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.
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."
More HERE.
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."
More HERE.
G.I. Jane, with all the trimmins...
ReplyDeleteI like a woman that can almost take me...
ReplyDeleteWhite wine tonight huh? maybe kalua & milk.
ReplyDelete6:17...you're simple!!! LOL
ReplyDeleteAlmost, heck that horse shoes and hand granades...
ReplyDeleteStop acting like a "simpleton" I havent heard that in at least 31 years.
ReplyDelete36 years.
ReplyDeleteThey would beat me, I needed it.
ReplyDeleteI know it "sounds" like the right thing. Mixing does not work well from my experience though.
ReplyDeleteWhat people say and what happens with people are not the same.
Live and learn.
ReplyDeleteI'm a woman and personally I think it's a bad idea! Don't put a woman going through menapause and having hot flashes on a sub! That would be catastrophic!
ReplyDeleteToo much testosterone and hormones in a confined area for months at a time, therefore, not a good idea. These young sailors away from home with lots of energy to burn will be too tempted.....their brain will be not be in their head where it's supposed to be!! And to the person who mentioned women being menopausal........where have you been?? These young sailor's are too young for that!!
ReplyDeleteBad, Bad idea. This is why the divorce rate in the military is high.
ReplyDeleteGood grief it'll be like an ongoing episode of the LoveBoat. I as a woman disagree with the decision. I hope they know what they are doing :(
ReplyDeleteI remember being told that a submarine arrived in port and as the submariners came ashore,a beautiful red headed woman climbed out of the sub. Spectators standing ashore said "That's illegal,how did she get in there?" The crew answered,
ReplyDelete"Who would tell?"