Pentagon announces end of ban on women on subs - Navy News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Navy Times

Pentagon announces end of ban on women on subs

The Pentagon on Monday notified Congress that women will be able to join submarine crews within 30 legislative working days, making good on the wishes of top Navy commanders announced last fall.

As required by law, Defense Secretary Robert Gates sent a letter to legislative leaders announcing the Navy’s plan to lift its ban on female submariners, giving the House and Senate time to absorb the decision and, if members want, to take action. Congress can pass a law forbidding integration, requiring the Navy to wait or perform a study. If it does nothing, as expected, the ban will expire around the end of April.

Technically, the Defense Department needs to give Congress time to absorb the policy change before it can spend money to accommodate women, Gates wrote, according to a copy of his letter obtained by Navy Times.

“The Department of the Navy recently concluded a further review of this matter and has determined it is ready to implement policy changes to support a phased approach to the assignment of women to submarines. No funds to reconfigure submarines to accommodate female crew members will be expended until the Department of the Navy provides its plan to the Department of Defense and Congress. The Department of the Navy stands ready to present the phased approach plan to Congress.”

1st women

According to the Navy’s initial plans last year, the first women on submarines will likely be nuclear-qualified supply and surface lieutenants already in the fleet, who will join the crews of Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines by late 2011.

Navy leaders called for integrating women onto submarine crews last September, after Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, voiced his support for mixed-gender crews in congressional testimony. Gates’ message to Congress on Monday was the payoff of a drawn-out internal bureaucratic process that began in October.

A defense official told Navy Times on Tuesday that this week’s notification was similar to the process in 1993 when the Pentagon told Congress the Navy was permitting women to join the crews of surface ships.

Capt. Beci Brenton, a spokeswoman for Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, said Tuesday that he stands behind his statements last year calling for women to be integrated into submarine crews.

“Secretary Mabus believes assigning women to submarines is a great idea and the right thing to do,” Brenton said.

Missouri Rep. Ike Skelton, the Democrat who chairs the House Armed Services Committee, gave a carefully worded statement through a spokeswoman Tuesday:

“The DoD’s decision to allow women to serve on submarines will present challenges, but these challenges should not be insurmountable for the Navy,” he said. “The committee expects a thorough assessment of the effectiveness and risks involved in this decision following its implementation.”

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Previous coverage

• Female sailors could join sub crews by 2011

• SecNav, CNO: Women should serve on subs