into the sub force.

[Pan_Yan]

The insanity continues.

[Paladin2]

Such BS.

[Chode]

unless they are all dykes, this will not end well...

[arthurus]

I wonder how soon it will be that spurning a homosexual advance will be disciplined as “sexual harrassment” in the military.

[arthurus]

Nor much better if they are all dykes.

[NY.SS-Bar9]

(Shamelessly lifted from another thread - Hat tip to CodeToad)

[mylife]

hoo boy...

[Pan_Yan]

So far they’ve only put women officers on subs because of the severe space restrictions on berthing. On a Los Angeles Class the officers quarters are three bunks each, thus the apparent groupings of three women per boat.

[Bottom_Gun]

having been there, and done that. My big worry is close quarters underwater for months at a time, men and women together, we all know hormones are hormones no matter how professional they are.
Having said that, what kind of PR nightmare is the navy going to have when a female crew member gets preggers underway and the the baby is constantly exposed to the background radiation from the reactor?
It’s not as harmless as they say, after 12 yrs on 3 different boats I had to have my thyroid removed 2 yrs ago.

[lightman]

USS Virginia may soon have an alternative spelling minus some i’s and plus some a’s.

[Chode]

guess my point is, divorce rates will go up if wives start not trusting their husbands when they are gone for six months at a clip, something they don't have to worry about now, fights over who's getting laid and pregnancies that could be five months along during a cruse or more if they are knocked up when the cruse starts, so they should be given pregnancy tests before they get on the boat...

if they are all dykes, at least you cut the number of potential problems

then again, females in general have no business being on a submarine to begin with, but that's just me

[ClearCase_guy]

Well, even on a submarine, the shirts need to be ironed.

[Pan_Yan]

Well, even on a submarine, the shirts need to be ironed.

Shirts? We never wore shirts underway. Skivies and a pair of coveralls (poopy suit) with some soft soled slip on shoes.

[Pan_Yan]

It’s not as harmless as they say, after 12 yrs on 3 different boats I had to have my thyroid removed 2 yrs ago.

Sorry about that. I was on two new boats so I'm getting more radiation now watching TV. I had a bunch of friends who were ELTs on the Enterprise, though ... lots o' hot on that tub.

[MNnice]

I read this article to my wife and she said “No way!” The only ones who oppose it are the wives and girlfriends, but boy, do they EVER oppose it!!

We talked about this back when I served on a boomer in the late 60s. Nothing’s changed.

[Pan_Yan]

Is there a Bubblehead ping list?

If not I might start one.

[Snickering Hound]

"I'll do anything if you let me sleep off this watch, Chief..."

[rottndog]

...what kind of PR nightmare is the navy going to have when a female crew member gets preggers underway and the the baby is constantly exposed to the background radiation from the reactor?

IIRC, occupational radiation exposure to an unborn baby is illegal. EVERYONE on a boat wears dosimetry, because everyone on the boat is exposed to occupational radiation, even though it would be very small to non-engineering types. I don't see how they plan to get around that.

Which means, the instant a female is medically determined to be pregnant, she must be removed from the boat at the earliest opportunity...which could likely be in the middle of a sensitive deployment.

Of course this is not only due to the radiation hazard...submarines are simply not equipped to handle pregnancy complications, which could result in the death of the baby and the mother before the boat could could reach an adequate medical facility. Same reason bubbleheads don't go to sea with wisdom teeth.

This is a stupid idea...one which will in fact result in a loss of warfighting readiness. Nothing is improved with women on board...except for the feelings of the PC Nazis.

[Bogey78O]

The good news is any effect it has on operational readiness we’ll never hear about. And since we’ll never hear about it, it means it doesn’t exist as far as the “new” reality is concerned.

[rwa265]

Sorry to hear about your thyroid. Were you on Los Angeles class boats?

MY son has been on the San Fran and Boise as an RO and on the Montpelier as a Chief. He’s just finished shore duty observing the crew on the Minnesota and is being reassigned to the Newport News. I hope he doesn’t have any problems.