One of the last male bastions in the US military is about to fall. The US Navy on Tuesday moved to lift a ban on women serving on submarines.
The decision comes after more than a decade in which opponents argued it would be too difficult to have women crew members, citing lack of privacy on submarines, where living quarters are cramped and “hot-bunking” is commonplace. They raised concern about sexual tensions with crews stuck in a confined space often for months at a time. Others argued it would be too costly to provide separate showers, toilets and living quarters.
One of the opponents, Elaine Donnelly, who served on a presidential commission that looked into the issue in 1992, said on Wednesday: “The passageways are such that it would be impossible to pass without touching.”
The Pentagon said on Wednesday night that the Navy had approved a plan that would allow women to serve on submarines. US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates wrote to Congress on Monday to say he had set the change in motion. If Congress is opposed, it will have to pass legislation within 30 days. If it does not, the removal of the ban will come into immediate effect and training for service on subs can begin.
The Navy has more than 50,000 women in the 330,500-strong service, but although they have been able to serve on warships since 1993 they have been banned from submarines, including nuclear-powered vessels. The only remaining area in the Navy from which women will be barred is the Seals.
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