Posted on 02/27/2010 9:04:30 AM PST by ConservativeStatement
The long-standing ban on stationing female sailors in submarines is about to become a thing of the past. This week the Pentagon sent a letter to lawmakers telling them of this change in Navy policy, adding that the first female officers will probably start appearing on nuclear submarines by next year.
This is one more step forward for women in the military, although the ban on females serving in certain combat positions still remains intact. Women now make up some 15 percent of the all-volunteer services, and have become crucial to keeping the nation’s military operational.
(Excerpt) Read more at bostonherald.com ...
This woman has obviously never been on a Navy ship underway on an extended cruise. She is clueless.
If the female is on a continuous birth control pill, you’ve eliminated about 90% of your concerns. No periods, no PMS.
And the biggie I forgot: no pregnancy.
I’m not advocating females on submarines, by the way. Just eliminating those concerns.
12. How far does the sound of a newly-pregnant sailor retching with morning sickness travel underwater? How do you rig such a person for “silent running” ?
The availability of water on the boat depends on what the boat is doing....during quiet ops, the water making equipment is secured. There were plenty of times when we were underway when the showers were secured to conserve water.
BTW...submarine showers are non-water running showers....you only have the water running enough to rinse. And yes, you can get in trouble for taking a long shower. I, on the other hand, got to take all the long showers I wanted-—’cause I made the water.
I didn’t expect my comment to provoke such strong reactions. Allow me to expand on my comments, and if I am wrong, please let me know specifically what is wrong. Don’t just call me inaccurate or idiotic or ridiculous and leave it at that. Educate me on my errors.
First, I am not saying I agree with women being on subs, I was just commenting on what would happen if they were and one turned up pregnant.
My first hand experience is limited to a three day Tiger Cruise along the Atlantic Seaboard in the Boise. My son is a submariner, though, and I have a limited understanding of what goes on during a deployment based on what he has told me through the years. My knowledge is further limited to attack subs; boomers operate differently.
Maybe a little knowledge is dangerous. But I do know that attack submarines make scheduled stops during a six month deployment. They can carry only enough food to last about six weeks. I have been told by my son that if there is an immediate need for a sailor to get off the boat, they will meet up with the nearest surface ship. He also told me there is only one person on the sub with limited medical experience. I believe that person is called an Independent Duty Corpsman (IDC).
My speculation about what would happen is based on the premise that a woman who turns up pregnant would be in the very early stages of pregnancy. This would allow sufficient time to make arrangements to get her off the sub at the next scheduled port call. But if something happened that required immediate attention while the boat was in the middle of the ocean, they would have to meet up with the nearest surface ship.
Saganite asked “I wonder if the Subs will have to surface or put in to offload their preggies?” If those of you calling me wildly and dangerously inaccurate, ridiculous, or an idiot still don’t agree with my answer, please let me know what I have wrong.
Here is where you run off the rails. The US Navy should never be in a position where it has to worry about a pregnant sailor, ever. No need to read on. Get it? Women have no place on a warship of any kind. The whole premise is silly. To go beyond that is to give the whole idea "legs". Bad thing.....
As general information, most emergency personnel transfers from a submarine are done via a helo and a harness from the fairwater planes or maybe the missile deck on a ballistic missile submarine. Of course it wouldn’t be done this way if the medical condition of the transferee prevents this method. Bringing a submarine into port to transfer personnel means there is an extended hole in the sub’s mission and it is highly unlikely another resource is available to take its place.
Only ballistic missile submarines have two crews. Fast attack submarines have one crew. Crewman do not cross train to do every job on a sub. A sonarman is a sonarman and a cook is a cook. Submarine personnel are required to have a basic understanding of the submarine and all are required to do some tasks like rig the sub for dive. Most non-nucs also all are trained as helmsman and on the dive planes.
I also said it’s not an issue for the Navy anymore. They have learned to deal with the disruption.
Pregnancies afloat affect the readiness of a warship and pregnancies afloat are a real problem because you lose a significant percentage of the women aboard any ship during any cruise. Those women occupy important positions and have critical war fighting skills. Replacing them is a burden. But like I said, we’ve adapted to the PC necessities of keeping the feminist wing of the political parties placated, even at the expense of weakening our readiness.
Quite frequently there is no nearby surface ship. The mission of a ballistic missile submarine is strategic deterence. They bore hole in the water a 4 knots in the middle of the ocean. When there hear a surface vessel on sonar, they turn the other way. If a US Navy surface vessle is close by, it is likely just in transit to somewhere elese.
Fast attack subs can support surface vessels and may be in close proximity to US Navy vessels. They also perform loe wolf type operations such as special operations (spying) and are not even close to US Navy surface vessels (maybe the surface vessels of other countries).
Because women never lie about rape? Women never overreact?
Glad my husband got out.
Q: What’s long, round, hard, and full of seamen?
A: A submarine! (Now with seawomen too!)
I'm literally bouncing between the urge to laugh my ass off and to be deeply saddened that a human could be that stupid and obtuse. ((c) Tom Daschole)
From Military.com
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.
A better question would be how many lives will be lost down the line because of this.
I don’t see how they can mod the 688s. Maybe Convert 9-man and add a head and shower? For those e-6 and below there is only 3 cans, 1 urinal, and 3 showers.
Female Officers on 688 could work. There’s space and a lockable head.
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