Posted on 02/26/2010 4:44:12 PM PST by SandRat
WASHINGTON, Feb. 26, 2010 – Female sailors will begin serving on submarines by the end of next year, with Naval Academy graduates leading the way, Navy leaders told a Senate committee yesterday.
Navy Secretary Ray Mabus told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the Navy is in a good position to move forward with integrating women onto submarines.
“We think we learned a lot about integrating women in the services years ago, and those lessons are relevant today,” Mabus said. Those lessons, he said, include having a “critical mass” of female candidates, having senior women to serve as mentors, and having submarines that don’t require modifications: the SSBN ballistic missile and SSGN guided-missile subs.
Finally, Mabus said, “We have the lesson learned to make sure any questions are answered, … and we’re very open and transparent on how we’ll do this. We think this is a great idea that will enhance our warfighting capabilities.”
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates notified Congress on Feb. 19 of the intended change to Navy policy. Mabus had pushed for the change since taking office in May. Adm. Gary Roughead, chief of naval operations, endorsed the change, saying in a statement released in September that his experience commanding a mixed-gender surface-combatant ship makes him “very comfortable” integrating women into the submarine force. The Navy changed its policy to allow women to serve on combatant ships in 1993.
“We have a great plan, and we’re ready to go for the first women to come aboard in late 2011,” Roughead told the Senate committee yesterday. In a prepared statement to the committee, he said the change would enable the submarine force “to leverage the tremendous talent and potential of our female officers and enlisted personnel.”
Besides the incoming officers from the academy, the first women submariners will include female supply corps officers at the department head level, Roughead said. The change will be phased in over time to include enlisted female sailors on the SSBN and SSGNs, he said. Women will be added to the Navy’s SSN fast-attack submarines after necessary modifications can be determined, he said.
“This initiative has my personal attention, and I will continue to keep you informed as we integrate these highly motivated and capable officers into our submarine force,” Roughead told the committee.
How about this one, to boot (bad german pun)— the toilets don’t have toilet seats..you know so they won’t fall down and make a sound.. so line up ladies for a damp event. They do have pissers vs. full commodes. Unless I’m missing a trick.
They have and they are purposefully ignoring the results. When in doubt, ask the Israelis.
Thank you for the information. It didn’t sound like a good idea but in Kansas with no experience with the Navy, what I presume to know isn’t the same thing as knowing.
Gonna put you on report, soldier! Maybe these women just like a certain type of sandwich!
Women have been serving in the U.S. military since WWII, haven't they? But it's fairly new where they're put "on the front lines," what I may be mistakenly describing as combat positions or with combat units.
You may disagree with me here, I don't know, but I just hate to see women on carriers for the sole reason that their being there ruins what should and would be a unique, valuable growing experience for young men who join the Navy. Four years of being in an all-male working/disciplined/military/macho environment would have to be very, very healthy and valuable to any young man entering adulthood, ESPECIALLY today when so many good, wonderful young men are confused because they were essentially raised by single moms in a situation where their father's authority as disciplinarian was either removed by the courts or never there to begin with (that's a whole 'nother talk show).
I had the privilege of getting a pretty in-depth tour of one of our U.S. Navy's nuclear carriers a few years ago, and met many of the co-ed crew on the tour. I felt so sad, so sorry, that those young men were being robbed of what should have been a very special experience, made common and dare I say, community-college-like, with the co-ed approach.
THAT is one major reason I really object to women on Navy ships. It's just a sh*tty thing to do to the boys who are struggling to become men among men. It robs them of that chance and puts them back in an adolescent environment.
But of course, the most crucial reason to object to women in any fighting capacity is because the dynamics that naturally go on between men and women will guarandamnteed make for a weaker fighting force; an all-male combat unit with similary weaponry will whip a co-ed combat unit's ass. Women by nature will do nothing but distract from the mission at hand, as you so eloquently put it. Personally, I see this move, along with the move to end the "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the military (sorry, but Dick Cheney is ALL WRONG on this), as a deliberate attempt to sabotage our military's effectiveness on the part of traitors enabled by the Obama administration.
From your screen name, I would expect more than a little misogyny exists in the “biker” world, no? From what I understand there are even terms for bike parts that are at the very least misogynistic. Probably get it a lot from the rough tough dentists in leather on weekends. Who the hell else can afford a harley?
Gave me goose bumps! Is there a book “Blind Man’s Bluff”?
Here is the skinny. Most Women are a distraction to the mission among swinging dicks. That’s not a bad reflection on the women or the men. It just is.
But then there is another factor, most gals are hardwired to want security and socially they have been trained to want men to do the hard stuff so that they can “feel” protected.
I honestly don’t mean this as degrading to women, but have you ever seen a gal changing the tire on the side of a freeway? They just wont do it. They will stand there and try to look pretty or hopeless or what ever, hoping a Man comes by and bails them out before they will take care of the situation themselves.
I know women are capable of doing this job and they often do difficult stuff all the time “alone”
But social dynamics make men and women stupid.
I have seen women on U2 programs that work on the ground crew and are worthless because they can “get away with it” in that atmosphere, And I have seen Woman U2 pilots that are fine because they have the “you are on your own attitude”
Submarines are an odd thing. I cant quite explain it.
That U2 pilot has the luxury of solitude.
Submariners do not.
They have seats. I have taped them down LoL
I will, thanks! Now you, kick yourself in the butt. You need it.
Yup.
Read it. It is a mix of true and story’s at the horse and cow, I wont say which is which.
some of it is a bit dry.
http://www.amazon.com/Blind-Mans-Bluff-Submarine-Espionage/dp/1891620088
Why, because I don’t think like you???? I can live with that.
Or is all of your experience gained from watching Star Trek?
Quite a lot actually since I was a Warfare Officer in the RAN and I still go to sea on them in my current job.
You might want to listen to people with experience before opening your mouth (or placing fingers to keyboard in this case).
Hey!!!! Have you been spying on me, bub? ;^)
Absolutely, that is so true! And tender-hearted men almost always show up to help. On the flip side, that "woman's touch" in a home, in ways of cleanliness, tidiness, loving care, TLC, and maybe a home-made apple pie or home-cooked meal made with affection, is something men aren't hard-wired to provide for themselves, and they get depressed and lonely and bitter without them. Married men live longer for a reason.
So for all the times kind, tender-hearted men have helped me out ... I hope I have equally provided them with a little (non-physical!!!) love and psycholgical female affection and admiration, a good housecleaning, a warm meal, a kind word, a sympathetic ear. We have our different jobs to do and I want you to know how much I appreciate you guys out there who come to our rescue ... and I pray that when you're in need, a kind woman will come to yours.
Thanks!
It is a deliberate attempt to sabotage the military.
Why repeal “dont ask dont tell” and add this “skirts on submarines” thing while we are fighting 2 wars?
The military has always been a fore runner of social trends but Now is not the time for this foolishness and there are some jobs where it will never work.
I have seen just in recent years the double standard of women saying flat out they are gonna put their boot up yer ass to a man and then 5 min later flirting with the same guy to get him to do a job they dont like.
And they play it to extremes on both ends.
On a Sub you are gonna get called out for double standards.
And your gonna get called out hard
There can be NO double standards on a sub. Unit cohesion will be sacrificed.
Royal Australian- well they made the mistake of women in subs.. and lot’s will talk to you about it.
Yep, and sadly you’ll live without much respect or companionship from real men. You failed your good Pop, he didn’t fail you. You insult, degrade, and disrespect men and delude yourself that those are the signs of a strong woman. No, those are the signs of a bitter woman.
Its a good give and take.
Amen!
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