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A submariner's perspective Beqi Send a noteboard - 29/09/2009 08:30:45 AM
As someone who has served on a US submarine, I have to say that honestly I don't think that will be happening anytime soon. And not for any PC or non-PC reasons, but really for the simple reason of logistics.
The US Navy's current policy is that women and men must have separate and berthing and heads. The average fast attack submarine (which makes up the majority of the fleet) has only 2 heads, one with 3 stalls, a urinal and a shower. The other has only one stall and one shower. All of this has be shared between 120 people. With just men there is already a wait just to be able to use the bathroom on a regular basis, women would only make this worse. Meanwhile, the smallest berthing space has 9 racks and those are typically all shared. (3 people for every one rack)
Until they change the design of submarines (something that would cost billions of dollars) I don't realistically see a change in the current male-only policy for submarines.
To be quite honest, if they were to try and force a co-ed force with the current sub designs I would feel incredibly sorry for whatever women chose to volunteer first. They would probably be victim to a tremendous amount of hazing not just because of their sex, but because of the preferential treatment they would receive. (i.e. 'Why should this NUB girl get her own rack when I have to share one and have been here for years?';)
I won't even go into the other types of drama that runs rampant on ships with more living space, but I'm sure that would also be an issue.
Bottomline is that current logistics and policy can't support a co-ed sub fleet.

ET1(SS) Grimbear
*MySmiley*

Also known as kazetaran

"The Daleks on the bus say exter-min-ate" Taran 9-3-2012
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"Military may lift ban on women in submarines" (Reuters) - 28/09/2009 08:26:30 PM 736 Views
gives new meaning to the old joke.... - 28/09/2009 09:47:36 PM 465 Views
Ahahahahaha! *NM* - 28/09/2009 10:02:01 PM 206 Views
seems like a strange choice to me - 28/09/2009 10:26:24 PM 485 Views
if you can't keep it zipped - 28/09/2009 11:35:35 PM 473 Views
Correct and yet it happens all too frequently already. - 29/09/2009 12:43:15 AM 449 Views
In my mind, that's a pretty pathetic arguement. - 29/09/2009 01:02:31 AM 508 Views
WHOA! - 29/09/2009 01:14:27 AM 433 Views
Dude I know!! - 29/09/2009 01:20:27 AM 419 Views
Hehehe, we could "name the show". - 29/09/2009 01:26:11 AM 415 Views
XD Or even better!!! - 29/09/2009 01:40:50 AM 466 Views
ROFL! - 29/09/2009 01:47:07 AM 402 Views
Really the possibilities are endless. - 29/09/2009 01:48:34 AM 432 Views
Indeed. - 29/09/2009 02:46:31 AM 403 Views
~Plays devils advocate~ Lets pretend... - 29/09/2009 02:54:03 AM 542 Views
By that same token, should women also be banned from long business trips? *NM* - 29/09/2009 03:23:22 AM 212 Views
only the ones who don't charge for their services? *NM* - 29/09/2009 03:36:03 AM 233 Views
Haha!! Touche! I concede that point. *NM* - 29/09/2009 11:59:33 PM 204 Views
Re: ~Plays devils advocate~ Lets pretend... - 29/09/2009 03:23:31 AM 437 Views
It might be true in some situations, but it's a weak argument against this issue. - 29/09/2009 05:15:47 AM 465 Views
subs are really really cramped. Ever heard the phrase hot racking? - 29/09/2009 03:23:33 PM 542 Views
Well said *NM* - 29/09/2009 03:59:13 PM 270 Views
"The military is instrument of war not social engineering." Excelent point. *NM* - 30/09/2009 12:34:28 AM 296 Views
oh please will people stop the “it worked with segregation argument” - 29/09/2009 03:01:48 PM 430 Views
keep in zipped is such a bad argument - 29/09/2009 02:51:45 PM 491 Views
A submariner's perspective - 29/09/2009 08:30:45 AM 473 Views
Interesting. - 29/09/2009 09:55:11 AM 489 Views
a rack is just the name for a bed - 29/09/2009 03:30:05 PM 432 Views
Re: a rack is just the name for a bed - 29/09/2009 03:57:10 PM 474 Views
Re: a rack is just the name for a bed - 29/09/2009 04:46:12 PM 626 Views
It is amazing what you can get used to - 29/09/2009 06:03:05 PM 441 Views
Re: Interesting. - 29/09/2009 04:42:54 PM 539 Views
See, that's a good reason. - 29/09/2009 01:29:32 PM 453 Views
before you knock the return to high school argument - 29/09/2009 10:39:47 PM 401 Views
which i think is just silly in the terms of greater age-related legalities - 30/09/2009 12:08:46 AM 464 Views
You have to cut with the grain. - 30/09/2009 03:05:29 PM 362 Views
Re: before you knock the return to high school argument - 30/09/2009 01:10:35 AM 465 Views
It is a strange mix - 30/09/2009 02:56:21 PM 351 Views
Thank you for talking some sense. *NM* - 29/09/2009 06:46:33 PM 302 Views
Thank you for taking the time to answer. Well done. *NM* - 30/09/2009 12:07:49 AM 194 Views

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