Women on submarines

bobchase · 09-28-09, 08:39 PM

Unlike Steve's April Fools joke...this time it may be real.

Bob

Military may lift ban on women in submarines

Mon Sep 28, 2009 10:31am EDT
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Top Pentagon officials are calling for an end to the U.S. military's historical ban on allowing women to serve in submarines.
Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the top U.S. military officer, advocated the policy change in written congressional testimony distributed by his office to reporters on Friday.
"I believe we should continue to broaden opportunities for women. One policy I would like to see changed is the one barring (women's) service aboard submarines," Mullen said.
Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said he was "moving out aggressively on this."
"I am very comfortable addressing integrating women into the submarine force," Admiral Gary Roughead, chief of naval operations, said in a statement.
Women account for about 15 percent of the more than 336,000 members of the U.S. Navy and can serve on its surface ships. But critics have argued that submarines are different, pointing to cramped quarters where some crews share beds in shifts.
Nancy Duff Campbell, an advocate for expanding the role of women in the U.S. armed forces, said it would be easy to resolve problems associated with so-called "hot-bunking."
"They say, 'How could we have the women sleeping in the same area as men?'" said Campbell, co-president of the National Women's Law Center (NWLC).
"But they already separate where the officers sleep from the enlisted, so it's not like it can't be done."
Roughead said the problem of sorting out accommodations on the U.S. fleet of 71 submarines was not insurmountable.
Allowing women on submarines would be another step forward in expanding the role of women in the U.S. military. Last year, a woman was promoted to the rank of four-star general for the first time.
Women are still barred from traditional frontline combat roles in the U.S. military. But female soldiers often run the same risks as men in Iraq and Afghanistan, where bombings and other insurgent attacks can happen almost anywhere and target any U.S. unit.
(Reporting by Phil Stewart; editing by Paul Simao)

Thomen · 09-28-09, 09:11 PM

http://subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=156634

Sailor Steve · 09-30-09, 10:03 AM

Wasn't my joke - was Neal's

TLAM Strike · 10-01-09, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Of the 42 countries that operate submarines, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Canada and Australia allow women to serve on them...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...092503385.html

One thing that article dosn't mention is that Norway has also had a Female CO.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solveig_Krey

BTW Norway operates(ed) Kobben class subs which are about the size of the Control Room of a 688 class sub. So the USN should just ask them how they intergaded woman in to the crew, because whatever problems could crop up in something that size they must have delt with them on the first week.

Torvald Von Mansee · 10-19-09, 02:53 AM

Well, I can see it working if the entire crew were female (I don't think it's a good idea to mix genders on warships for reasons which should be self-evident).

In all seriousness, I also wonder if it would be good if an entire crew were having PMS simultaneously due to cycles syncing up.

TLAM Strike · 10-19-09, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Torvald Von Mansee

In all seriousness, I also wonder if it would be good if an entire crew were having PMS simultaneously due to cycles syncing up.

Thats actualy a myth. A womans cycle may be the same as another wormans but thats just random chance. Think of it as the windshield wipers and turn signal on a car, at some point they maybe operating in sync but then they go out of sync.

Onkel Neal · 11-23-09, 08:05 AM

Female mids eager for submarine duty: Up to 7 academy seniors could be among first women aboard

It's creeping up on us.

goldorak · 11-23-09, 08:26 AM

Nice it was time.

Bribarian · 12-17-09, 02:25 AM

with out of control liberalism I wouldn't be surprised to start seeing downies and mothers breastfeeding onboard.

09-28-09, 08:39 PM	#1
bobchase Torpedoman Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Pearland, Texas Posts: 118 Downloads: 21 Uploads: 0	Women on submarines Unlike Steve's April Fools joke...this time it may be real. Bob Military may lift ban on women in submarines Mon Sep 28, 2009 10:31am EDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Top Pentagon officials are calling for an end to the U.S. military's historical ban on allowing women to serve in submarines. Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the top U.S. military officer, advocated the policy change in written congressional testimony distributed by his office to reporters on Friday. "I believe we should continue to broaden opportunities for women. One policy I would like to see changed is the one barring (women's) service aboard submarines," Mullen said. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said he was "moving out aggressively on this." "I am very comfortable addressing integrating women into the submarine force," Admiral Gary Roughead, chief of naval operations, said in a statement. Women account for about 15 percent of the more than 336,000 members of the U.S. Navy and can serve on its surface ships. But critics have argued that submarines are different, pointing to cramped quarters where some crews share beds in shifts. Nancy Duff Campbell, an advocate for expanding the role of women in the U.S. armed forces, said it would be easy to resolve problems associated with so-called "hot-bunking." "They say, 'How could we have the women sleeping in the same area as men?'" said Campbell, co-president of the National Women's Law Center (NWLC). "But they already separate where the officers sleep from the enlisted, so it's not like it can't be done." Roughead said the problem of sorting out accommodations on the U.S. fleet of 71 submarines was not insurmountable. Allowing women on submarines would be another step forward in expanding the role of women in the U.S. military. Last year, a woman was promoted to the rank of four-star general for the first time. Women are still barred from traditional frontline combat roles in the U.S. military. But female soldiers often run the same risks as men in Iraq and Afghanistan, where bombings and other insurgent attacks can happen almost anywhere and target any U.S. unit. (Reporting by Phil Stewart; editing by Paul Simao)

09-30-09, 10:03 AM	#3
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	Wasn't my joke - was Neal's __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

10-19-09, 02:53 AM	#5
Torvald Von Mansee Sea Lord Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: CA4528 Posts: 1,693 Downloads: 3 Uploads: 0	Well, I can see it working if the entire crew were female (I don't think it's a good idea to mix genders on warships for reasons which should be self-evident). In all seriousness, I also wonder if it would be good if an entire crew were having PMS simultaneously due to cycles syncing up. __________________ "You may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you" - Leon Trotsky

11-23-09, 08:05 AM	#7
Onkel Neal Born to Run Silent Join Date: Jan 1997 Location: Cougar Trap, Texas Posts: 21,385 Downloads: 541 Uploads: 224	Female mids eager for submarine duty: Up to 7 academy seniors could be among first women aboard It's creeping up on us. __________________ SUBSIM - 26 Years on the Web

09-28-09, 09:11 PM	#2
Thomen Ace of the Deep Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: West Virginia Posts: 1,207 Downloads: 14 Uploads: 0	http://subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=156634

11-23-09, 08:26 AM	#8
goldorak Admiral Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 2,320 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	Nice it was time.

12-17-09, 02:25 AM	#9
Bribarian Swabbie Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 11 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	with out of control liberalism I wouldn't be surprised to start seeing downies and mothers breastfeeding onboard.