In all courtesy it is NOT sexist to point out that what are wonderful biological differences do not lend themselves well to specific tasks that must be performed by every crew member without exception. These tasks and redundant command functions have been rigorously studied, reviewed, revised, practiced, graded, and drilled to the point where a crew member does them without regard to self. Females within modern physical parameters cannot perform those tasks the same as men. I say parameters because there are size limitations for submarine service (obviating the potential for say a 6’5” female shotput medalist). These are demonstrable and demonstrated facts, and trying to accommodate this for reasons of “social justice” is simply unacceptable in a vessel designed and conceived to deliver massive destruction from an undetected position and with the practiced capability to deliver the same again from another location. Perhaps an understanding of the kind of abuse submariners have faced in the past and the present from fellow Sailors, Marines,Army, Air Force and even Coast Guard (how about this one—”all queers”— and they are NOT)might help. Submariners are screened incidentally, against such behavioural dangers to operational readiness, whereas a woman could not be screened out not to be... a woman or for that matter a man not to be.. a man. This interaction and many others have been tested by several real navies- and they do not have mixed or even all female crews. I would say that it should be out of respect for women that they not be placed in such a situation, and thus place our war fighting readiness in jeopardy. The woman who runs a Predator drone and takes out an al-Qaeda leader from a base in Arizona is a heroine in my book. She doesn’t belong, however on a US submarine. It is an environment that cannot be compared to anything else.
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.