Posted on 09/24/2009 4:37:19 PM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld
Women should be allowed to serve aboard America's fleet of nuclear submarines, the nation's top military officer, Adm. Michael Mullen, quietly has told the Senate Armed Services Committee.
If the Navy agrees to it, this would be a huge policy change and potentially a significant expansion of career opportunities for female officers and sailors.
Women have been barred by Navy policy from submarines, even as the sea service began 15 years ago to integrate females into other seagoing combat roles including aboard surface warships and in fighter jets.
Mullen, former chief of naval operations and a career surface warfare officer, made his position on submarines known in written responses to questions from the committee to prepare for Mullen's confirmation hearing to serve a second two-year term as chairman of the Joint Chiefs.
"As an advocate for improving the diversity of our force, I believe we should continue to broaden opportunities for women. One policy I would like to see changed is the one barring their service aboard submarines," Mullen told senators.
Opponents of lifting the ban have argued for decades that space is at a premium on submarines. To accommodate privacy needs of females, including separate berthing and "heads" or toilet/shower facilities, would be "prohibitively expensive," Navy has argued. Watch duty, bunk management, extra supplies and incidents of fraternization and harassment would complicate submarine life, according to one study done for the Navy in 1994.
No senator actually raised the female submariner issue with Mullen during his Sept. 15 confirmation hearing. The focus was Afghanistan and Iraq. And Navy officials had no immediate comment on Mullen's position.
(Excerpt) Read more at military.com ...
Forgot the /s.
I was a training NCO for a National Guard FA firing battery. No women. I went to a school one time and a guy from Missouri who had a similar job to mine but with an MP company told me that the two biggest problems he had in his unit, I didn’t have either one: women and, errr, “minorities”. Well, he didn’t exactly say “minorities” but you can use your imagination.
Morale gear.
Note: Hot racking is the practice of having 3 sailors share two bunks (racks). It works because one of the 3 is always on duty. It is necessary (at least on older boats) because there are more crew than bunks.
Women should NOT be on subs as they are usually full of seamen
They already do Navair. Subs are more than a little different.
Forty years ago, Teddy served briefly in an undersea command off the coast of Martha's Vinyard.
Oh Hell, why not just hire a dozen prostitutes and put them in special quarters on a sub. That would satisfy everyone but NOW.
We all serve on a ladies’ submarine,
Ladies’ submarine,
Ladies’ submarine
Subs are a tough nut. Morale is very important. I honestly don’t think I’d want to see the male/female dynamic at work in these subs.
Of course career opportunities are every so much more important than military preparedness and national security, so we can look for this in days...
I agree
No it's not.
Why dont we go to unmanned Subs and staff them with Bunny Rabbits? After each Sub Mission we could feed all of China with the bumper crop of Bunnys coming off the Sub prior to the arrival of the next crew? This idea is Bonkers!
{{{PING}}}
Make a hole! Make it wide! The casserole is done!
I wonder how that would work? They can barely stuff the food on board for those long trips... how are they going to find space for women washrooms, and sleeping quarters? Some of the beds allow only inches, where boobs won’t fit.
Well, we have love boats on the sea might as well have them underwater.
Pathetic.
They even have naval uniforms for pregnant sailors.
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