dan9999
04-29-2010, 03:36 PM
Women to begin serving on Navy subs in 2011, officials say
By the CNN Wire Staff
April 29, 2010 11:11 a.m. EDT
(CNN) -- The first women to serve on U.S. Navy submarines are expected to be on the job by fall of 2011, Navy officials said Thursday, ushering in a policy change to what has been an elite service open only to men since the start of the modern Navy's submarine program.
While Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced the change last month, the Navy had to wait for Congress to review and approve the policy change over a 30-day period which ended at midnight Thursday morning.
The official announcement came during a news conference at the Navy submarine base at Kings Bay, Georgia, later Thursday morning.
The change was recommended by the chief of naval operations and the secretary of the Navy in addition to Gates, a Defense Department official said, adding that there was no opposition to the move among Navy leaders.
A phased approach is being considered under which officers -- who already have separate living quarters -- would be the first to go co-ed, followed by crews, with the women bunking together, the official said. Crew space would have to be modified prior to that happening, the official added.
The submarines expected to carry women initially would be the larger ones -- nuclear-powered, missile-carrying submarines known as SSBN and SSGN, the official said.
Women joined the crews of the Navy's surface ships in 1993, but officials had previously cited limited privacy and the cost of reconfiguring the vessels in arguing against their joining sub crews.
Last September, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead described himself as "very comfortable addressing integrating women into the submarine force."
"Accommodations are a factor, but not insurmountable," he said.
CNN Pentagon producer Mike Mount contributed to this report.
By the CNN Wire Staff
April 29, 2010 11:11 a.m. EDT
(CNN) -- The first women to serve on U.S. Navy submarines are expected to be on the job by fall of 2011, Navy officials said Thursday, ushering in a policy change to what has been an elite service open only to men since the start of the modern Navy's submarine program.
While Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced the change last month, the Navy had to wait for Congress to review and approve the policy change over a 30-day period which ended at midnight Thursday morning.
The official announcement came during a news conference at the Navy submarine base at Kings Bay, Georgia, later Thursday morning.
The change was recommended by the chief of naval operations and the secretary of the Navy in addition to Gates, a Defense Department official said, adding that there was no opposition to the move among Navy leaders.
A phased approach is being considered under which officers -- who already have separate living quarters -- would be the first to go co-ed, followed by crews, with the women bunking together, the official said. Crew space would have to be modified prior to that happening, the official added.
The submarines expected to carry women initially would be the larger ones -- nuclear-powered, missile-carrying submarines known as SSBN and SSGN, the official said.
Women joined the crews of the Navy's surface ships in 1993, but officials had previously cited limited privacy and the cost of reconfiguring the vessels in arguing against their joining sub crews.
Last September, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead described himself as "very comfortable addressing integrating women into the submarine force."
"Accommodations are a factor, but not insurmountable," he said.
CNN Pentagon producer Mike Mount contributed to this report.