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WOMEN IN SUBS: HOT TOPIC

I am a submariner, and I believe that women should not be allowed [“Women in subs,” Oct. 12]. The surface fleet has many problems with mixed-gender crews; why would you want that in a smaller platform with nowhere to run?

This is going to put a hold on critical missions, with the transformation of the Ohio class. This not only creates a problem under the waves but also in the sub family of wives and children.

I am on shore duty right now, and I am a little depressed [at the thought of] going back to a boat with a mixed crew. It is a band of brothers that should stay a band of brothers. This is the reason we joined subs. Why make things more complicated?

Fraternization is the biggest issue. There is a reason — and a darned good one — why females have never been on subs. There has never been a problem with an all-male submarine family. As the saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

— MM2 (SS) Corey G. Watson, Smyrna, Tenn.

I am a female sailor who has served 17 years, and I was concerned when I read the article, “Opinions diverse, but strong, about women’s sub service” [Oct. 12].

Let us allow our female sailors to prove their salt. Women are already serving in mixed-gender platforms with Seabees, cargo handling, customs, aviation and surface ships.

There were reasons given to show why women shouldn’t serve onboard subs, such as fraternization, at-sea pregnancy and sexual harassment, which occur in the surface fleet. Leadership is not blind to these situations, but these situations are a small percentage when compared to our overall force. It is the ultimate responsibility for all sailors to take ownership for their actions.

The bulk of the [e-mail] responses cited fraternization occurring in a mixed-gender population onboard a submarine. First, submariners are not undersea for the duration of their Navy career. Once a submariner’s sea rotation is up, he has to come up for air. It is called shore rotation. Guess who he is going to be in contact with on shore? Female sailors, female civilian contractors and female government service employees. Second, [with] fraternization and sexual harassment, these happen in same-sex situations as well. The Navy [has] zero tolerance for both.

Military women have made remarkable strides. I have faith that the females to be trained, screened and then selected will be quite capable of serving on a submarine.

— HMC Jackie Yencer, Port Hueneme, Calif.

Assuming that this will occur, the Navy could expedite the process at appreciable savings in time and cost by dropping the requirement that all officers serving in nuclear submarines must undergo years of education, training, and experience to become qualified as nuclear plant operators.

Then, fill the nonengineering billets with general service officers and enlisted personnel, as is currently done in the supply and medical areas.

This could be accomplished by expanding the current three-month basic submarine course for the nuclear power candidates to a six-month course with emphasis on operations, navigation, weapons and communications for the non-nukes.

This is not a radical idea. The original nuclear-powered submarines, including the ballistic-missile subs, had nuclear-power personnel in the engineering department [but had] billets in all other departments, including department heads in operations and weapons, filled by non-nuclear trained officers and enlisted men without compromising nuclear power safety.

But they were gradually replaced as more nuclear-trained personnel became available — not because of poor performance, but under a questionable policy that all personnel serving in nukes had to be specifically nuclear-power trained. That policy should be critically reviewed, not only for putting women in subs, but also for all future submarine volunteers.

— Capt. Roland Bowling (ret.), San Diego

As with any command in the Navy, we follow the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and if you violate those articles, then you are held accountable.

Women should get the job done or face the path of disqualification, just as any other naval member. Gender has nothing to do with it.

— QMC (SS) Edward Corrao (ret.), Pinellas Park, Fla.

Putting women on the surface is still going through teething pains because we, as a Navy, refuse to treat our women as sailors first, and now we are going to put them on submarines. Here are a few thoughts on how to make it work:

• Don’t configure submarines for women; just put them aboard. Forget about separate berthing areas and heads; there is no space for them on a destroyer, never mind a nuclear-powered attack submarine.

• While we are at it, put fraternization out of your mind, because when you put a bunch of young 20-somethings together in close quarters, sooner or later it will happen. For the spouses who worry about their significant others being faithful, that is ridiculous; if your spouse is in a mood to two-time you, it will happen regardless of whether or not you have women on board.

— OSC (SW) Mario Majors (ret.), Virginia Beach, Va.

After reading the strong opinions from sailors and wives about how letting women in subs is a recipe for disaster, I feel the need to remind them that we are professional men and women. Our female sailors have been proving they are every bit as capable as men on all vessels.

When I enlisted, the only women underway were on sub tenders and hospital ships. And look at our Navy today. We have women on all our ships, and if I’m not mistaken, it’s been highly successful.

Fraternization? Some of you are already blaming the decision to put women on subs for the problem you are anticipating will happen. If there is fraternization on the subs, let’s be sure to put the blame where it belongs: on the sailors who are fraternizing.

I salute the chief of naval operations and the secretary of the Navy for their decision to let the Navy continue to evolve, and hope the sailors involved will remember their Core Values and continue to serve as professional sailors.

— MA1 (SW) Nathan Stalker, Rota, Spain