Posted on 10/03/2014 9:38:00 AM PDT by markomalley
The Navy plans to begin putting senior enlisted female sailors on submarines in December, officials announced on Friday.
The women will first be integrated onto ballistic missile submarines, which are larger than fast attack submarines, said Navy Cmdr. Renee Squier, head of the Office of Women's Policy for the Chief of Naval Personnel.
The plan is to first integrate female senior enlisted sailors onto submarines and then junior enlisted female sailors, she said. "The goal is to have each unit have 20 percent," Squier said, in order to build a "good ecosystem" for female submariners.
The Navy first opened submarines to female Navy officers in 2012, and so far, more than 40 have served on them. But December will mark the first time enlisted female sailors will be allowed to do so.
The changes will not begin until 90 days after the House and Senate Armed Services committees are formally notified of the plan. That period must include 30 days of continuous session — likely to be in December, Squier said.
So far, Congress has been "very cooperative" on integrating women in the service, she added.
Some have criticized allowing women to serve on submarines. They say sailors serve in close quarters on submarines. They warn that placing women on submarines among dozens of men could lead to incidents of sexual assault or pregnancy and possible negative health effects on women.
Squier, though, said there has been no major pushback from critics or lawmakers to the Navy’s plans.
She said some modifications on submarines are being made to accommodate the enlisted women. Those would likely include creating separate bathrooms or sleeping quarters.
There was a push under the Clinton administration to assign women to submarines, but the 2001 defense policy bill halted those efforts, according to a Congressional Research Service study.
Then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates notified Congress in 2010 of the decision to allow women to begin serving on submarines and in 2011, the Navy began to train women and female officers for submarines.
The change is part of the Obama administration's push to open all currently closed military jobs to women, including in special operations.
The four services are currently reviewing all closed jobs to see how to integrate women and are required to submit to the Defense secretary any reasons why women may not be able to serve in particular jobs in 2016.
So far, the Marine Corps has been studying how to open infantry units to women, among other closed specialties, and the Army is currently accepting volunteers for Ranger School.
Squier said there has not been a study on increased sexual assault on the submarines, but that Navy-wide, prevention awareness among sailors is increased.
"I think that awareness has increased, I think our sailors feel they have leadership support," she said.
Hope they work out better than our recent and ex head of the Secret Service did!
Insanity.
Somehow, the joke isn’t the same when posed as, What’s long, hard and full of seawomen...
Will it have a maternity ward?
If uninvited intruders start getting in our subs, I’ll know it’s the end of the world as we know it.
“The goal is to have each unit have 20 percent,” Squier said, in order to build a “good ecosystem” for female submariners.”
What could go possibly wrong?
Few Americans have heard of these plans. So, they in effect initially present it to the public as a fait accompli, and then say "well, nobody objected."
Exactly right.
It would alter the ecology of the sea. Flushing used feminine hygiene products into the open sea would attract sharks.
I doubt they’ll have many volunteers after the initial rush to make a point. SSN’s are cramped, smelly, dark, intense hotbeds of masculine wierdness. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Those would likely include creating separate bathrooms or sleeping quarters.
I’m sure that’s going to work out just fine.
/s
What could possibly go wrong? Where are those statistics I read about pregnancies aboard ship?
How does it work when a woman accepts free education from the Navy and then has to be sent home from duty due to pregnancy before her “pay back” term of service is complete?
Just asking...
The sub service will have to provide onboard OB-GYN services especially on boomers. They are out long enough to have to deal with OB emergencies that are not related to pregnancies or STDs. Throw in those two factors and you really have a paradigm shift in the doc's duties.
Well, there'd be more candidates for those little short bunks up near the bow. sarc/off
Hummmmmm
Common sense has no place in our current politically correct government, common sense without which we can never even hope to win a war and society will totally collapse post-haste.
“It would alter the ecology of the sea. Flushing used feminine hygiene products into the open sea would attract sharks”
Yeah and keep them away from missel launch controls during the monthly thing.
Why on earth would they do that?
Those are notorious for causing clogs.
Women go down on the subs!
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