Women On Submarines....It's Official!

So today was the day the Navy has made the announcement Women Will Be On Subs By 2011! So what are my feelings on this? That's a loaded question!

Personally, I think there are female sailors that can and will do the job better than some of the men serving on them now. I believe that the Navy will be smart about this and sent the best of the best to start this transition off. I would never want to work on a submarine. I have been down there, its cramped, smells like dirty boys and "made air." I wouldn't want to be stuck there for six months to call it home. The women who want to do that, More power to ya!!

Are there issues with this? YES!! There will be sailors that do not like this change and will try to make it difficult on the females that come on board. There is SO much tradition in the world of submarines. Things that as a woman I understand but I will never fully appreciate. Spending time with submariners I know they are a rare RARE breed! They love their jobs and take them very serious. They also worked hard to get where they are. They have done things like sleeping next to torpedoes and cooking in the "mess" as the new guy. Its kind of like a coming of age for them. Steps on the ladder to becoming a qualified submariner. Things that they are proud that they have done.

Hot racking is one thing that kind of gets to me on this issue. My husband and many guys before and after him have had to do this. Where they "share" a rack with someone because there aren't enough. Okay, you go work from 6-9 and I will sleep 6-9 then we will switch. (Now, those hours aren't even close because who knows how much sleep they do or don't get.) There can be upwards of a dozen or more guy hot racking. I understand that is why we are trying this out on boomers and GN's first. But that was one of their "stripes" so to speak on their way to becoming a true submariner.

Other thoughts, medical issues. I am concerned for women in this aspect of the job. There isn't a doctor on board that knows how to deal with female medical concerns. I know the Navy is looking into this. But for me its really a concern. What about the female hygiene products? Where will those be disposed? Are they going to make taking medications to not cycle mandatory? Is that safe and are the women willing to do that? What about pregnancy? Is the Navy going to hold the females billet while she is pregnant? The whole nine months?!? And if that is the case the sub will have to manage short one person, which on a sub isn't a good thing. Also, if we are doing this for "equality" then are you going to give the guys nine months off while their spouse is pregnant? Just some questions I know have come up and I know I would like answers to!

These are just my thoughts on this and right now they are scattered at best because of things going on in our daily life. However, my husband and I are open to this new idea. We are curious to see how it goes. Not sure but we think he may be one of the ones finding out how smoothly it will go. There are only rumors right now as to which boats will have women, but with ThePickUpMan going back to sea duty early we may be on one of the crews with women. (By the way, he's okay with this. He's curious to see how it goes. He just wants them to have the same passion he has about submarines. He has concerns because they won't have to do some of the traditional things submariners have had to do that bonds them to the boat. But he has a positive attitude about it!)

I know the spouses of submariners are concerned. I understand most of their concerns. However, if I hear that if they are going to cheat they are going to cheat no matter what. Well NOT all sailors and or spouses are like that. We don't all believe its going to become a "Love boat" so to speak. My concerns in this area are the cases where someone says they are being sexually harassed. The sub may be bigger than the other subs, however it is still a small working area. If someone is accused one way or the other everyone will know. Once it gets to be official investigation its going to become who knows and who didn't? With a working area that small its going to put lots of careers in jeopardy even if they didn't know. That I worry about a little. But I know that it will be handled professionally and hopefully won't happen at all!!!!!

There is a large piece of me as a woman that thinks, Let's give a sub a female CO! That would be one of the tightest run subs EVER! So my to sum up my thoughts; Bring it on! Let's give it a try! Change is NEVER easy. Are there things that will be difficult? Yes. Will the men on subs have to step up and be more professional? YES! Will it lessen what it means to be a submariner? NO! I think it will still be held in the highest regard! Submariners are amazing people! So guys, let's step it up! Open up your minds and give this a real submariner we can do this!

What are your thoughts?!? I would love to hear them!!

Here are some links to some articles: (My fave is the RDML Barry Bruner's blog. Lots of good info on that one!)

NavyTime

Submarine Group Ten Blog