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US Navy lifts ban on women in submarines: officials
AFP ^ | 2/23/2010 | AFP

Posted on 02/23/2010 4:37:04 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld

The US navy has decided to allow women to serve on submarines, Pentagon officials said on Tuesday, ending one of the last all-male bastions in the American military.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates approved the recommendation and sent letters to Congress on Monday informing lawmakers of the plan, officials said.

Navy Secretary Ray Mabus and Admiral Gary Roughead, chief of naval operations, had briefed Gates on the change and "he's endorsed it and sent it on to Congress," press secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters.

Lawmakers have 30 days to comment on the move before it goes into effect, officials said.

American women can already serve on the Navy's fleet of warships and fly fighter aircraft but nuclear-powered subs have remained off limits.

US naval officers previously cited the extremely tight quarters of a submarine as the main reason for the prohibition, but those who favor lifting the ban say subs could be outfitted with separate berths and bathrooms.

The decision calls for "a phased approach to assigning women on submarines," said a defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

One option under consideration would to first allow female officers to serve on submarines, the official told AFP.

That approach would involve less sweeping change as officers already have separate quarters from enlisted service members, the official said.

The first group of female officers selected for the duty would have to attend special training for submarines and for nuclear-powered vessels that takes more than a year, the official added.

Top military officer Admiral Mike Mullen first called for the change in written testimony to Congress last year, saying he wanted to "continue to broaden opportunities for women" in the armed forces.

(Excerpt) Read more at google.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: agenda; americanmilitary; bho44; bhodod; cluelessindc; mikemullen; militarywomen; moralabsolutes; pentagon; robertgates; socialexperiment; submarine; usnavy; women
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To: RinaseaofDs

We always went to watch the Submarine Races and there was a lot of participation back then! Doing “IT” inside a Real Submarine is really gone to prove a Blast!


61 posted on 02/23/2010 5:15:56 PM PST by True Republican Patriot (May GOD Continue to BLESS Our Great President George W. Bush!!)
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To: CharlesThe Hammer

FUBAR is a great name for the next nuclear submarine that has a woman crew, because that is what they will be.

Long Live the USS FUBAR!

“Up your periscope. Full ramming speed”!


62 posted on 02/23/2010 5:16:11 PM PST by MadMax, the Grinning Reaper
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To: sonofstrangelove

Well, I’m not politically correct.

Women have no place in the military. Yeah, they are smart, on the whole maybe smarter than men.

What society sends it’s women out to fight?


63 posted on 02/23/2010 5:17:33 PM PST by Bryan24 (When in doubt, move to the right..........)
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To: OldDeckHand

“Something doesn’t smell right, there. Entered service during the height of the Vietnam war, never sets a foot in-country, yet only serves 24 months and leaves a JG. Not possible.”

Politics.


64 posted on 02/23/2010 5:18:06 PM PST by ought-six ( Multiculturalism is national suicide, and political correctness is the cyanide capsule.)
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To: Bryan24

“What society sends it’s women out to fight?”

An emasculated one.


65 posted on 02/23/2010 5:19:54 PM PST by ought-six ( Multiculturalism is national suicide, and political correctness is the cyanide capsule.)
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To: All

The day females wear the crossed rifles on their uniforms and light blue cord is the day we are done....


66 posted on 02/23/2010 5:21:36 PM PST by Molon Labbie
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To: sonofstrangelove

IDIOCY!! The LIBERALS will get us ALL killed!


67 posted on 02/23/2010 5:31:37 PM PST by Ann Archy (Abortion,,,,,,the Human Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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To: Ann Archy
Liberals are a menace.
68 posted on 02/23/2010 5:33:02 PM PST by ErnstStavroBlofeld ("I have learned to use the word "impossible" with the greatest caution."-Dr.Wernher Von Braun)
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To: Squantos

Ensign Brandy!! YIKES!


69 posted on 02/23/2010 5:33:36 PM PST by Ann Archy (Abortion,,,,,,the Human Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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To: sonofstrangelove; informavoracious; larose; RJR_fan; Prospero; Conservative Vermont Vet; ...
+

Freep-mail me to get on or off my pro-life and Catholic List:

Add me / Remove me

Please ping me to note-worthy Pro-Life or Catholic threads, or other threads of general interest.

70 posted on 02/23/2010 5:35:37 PM PST by narses ("lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi")
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To: ought-six

AMEN!! Just like Israel USED to have great FIGHTERS....NO MORE.


71 posted on 02/23/2010 5:36:16 PM PST by Ann Archy (Abortion,,,,,,the Human Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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To: Ann Archy; wardaddy

Oh yeah.....used to be when ya came home a girlfriend or wife (or both) would ask whats that smell ?.......ya explained it was Aimee, the product they use in in air scrubbers.

Now it’ll get ya slapped and hot bunkin with the dog !


72 posted on 02/23/2010 5:45:02 PM PST by Squantos (Be polite. Be professional. But have a plan to kill everyone you meet)
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To: JennysCool

You beat me to it.


73 posted on 02/23/2010 5:55:34 PM PST by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country! What else needs said?)
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To: ought-six
The USSR benefited very well from the the service of women during WWII. But then again we know a little something about Russian women of that day.
74 posted on 02/23/2010 6:03:21 PM PST by oyez ( damnant quod non intelligunt)
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To: MadMax, the Grinning Reaper

Wait’ll the rump wranglers report aboard.


75 posted on 02/23/2010 6:06:21 PM PST by onedoug
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To: Squantos

Scrubbers will also have to be redesigned to handle hormonal secretions in the recirculated air. Has there been a study done to qualify and quantify the ramifications of no such design?

Psychologically, how will this adversely effect spouses upon deployment of their loved ones aboard a Boomer.

Not to mention the series of new ‘Boomer’ jokes likely to crop up.


76 posted on 02/23/2010 6:11:51 PM PST by Cvengr (Adversity in life and death is inevitable. Thru faith in Christ, stress is optional.)
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To: sonofstrangelove
Let me guess, on the sub you don’t lose your girlfriend you lose your turn.
77 posted on 02/23/2010 6:13:36 PM PST by TBall
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To: oyez
The USSR benefited very well from the the service of women during WWII.

From what I have read, once the propaganda need was over the Russians said never again, that it was a nightmare and not effective.

78 posted on 02/23/2010 6:42:05 PM PST by ansel12 (Social liberal politicians in the GOP are easy for the left to turn, why is that?)
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To: sonofstrangelove
whats the over and under for the first knock up on the lovesubs???
79 posted on 02/23/2010 8:17:32 PM PST by Chode (American Hedonist *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
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To: rbosque

‘In 1983 I was in the Navy and was put in a group and asked about this possibility. Two people stood up and said, “what difference do our opinions make?”

‘They were right. They’re going to do what they’re going to do.’

Wow, they could say the same thing at so many “public comment” sessions and in so many Letters to the Editor sections.

The old Communist workers’ joke is “They pretend to pay us and we pretend to work!”

In our flailing republic, we pretend to participate, and they pretend to respect us.


80 posted on 02/23/2010 8:56:34 PM PST by Dumb_Ox (http://twitter.com/kevinjjones)
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