i don't care how many are SEEKING to serve... it's who's most qualified that counts.
Posted on 11/12/2019 4:44:13 AM PST by robowombat
Submarine Community Can’t Meet Demand From Female Sailors
By: Ben Werner November 11, 2019 2:37 PM
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Navy has more women seeking to serve on submarines that it has room for, according to both the Atlantic and Pacific submarine force master chiefs.
Master Chief John Perryman, the force master chief for the submarine force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, and Master Chief Kevin Scarff, the force master chief for the submarine force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, detailed some of the staffing challenges facing the Navy’s submarine community during the annual Naval Submarine League Symposium on Friday.
“We are having to turn women away from the submarine force,” Perryman said. “We don’t have enough billets for female officers. We have much higher demand than we have billets for, and the same thing is true at the recruiting command for enlisted females.”
Currently, the Navy has 84 female officers and 219 enlisted female sailors serving on submarine crews. Female officers serve on 19 submarine crews, and female enlisted sailors are part of eight submarine crews. Lt. Cmdr. Adam Cole, a Navy personnel spokesman told USNI News.
A year and a half ago, USNI News reported the Navy had 18 submarine crews with female officers, and female enlisted sailors were part of four crews. The Navy’s previously stated goal is to have female officers on 21 submarine crews and female enlisted sailors on 14 submarine crews by 2024.
“We have eight crews integrated,” Scarff said. “Next up is Wyoming.”
The Navy is in the process of preparing USS Wyoming (SSBN-742) to have both blue and gold cress on the submarine, Cole said.
“These crews will be integrated after the required berthing modifications are complete,” Cole said. “Female enlisted sailors will begin to report to these crews in the third quarter of FY20.”
In July, the Navy switched to a constant process of accepting applications from female sailors interested in serving on submarines. Previously, the Navy evaluated conversions to submarine service only a few times per year, and on a boat-by-boat basis, according to Cole. Vice Adm. John Nowell, the commander of naval personnel, announced the policy change in a July NAVADMIN.
The response was high-quality female sailors, the top performers from around the Navy, are seeking to switch to serving on submarines, Scarff said. The Navy rescinded its males-only on submarines policy in 2010,
The policy change is helping speed-up the Navy’s ability to transfer female personnel to submarine crews, but the process takes time, Perryman said.
“We have to do it smart, but we have to go faster because we’re leaving talent on the table,” Perryman said.
Ben Werner About Ben Werner
Ben Werner is a staff writer for USNI News. He has worked as a freelance writer in Busan, South Korea, and as a staff writer covering education and publicly traded companies for The Virginian-Pilot in Norfolk, Va., The State newspaper in Columbia, S.C., Savannah Morning News in Savannah, Ga., and Baltimore Business Journal. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland and a master’s degree from New York University.
Everyone bunks and craps in the same room.
If men have to put up with gay men in their ranks and women aren’t facing a draft, then everyone knows what they are signing up for.
Are there hises and herses foxholes?
Female officers on 21 crews and female soldiers on 14.
So it sounds like they are getting fastracked for advancement.
I just cannot stand this idiocy.
Wasn’t there an idea floating around for a while to have one submarine with an all-female crew?
Sounds like a great setting for a sit-com.
How does this affect readiness and leathality of our submarines? Presuming no negative impact, and I presume there is none, else someone would be pushing that, I personally don’t see the problem here. What I do have a problem with is the continued male-only requirement to register for the draft. Everyone or no-one should be required. Long past time to add women to that requirement, especially if they want to be equal citizens.
I hope you brought enough gum for everybody.
Why are there any females on any sup or other ship? Please demonstrate that their presence enhances the readiness and lethality of the force.
I wonder if the females are required to get anti-pregnancy implants before they go out to sea?
Just another recipe for disaster...NEXT!
Well why wouldn’t women want submarine duty?
They’re long, round, hard, and full of seamen.
Groan + Facepalm
But...pretty funny!
Thank Obama for this. He demanded to put women on the subs. The navy pleaded with but too f’n bad.
I wonder how many muffdivers will be on the subs?
How many women are coming back from a patrol all knocked up?
I can only imagine how giddy you must have been when you realized that this ancient joke would be perfectly appropriate in this thread. How many years have you been waiting for this moment? LMAO!
Congrats. You win for today.
i don't care how many are SEEKING to serve... it's who's most qualified that counts.
“”Currently, the Navy has 84 female officers and 219 enlisted female sailors serving on submarine crews. Female officers serve on 19 submarine crews, and female enlisted sailors are part of eight submarine crews. Lt. Cmdr. Adam Cole, a Navy personnel spokesman told USNI News.
A year and a half ago, USNI News reported the Navy had 18 submarine crews with female officers, and female enlisted sailors were part of four crews. The Navy’s previously stated goal is to have female officers on 21 submarine crews and female enlisted sailors on 14 submarine crews by 2024.””
Someone go ahead and tell me everyone in DC isn’t nuts. I can’t even understand the reporting on this. Does “submarine crews” mean the number of “submarines?” 18 crews = 18 submarines? 19 submarine crews = 19 submarines? 21 submarine crews and 14 submarine crews = 21 and 14 submarines... And someone has to keep track of how many are “female” officers and how many are “female” enlisted? Do they do this for “male” members - officers and enlisted?
Why are we always down to “Who’s on first?”
I’m going back to bed...
It was like getting an old suit out of a suitcase under the bed and finding forty dollars in the pocket.
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