Women 'Soon' Will Serve on Submarines, Navy Secretary Says

American Forces Press Service ^ | John J. Kruzel

[SandRat]

WASHINGTON, Oct. 7, 2009 – Navy Secretary Ray Mabus yesterday said women soon will serve on submarines, suggesting a reversal of the long-standing ban by the Navy.

Appearing on Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” Mabus signaled that the Navy is moving closer to allowing coed personnel on submarines.

“It will take a little while because you’ve got to interview people and you’ve got to be nuclear trained,” he said, referring to prerequisite steps before a sailor is assigned to a submarine.

Officials previously have cited a lack of privacy and the cost of reconfiguring subs as obstacles to allowing female crewmembers to serve aboard the vessels.

But Mabus is one of several top Navy officials recently to call for an end to the policy. The Navy secretary’s comments yesterday amplify his previous endorsement of ending the ban.

“This is something the [chief of naval operations] and I have been working on since I came into office,” Mabus, who was confirmed as Navy secretary in May, said last week. “We are moving out aggressively on this.

“I believe women should have every opportunity to serve at sea, and that includes aboard submarines,” he told reporters following a tour of Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Newport News shipyard.

Navy Adm. Gary Roughead, chief of naval operations, acknowledged that special accommodations would be a factor in the decision, but one that’s not insurmountable.
“Having commanded a mixed-gender surface combatant, I am very comfortable addressing integrating women into the submarine force,” he said in a statement last month. “I am familiar with the issues as well as the value of diverse crews.”

Roughead said he has been personally engaged through the years in the Navy’s debate of the feasibility of assigning women to submarines.

“There are some particular issues with integrating women into the submarine force -- issues we must work through in order to achieve what is best for the Navy and our submarine force,” he said. “This has had and will continue to have my personal attention as we work toward increasing the diversity of our Navy afloat and ashore."

Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, addressed the issue with the Senate Armed Services Committee last month.

“I believe we should continue to broaden opportunities for women,” Mullen is quoted as saying in response to written questions posed by the Senate Armed Services Committee. “One policy I would like to see changed is the one barring their service aboard submarines.”

Mullen, a champion of diversifying the services, said this month that having a military that reflects the demographics of the United States is “a strategic imperative for the security of our country.”

Biographies:
Navy Adm. Mike Mullen
Ray Mabus
Navy Adm. Gary Roughead

Related Articles:
Navy Officials Push for Allowing Women on Submarines

[mylife]

OMG! DOFA’s LoL

[OCCASparky]

As other have noted, they will require special treatment and that means taking the rest of the crews resources. That makes for an unhappy crew.

Yeah, non-qual getting better treatment, not hot-racking, etc., while qualified guys get screwed over. That's gonna go over REAL well. I give the COB and XO of that first boat 90 days before they go over the wall or into the loony bin.

[mylife]

Heyup

[P.O.E.]

Can’t believe this joke hasn’t surfaced yet:

What goes up and down and is full of seamen?

[edge10]

594s always had skids in the torpedo room. They had 5 shitters (including the one in Engine Room Upper Level) and one urinal for 100+ guys (if memory serves). The only way a woman could have a separate toilet is if the officers gave up theirs.

[mylife]

And that is exactly what would happen.
Officers Shower too.

IT would never fly.

[OCCASparky]

Back in the old days ..... I entered E3, E4 after A school, E5 after Nuke school and E6 in 4 1/2.

Not too many of us made PO2 in the pipeline--they tightened up on that, and it was made worse by the fact everyone reenlisted for E-5 under STAR. Hell, when I made it they rated 18 ET2's. But, since everyone got as (at best) E-5, it make putting on E-6 that much easier. Right up to the point where they "combined" rates. I remember taking the CPO exam having had to study QM, RM, and coner ET stuff in addition to my material. Couple that with the fact 1--I was "early" and as such, no more than 10 percent of your CPO selectees could be early (under 11 years), and during the Klintoon years, the number of Chiefs they rated dropped like a rock, you can see why I read the writing on the wall and got out after 11 1/2.

[OCCASparky]

The only time we ever had skids in the Torpedo Room on my second boat (a 637) was when we had spooks/riders on board.

[Pan_Yan]

Must be a west coast thing. I can assure you I never participated in DOFA. As for doing the electric slide in ‘Club Horseshoe’ that’s a different matter. We had been under the ice too long.

[ColdWater]

I got my E-6 in early 73. I think I was the only one in my rating.

[OCCASparky]

Poor guy. Then again, Westpac ain’t nearly as fun anymore since the PI went bye-bye. Island Girls, tacos and lumpia at Via’s. San Miguel, Bullfrog, and Mojo. The memories of a misspent youth—well, what little I can remember, anyway.

[50cal Smokepole]

I believe you. I was being a smartass. Again.
I agree that it’s a BAD idea.

[screaminsunshine]

Bow Dance?

[ColdWater]

Poor guy. Then again, Westpac ain’t nearly as fun anymore since the PI went bye-bye. Island Girls, tacos and

I went back to Hong Kong in 2000. All the old places had turned into Filipina clubs.

[OCCASparky]

Ouch. I felt bad for my detailer. One of the hardest billets to fill was ET1 on a fast boat, because by that time they’ve already done their first sea/shore rotation and if they didn’t like their orders, usually just got the hell out. I did 8 years at sea before I got to my first shore command—recruiting. Talk about a wakeup call.

[snowsislander]

The Kenyan Clown intends to destroy our military.

[mylife]

When the cookies get passed around, “and they will” Thats gonna make matters even worse. (did you bring enough for all of us?)

Crew cohesiveness will plummet

[ColdWater]

They told me that if re-upped after six I could get my choice of assignments. As long as it began with SSN-.

[mylife]

When they asked me to reup after 6, I told my OIC..

Well I’d be kicked off the board if I spelled it out L0L

Believe me it was colorful

[mylife]

Thats a prob with subs.

Punch holes in the ocean or teach for an entire career