Women have been serving on Aircrew duty alongside men for over 20 years with distinction.
I agree. If your post to me was intended for me, I encourage you to read all of them on this thread. I do not have a problem with women serving in most capacities in the military. There are a few that I believe that should be reserved for men. I am not a staunch believer that men and women are generally equal in every way.
I do not want a female marine to be captured by terrorists. It would be a larger moral impact on a war effort as images of her torture were sent around the world. Call me sexists, but the idea of what these pigs might do to one of our own female soldiers makes me sick. It would certainly affect me in a different way than if it were a man.
I do not want a woman to be in a situation where she may need to throw a fellow soldier over her shoulder and run for safety. This is not to say there are not women out there that could do it or that there are men out there that could not, given any specific situation.
I do not want a woman in a situation where her own discomfort or situational emotion affects her abilities or duties or those of the other service men. Being seen naked routinely by other seamates, having to poop and pee in front of them or shower with them should be uncomfortable for most women. Being ribbed by shipmates about femine hygene products and procedures might not be that welcomed. Sleeping within 8" of men on the bunk above or below you, knowing that some masterbate, might keep her up at night.
Again, I am not sexists, maybe a little old fashion, but I logically see some circumstances that introducing women into can be detrimental to the cause. I know women have been captured in battle. I know they fly everything from fighters to attack helicopters.
Ah, yes. But, I'm unfamiliar with the aircrew that flies for six months straight - or longer.
The problems that women aboard ship, especially in such a small and confined boat like a sub, present to command are two-fold,. First, it's the necessary but problematic segregation of the sexes for berthing purposes. Why do we want to segregate the sexes in the berthing areas? Because if we don't, the crew begins to multiply like bunnies - to say nothing of the corrosive nature of sexual intimacy on morale and discipline amongst the crew.
And, to build upon the "bunnies" problems, once a female crew member becomes pregnant, they are a liability to the ship and her mission. There's no other way to couch it.