Posted on 12/09/2012 10:05:12 AM PST by Salman
For the last century all fully-qualified submarine officers have been men. But that all changed when two women were honored with their Navy dolphin pins.
The ceremony on Wednesday at Naval Base Kitsap was a graduation day of sorts with crowds, caps, and uniforms.
From a cluster of colleagues, two female crew members of the USS Maine ballistic missile submarine were called front and center for a designation that made them qualified submariners. The two junior lieutenants were among the first three women in the submarine force's 112-year history to get their dolphins.
"This is the mark where your command puts their confidence in you," said Lieutenant junior grade Jennifer Noonan.
Fellow submariner Lieutenant junior grade Amber Cowan also got her pin and said she was thrilled.
"I'm a little bit in shock I think," she said.
Cowan, a University of Washington graduate, and Noonan, a Boston native, each reported to the USS Maine nearly one year ago after completing 15 months of nuclear power school and rigorous training.
Now, they're officially part of the team.
"They really become like a family more than just the people you work with every day," said Noonan.
The next group of female submariners will begin arriving at boats in January. That's when they'll begin their training toward earning their own dolphin pins.
Pull this thing over right now! I need to pee ...
I’ll bite. Is that pic for real?
I personally do NOT like it or ‘approve’ BUT if they went through the same tests, mental AND physical, passed all their Quals etc fine.
My gut tells me some corners were cut here.
Now for all those that are predicting ‘instant doom’, they have been aboard for 15 months and it would be hard to believe they ‘kept it in tact’ till they got their dolphins.
If they ‘earned’ them going through the same routine as their male counterparts, they are to be congratulated.
I personally ‘blew my head up’ in the 105’ free ascent tank and was thereby disqualified from Submarine Service so I may be a tad ‘envious’ here - even though I understand they haven’t done the ‘blow and go’ for many a moon now.
Soviet designed and built "Typhoon" Type nuclear submarine as it wafts along a beach in Severodvinsk in the White Sea. Really amazing to see this monster (worlds largest submarine until 2010), so close to a public beach.
Well, if Dick Sargent could serve, what's the problem?
What you are saying is we will have more than submarines swimming around down there? LOL
and if they are having sexual relations with crew members, those not getting it will not be happy either...
it's a case of do they bring something needed and positive to the efficiency and well being and of the running the boat or is it just another social experiment
In the 90s it was the l.y. spear.
for later
This is about as stupid as those bubble headed women that actually go out on a football field and interview the coach. Stupidity reigns!
“In the 90s it was the l.y. spear.”
I am retired Navy and spent many years recruiting. A female I put in was assigned to that ship and told me how it was. According to her, the CO and XO were totally upfront about what they wanted from their attractive female sailors.
Another was the USS Lexington. The wrinkle there, even in the 90s, was it was all lesbians. Straight women were pressured to join in. For someone to complain they had to go through the master chief of the command. From what I was told, the MC was the lesbian ring leader.
They’ve been going down, working their way to the top.....
it’s not a case if they can pass a test but more of a case of morale.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Don’t get me wrong.
I understand all that and I am against women in combat, mixed crews on ships etc. BUT if it is going to happen - like civilian police and fire departments - don’t jeopardize the lives of others just to prove a point.
These ‘social engineers’ don’t have a clue as to real life.
They think they can put a bunch of young virile lads and lasses on a ship - I don’t care how big or small - and everything will be hunky dory.
Then they DEMAND people get punished when they act like you already suspect they are going to act.
Poor but like example....Judge Judy tries cracking jokes and make cute remarks during her cases BUT when the audience laughs she gets upset.
What color would subs be repainted?
Which means we hope that we can absorb this blow and minimize the damage that it will cause.
This will hurt us, as all of these advances by the left against the military, do.
We gain zero.
The biggest I have been around are the LA class and they seemed huge. What a monster!
Pink comes to mind first, of course it could end painted like the Rain-Bow flag given the end of D.A.D.T.
pink coes to ming
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