I know someone with a hot rack...
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.
Because having men and women on the same ship has worked out soooooo well.
that we even have this office is sad.
The hallway was so narrow I and the oncoming person had to turn sideways to get past; there was no way to pass a person without your groin/pelvis rubbing up against the other person's groin/pelvis.
What could go wrong?
Are they going to do equal work? I don’t think there are that many women in the Navy with the strength to do necessary labor aboard a sub with issues.
This is a terrible idea and plan. Terrible.
The scavenger hunts on halfway night will never be the same.
I had a good friend that was a career submariner, and he used to fill me in on the strange character of the crews and the environment of living on top of each other for months, and how some personalities had to be removed from this strange, exotic, sealed can of intimate human relationships that is unknown to normal humans.
Introducing some 19 year old estrogen filled teen girls is going to wreak havoc, end careers, and ruin families.
Sorry ladies...
Hormones, mood swings, female work environment dynamics with man and women...
What could go wrong? We’re only talking about a nuclear submarine here.
If it’s not broke...
Has anyone seen that stand up comic’s comment regarding the likelihood there could be an “Oceans Eleven” team made up entirely of women? He states that it would be impossible because two women would always break off and start trashing the rest to the point it would destroy the plan.
I think this is obviously over the top, but I’m not convinced there isn’t a wee bit of truth in it.
Do we wish to risk our major subs with this type of dynamic?
I don’t know. Perhaps I’m off base. Seems iffy to me.
Hot Racking
I know someone with a hot rack...
Look at this beyond the ‘sex’ thing.
I don’t ever remember a senior Petty Officer on subs who didn’t start his career there.
Putting senior PO’s in who are not ‘qualified’ is not going to work. There many duties they will not be able to perform for at least a year onboard. Others will have to pull their slack until they get their dolphins.
I don’t see a good outcome here.
OMG. What a sight to see.
We have heard of girls getting pregnant on navy deployments. Is it a stretch to think the same can happen on subs??
Because unless the boat is filled with gay men....they're gonna need one.
For some reason that old joke about “what’s long and hard and full of seamen” comes to mind.
It says Senior Officers. So they will have their own quarters. They also want 20%.
20% of what?
Probably not. Friends of mine on the USS America busted up a prostitution ring lead by some female Marines from their squadron. Each girl had made about 10 grand each float.
I guess we’ll have to start calling our ballistic missile subs ‘Bloomers’.
Sounds like 20% of officers. Which would be 5 on an Ohio Class.
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