SECNAV Announces Virginia class submarines for women

[Kitsune]

http://www.dolphin-news.com/articles/20 ... 017307.txt

SECNAV Announces Virginia class submarines for women

From Defense Media Activity - Navy

WASHINGTON - The fast attack submarines USS Virginia (SSN 774) and USS Minnesota (SSN 783) have been selected as the initial two Virginia-class submarines to integrate female officers, announced Oct. 15.

A total of six female officers, two Supply Corps and four nuclear-trained, will report aboard no later than January 2015. Both submarines are homeported in Groton, Conn.

“Female officers serving aboard Virginia-class submarines is the next natural step to more fully integrate women into the submarine force,” said Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus. “There are many extremely talented and capable women with a desire to succeed in this field and the submarine force will be stronger because of their efforts. Our Navy has proven over the years that one of our greatest advantages is our diversity. This is an advantage we should capitalize on across all platforms, including submarines.”

Since the Navy officially changed their policy prohibiting women serving on submarines on April 29, 2010, the submarine force has integrated 43 women onto six Ohio-class ballistic-missile (SSBN) and guided-missile submarines (SSGN). Further Virginia-class integration is being planned in the submarine force.

“My plan is to begin by integrating four Virginia-class attack submarines, with the second set of two units being integrated in Fiscal Year 2016,” said Vice Adm. Michael Connor, commander, Submarine Forces. “Since Virginia and Minnesota are both Atlantic Fleet submarines home ported in Groton, Conn., I intend to select two Pacific Fleet submarines home ported in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii early next year.”

The female officers will be assigned to the Virginia-class submarines for duty after completing the nuclear submarine training pipeline, which consists of nuclear power school, prototype training and the Submarine Officer Basic Course.

Submarines with women currently serving on board are USS Florida (SSGN 728), USS Georgia (SSGN 729) and USS Wyoming (SSBN 742), homeported in Kings Bay, Ga., and USS Ohio (SSGN 726), USS Louisiana (SSBN 743), and USS Maine (SSBN 741), homeported in Bangor, Wash.

For more news from the Secretary of the Navy, visit www.navy.mil/local/secnav/ or www.facebook.com/SecretaryoftheNavy.

[Borgholio]

"Polishing the old torpedo, sir?"
"Shut up, Stepanak."

- Down Periscope

[Kuja]

"Lieutenant Lake, you're almost out of uniform."

[krakonfour]

"Lieutenant Lake, you're almost out of uniform."

Are these female officers going to be integrated into a team of men? My initial reaction was: "All-female crew sub?"

[Kitsune]

"Lieutenant Lake, you're almost out of uniform."

Are these female officers going to be integrated into a team of men? My initial reaction was: "All-female crew sub?"

Actually, an evil though I had was the most beautiful women they could find but all lesbians

[Raw Shark]

Actually, an evil though I had was the most beautiful women they could find but all lesbians

...?

[Guardsman Bass]

This sounds like good news, although I do have a question. What happens if a female crewmember gets pregnant on a sub mission? Do they just roll with it, or does she have to be taken off?

[Borgholio]

This sounds like good news, although I do have a question. What happens if a female crewmember gets pregnant on a sub mission? Do they just roll with it, or does she have to be taken off?

I don't think they'd stop just for that, since attack subs usually only stay out a month at a time anyways. Good question though, I wonder if they DO make an exception for that...

[Thanas]

Just make the pill a mandatory nutritional supplement.

[Grandmaster Jogurt]

For a lot of people, hormonal birth control isn't even an option, and for others it comes with very severe side effects. Mandating its use seems like a bad plan (not in workability, but in morality). There's a lot of other options for mandatory birth control usage that would be less of a health hazard.

[Thanas]

Which are? I don't think you advocate inserting things (imagine the uproar) so I am interested what other chemicals there are.

[Grandmaster Jogurt]

Well if you rule out hormones and insertion that kind of rules out all chemical birth control I know of, but there's still a lot of other methods that can be mandated (ie if sexual relations is punishable (I'm not sure if it is?) make sure unprotected sex is punished moreso). There's also a potential religious angle to it where forcing hormonal birth control on sailors would be very opposed by some religious groups.

If you're going to mandate some sort of intrusive birth control, though, it'd probably be a lot better to mandate both male and female birth controls where the patient can take them without large risk of side effect. That way it not only spread responsibility around, but it provides better coverage for those who can't take the pill.

[Thanas]

Well if you rule out hormones and insertion that kind of rules out all chemical birth control I know of, but there's still a lot of other methods that can be mandated (ie if sexual relations is punishable (I'm not sure if it is?) make sure unprotected sex is punished moreso). There's also a potential religious angle to it where forcing hormonal birth control on sailors would be very opposed by some religious groups.

That's cute, but we both know that human beings are going to screw. Punishing them after the fact is not going to solve anything.

And if you are a nutcase you don't belong on a sub anyway.

[Kitsune]

Which are? I don't think you advocate inserting things (imagine the uproar) so I am interested what other chemicals there are.

For practicality, IUD is the most practical
In honesty, how about giving the ladies a bonus for being willing to have an IUD implanted

[Grandmaster Jogurt]

That's cute, but we both know that human beings are going to screw. Punishing them after the fact is not going to solve anything.

And if you are a nutcase you don't belong on a sub anyway.

Well, yeah, I'm well aware that that plan isn't going to be all that foolproof. I just think it's better than "all women have to take hormonal birth control or you can't get on a sub". The other plan I proposed with having some sort of passive birth control mandated for all sailors who can take one without issue is a better solution, though, I think.

Doesn't Catholicism have issues with birth control? On a practical matter, I can see issues with having a universal birth control mandate being passed due to resistance from there.

[GuppyShark]

I don't see why you'd need a specific policy to address pregancy on a submarine.

The Navy would already have policies for pregnancy.
The Navy would already have policies for medical conditions impacting a sailor's performance on a submarine.

Neither of these things are new, and I don't see any thing that makes the combination special.

[Kitsune]

Run silent, run deep

[Thanas]

Which are? I don't think you advocate inserting things (imagine the uproar) so I am interested what other chemicals there are.

For practicality, IUD is the most practical
In honesty, how about giving the ladies a bonus for being willing to have an IUD implanted

As an incentive, sure.

Alone? No way it would be enough.

Well, yeah, I'm well aware that that plan isn't going to be all that foolproof. I just think it's better than "all women have to take hormonal birth control or you can't get on a sub".

You don't think shared living quarters is a harder hassle to get through? Living on a sub is not easy. For those who don't want to take the pill, they could always opt out in favor of having a device installed.

If you want to go on a sub, you have to make sacrifices.

[GuppyShark]

Run silent, run deep

Is that your response to me?

How much time do you think submarines spend submerged? Hint: It's not a lot. It's not an efficient or fast way to travel.

Pregnancy is slow - you'd have plenty of warning before it could be a problem. In which case you'd treat it just like anything else - offload them at the next port, or if something suddenly does happen, have someone pick them up.

[Grandmaster Jogurt]

You don't think shared living quarters is a harder hassle to get through? Living on a sub is not easy. For those who don't want to take the pill, they could always opt out in favor of having a device installed.

If you want to go on a sub, you have to make sacrifices.

Well yes, but I'd really rather not put the entire onus on the female sailors. I'm ok with mandating contraception when it doesn't harm the person taking it (and operating with a variety of measures with different pills or implants helps a lot), but since I don't know if you could get 100% of the women on it, having it go both ways helps in a practical measure, too.

[Kitsune]

Run silent, run deep

Is that your response to me?

How much time do you think submarines spend submerged? Hint: It's not a lot. It's not an efficient or fast way to travel.

Pregnancy is slow - you'd have plenty of warning before it could be a problem. In which case you'd treat it just like anything else - offload them at the next port, or if something suddenly does happen, have someone pick them up.

I have had a fair number of friends on US submarines. We don't have any conventional submarines.
US ballistic and nuclear fast attack spend most of their time underwater, trying to be as quiet as possible.
Their hull shape is designed for underwater speed as well.
They are far more efficient underwater

My bigger concern is actually ballistic submarines

[Lonestar]

And if you are a nutcase you don't belong on a sub anyway.

Soooo....you're going to tell all those Catholics in the military that they are nutcases and don't belong on ships/in the field?

[AniThyng]

And if you are a nutcase you don't belong on a sub anyway.

Soooo....you're going to tell all those Catholics in the military that they are nutcases and don't belong on ships/in the field?

Doesn't Catholicism have issues with birth control? On a practical matter, I can see issues with having a universal birth control mandate being passed due to resistance from there.

So they are pious enough to not use birth control but not pious enough to not have premarital sex...? (I'm going to assume there is not going to be an abundance of married couples on a submarine)

[Lonestar]

If someone is on the pill, is the assumption that they are having premarital sex? Wasn't there a whole kerfluffle last year about Rush Limbaugh calling a woman a whore because she was using the pill for reasons other than premarital sex?

[Lonestar]

The US Military makes birth control(various female forms and condoms/vasectomies for men) freely available. It does everything it can without actually mandating it.