![]() McKinnon, the former base commander, said he suspects unhappy spouses would be the biggest obstacle to a change in policy. Women are allowed to serve on subs in a few countries, including Australia, Canada, Norway, Spain and Sweden. Key military leaders have already said they favor changing the policy that has allowed women on all surface ships since 1993 but still bans them from submarines. If Congress wants to block the move, it must pass legislation. Officials said the paperwork for changing the policy on submarines is being drawn up and could be finished by the end of the month or early November, after which it would be sent up the chain of command and then to Defense Secretary Robert Gates for his approval. However, the Navy said 12 of the women who conceived did so before boarding the ship, and the three others got pregnant during shore leave. In the mid-1990s, the aircraft carrier Eisenhower was nicknamed "The Love Boat" after 15 women became pregnant and a man videotaped himself having sex with a woman. The rule change that allowed women to serve on combat ships was pronounced a success by the Navy long ago. Navy officials said they had no immediate figures on reports of fraternization aboard its ships. Punishment can range from a letter in the offender's file to a court-martial. The Navy bans "fraternization" between unmarried men and women. If you're trying to go through a passageway together, guess what - you're going to touch." "It's asking for sexual harassment cases left and right. "I completely believe this would put strain on some relationships because there are trust issues," said Jennifer Simmons, whose husband serves on a submarine at Kings Bay. On blogs and online networking sites, wives of submariners have warned that the close contact could lead to sexual temptation and other complications. Sailors contacted outside the base would not comment. The Associated Press sought permission to interview sailors at Kings Bay about the potential policy shift, but after a week, the Navy had yet to give its approval. The passageways and hatches are so narrow that those aboard are always rubbing up against each other - a situation played for laughs in the 1959 Cary Grant comedy "Operation Petticoat," in which a World War II sub rescues a group of stranded Army nurses. The 140 enlisted men share two bathrooms. Sailors sleep in cramped bunk rooms roughly the size of walk-in closets. Still, at 560 feet, Ohio-class subs are a tight fit for their 160-man crews. The 18 Ohio-class subs would probably be the first to take on women since they are the largest in the undersea fleet, 200 feet longer than the Navy's fast-attack submarines. Kings Bay is the East Coast base for the Navy's Ohio-class submarines, which are armed with Trident nuclear missiles and go on 77-day tours of duty underwater. ![]() She served aboard aircraft carriers and at the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. "If women can be on space shuttles and on surface ships, I think they ought to be able to work on submarines," said Lisa Goins, who retired in February after a 20-year Navy career. Would men and women get separate bathrooms and sleeping quarters, as is already done aboard surface ships? Would the process of integrating subs begin with female officers, followed by enlisted women? What would happen if a woman discovered at sea that she was pregnant? The Navy will have to work through a host of issues first. Officials said a decision could come soon, and women could be aboard subs by 2011. Over the past two weeks, top leaders at the Pentagon have said they are considering ending another in the dwindling number of military specialties reserved for men only. ![]() "But I think grown adults and professionally minded people can deal with those issues." Marys from 2004-07 and a former skipper of the submarine USS Kentucky. Mike McKinnon, commanding officer of the Kings Bay sub base near St. "There's just a whole lot less privacy on board a submarine," said retired Navy Capt. But supporters of the idea say it is a matter of fairness and equal opportunity, and what worked on ships can work in subs. Some sailors and wives warn that putting men and women together in extremely close quarters underwater for weeks at a time is just asking for sexual harassment cases and wrecked marriages. ![]() The Navy is considering allowing women to serve aboard submarines for the first time, 16 years after bringing female sailors onto surface combat ships. The passageways on board the vessel are so narrow that crew members can barely squeeze by each other without touching. There are four showers and seven toilets for the roughly 140 enlisted men. (AP) - Submariners sleep nine to a bunk room. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |