Article: Women To Begin Serving On Navy Subs

My 2 cents

Currently the U.S. Army has 2 standards for just about everything. I have always felt that there should be just 1 standard. Hold all soldiers to the same standard and open all branches to women.
 
HokieMSG said:
Currently the U.S. Army has 2 standards for just about everything. I have always felt that there should be just 1 standard. Hold all soldiers to the same standard and open all branches to women.
Click to expand...

I'll be honest...I disagree. There are some places that I don't want a woman serving next to my husband. Not because of jealousy or anything like that but because if my husband gets shot I don't think a woman could carry him to safety. I'm all for women's rights but there are just some things we cannot do because of the way we are built.:sorry:
 
AmericanSweetheart said:
I'll be honest...I disagree. There are some places that I don't want a woman serving next to my husband. Not because of jealousy or anything like that but because if my husband gets shot I don't think a woman could carry him to safety. I'm all for women's rights but there are just some things we cannot do because of the way we are built.:sorry:
Click to expand...

If the women could pass the male standards that would not be a problem. I realize your concern, and to be honest, I agree with you. I use the single standard argument to see where people stand. Maybe I'm a sexist but IMHO I feel that since it is men who start the wars it should be men who fight them. War is a dirty, nasty business and I think women should be kept from it. Not that they are not capable of doing it. Women can create and nurture life, whereas all men can do is build and destroy things. Here comes the outrage.
 
The article left out details. Women will be placed in the Ohio-class Trident -'boomers' only and there will only be three female officers. They will use one space normally occupied by three male officers, three bunks to a room and minimal storage spaces. How the bathroom and shower situation will work still needs to be figured out.
In the future, modifications (construction changes) to the USS Virginia Class subs will be made to accommodate a few more women including enlisted women. The '688' class subs will remain all male because when it sails from port, a fair percentage of the cargo is stored on the sides of hallways and, every little cubby hole to be found! Simply stated, there is no way to segregate a segment of the crew, officers and enlisted personnel.
If the USN was willing to shorten the length of the cruise from sixty days down to say forty-five days, less cargo would be required and, modifications to the construction could be made and a segregated arrangement could be made for berthing. Whereas the Los Angeles Class subs are being retired, I don't foresee this happening.

The Article
Female sailors still cannot serve in the elite SEAL program, because those are considered frontline combat unit positions.
Click to expand...
While some women could handle some parts of physical training, other parts of training such as being able swim a quarter mile while towing a fellow SEAL loaded with full combat gear could not be done.

The US Navy did a study after the USS Stark was hit by two Exocet Missiles and the USS Samuel Roberts hit a sea mine, to find out what would be the effects of a crew having less YOUNG men (the eighteen to twenty-seven year olds). The results showed at least one and possibly both ships would have sunk without the large number of young men. The strength and in particular the endurance of young men was a telling difference after eighteen hours of constant struggle to save the ships. The results were not widely published because it was not politically correct in the 1990s.
 
HokieMSG said:
If the women could pass the male standards that would not be a problem. I realize your concern, and to be honest, I agree with you. I use the single standard argument to see where people stand. Maybe I'm a sexist but IMHO I feel that since it is men who start the wars it should be men who fight them. War is a dirty, nasty business and I think women should be kept from it. Not that they are not capable of doing it. Women can create and nurture life, whereas all men can do is build and destroy things. Here comes the outrage.
Click to expand...

I agree.
 
I've read some comments from some submariners who feel its an overall bad idea.

Service on subs is pretty unique in itself and requires people who can handle that.

Adding more unique considerations and complications is not going to have a positive effect.
 
Re: Women To Begin Serving On Navy Subs

Wallabies said:
I think the main reason they did it was because of manning shortages.
Click to expand...
So much of America's efforts to sexually integrate the military comes from the reality of a shortage of needed personnel. There simply not enough young men volunteering into the military services.
As far as men starting wars, women do a pretty good job of leading their countries in war... Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Golda Meir, etc. As for men getting countries into wars, they tend to fight for freedom, protection of women (rape prevention) and, families.
 
Nah from what I hear from hear recruiting numbers are pretty high, particularlly in the Navy and USAF, jobs are drying up as both male and females are flooding those services big time.
 
Yea I from what I hear the sub surface warfare componet is running tighter crews, seemingly a less attractive side of the Navy even with the recent influx of new sailors joining on.
 
(If) Once our military can appropriately accommodate (I said appropriately) women for all positions, I think we would be much better off. Of course, that's not to imply lowering the standards for them, just for certain complications to be resolved to allow them to serve where they qualify.
 
doing the job

We have women in our subs, not many but from what i've been told they can do the job. also i've been told not to bother asking them out for a date cause they usually play for the other team or they r the subs morale officer. Not sexest just been given a heads up.
 
Re: Women To Begin Serving On Navy Subs

ozzy said:
We have women in our subs, not many but from what i've been told they can do the job.
Click to expand...
How long are your patrols? The USN the last I heard has seventy-seven day patrols. In a tense world situation, I can foresee the length of cruises edging up towards the ninety day mark.
 
Well also tie into account attributes to future arms reductions and tighter Congressional fiscal years, more expensive vessels to replace aging attack boats,that may affect the length of crews cruises, especially with fewer boats to cover the same areas.
 
Wallabies said:
No, just quiet amusement. Are you from Alabama?
Click to expand...

Nope. Born in NJ. Though I traveled a lot growing up [Navy Brat], I have settled in Virginia.

I was raised to respect all people. Women were called the fairer sex for a reason. My wife of 20 years has said that all womens lib has done for women is give them permission to act like men. Women tend to have a civilizing influence on men, but too many girls these days do not respect themselves. Mom and Dad loved and respected each other and for that reason they stayed married, in spite of the 80% divorce rate common to submariners.

My father was a submariner on the Simon Bolivar and the Sam Rayburn. (Both Blue Crew). I think he would have taken issue with this. Most of their patrols were 90 day nuke deterrent. Don't think there would have been a way to accomodate women on extended patrols back then and I certainly do not want to comment (not having served aboard a sub).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top