I can understand separate bunking, but do we really need to make valves easier to turn?

U.S. Navy redesigning submarines to better accommodate female crew members
By Jennifer McDermottThe Associated Press
Wed., April 19, 2017
PROVIDENCE, R.I.—Every submarine in the U.S. fleet was designed with the height, reach and strength of men in mind, from the way valves are placed to how display screens are angled.

That’s going to change.


Lt j.g. Marquette Leveque, left, and Lt. j.g. Kyle McFadden, both of the USS Wyoming, receive pins in a ceremony at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay in Georgia. With women now serving on submarines, future subs are being built to specifically accommodate gender differences including height, reach and strength. (James Kimber / The Associated Press)
With women now serving aboard submarines, defence contractor Electric Boat is designing what will be the first Navy subs built specifically to accommodate female crew members.

The designers are doing the obvious things, such as adding more doors and washrooms to create separate sleeping and bathing areas for men and women and to give them more privacy. But they are also making more subtle modifications that may not have been in everyone’s periscope when the Navy admitted women into the Silent Service.

For example, they are lowering some overhead valves and making them easier to turn, and installing steps in front of the triple-high bunk beds and stacked laundry machines.

The first vessel built with some of the new features is expected to be delivered to the Navy in 2021, the future USS New Jersey.

The Navy lifted its ban on women on submarines in 2010, starting with officers. About 80 female officers and roughly 50 enlisted women are now serving on subs, and their numbers are expected to climb into the hundreds over the next few years.

For now, the Navy is retrofitting existing subs with extra doors and designated washrooms to accommodate women. But Electric Boat in Groton, Connecticut, is at work on a redesign of the Navy’s Virginia-class fast-attack subs and is also developing a brand-new class of ballistic-missile submarines, relying on body measurements for both men and women.

“We have a clean sheet of paper, so from the ground up, we’ll optimize for both men and women,” said Brian Wilson, Electric Boat director of the new ballistic-missile sub program.

Electric Boat officials had no immediate estimate of how much the modifications will cost.

 

I had a guy tell me a few years back , that he was on a ship that had women on it , and a few of the women ended up getting shipped home before the deployment was over because they ended up pregnant .
I remember sitting in a bunker for 12 hours or more , during a lull in the incoming that could have produced a combat critter , if I'da had a female watchin' my back .,,, nothing else to do ,,,

 

What happened to gender neutrality? Can't be discriminating like that!

 

If the boats a rockin' ,, don't come knocking ,,,

 

None that I know would want to co ed bit.
If you loose concentration even once the whole crew can die.
AS they pull away from the pier and say "SINGLE UP" they are not just talking about the mooring lines, and there is a good reason for that. 24/7 and no days off mean for a better patrol if you are not distracted.

 

I know what you're sayin' . Time's are'a changing .
Makes ya wonder what a modern day Normandy landing would be like .

 

Probably just as bloody; and, given the lethality of the present day battlefield, probably even bloodier. I don't think that women in combat roles will add appreciably to the butcher's bill.

D-Day landings: Operation Overlord in numbers

 

During my time in the Navy I served aboard the USS Lexington when she was in Pensacola Florida. That was the first and last time I've been on a ship with women! If they want to go to sea give them their own ship.

 

My time on a mixed gender ship was the last 3 years I served. I was not impressed with the low performance over all of the ship in every day functions, deployments (did 2 cruises to Med and Persian Gulf/Red Sea area with that ship). All my other deployments were on all male crew combatant ships (the other 14 years on sea duty - ships), and the performance across the board was much higher. Just stating facts! The rotation of personnel due to fraternization, rape, prostitution, pregnancy, discipline problems probably amounted to 10 percent of the crew per year. or higher ..... It wasn't just the kids (average age over all on a navy ship around 23 years of age). Officers, Chiefs, and all levels of junior/mid level enlisted rotated out for one or more of the possible reasons I listed.

 

I have no problem serving with men. They seem to have no problem serving with me. I just want to be treated the same. Some females go into the military now and expect to be treated special since they are females. That is a crock of poop. How can you want both equality AND special treatment? BTW if they wanted to judge me by the male PT standards for my age I’d pass that too. I don’t want or need anything special. I just want to do my JOB. I also have a pretty thick skin when it comes to male “shop talk” and can tell a dirty joke with the rest of them. As long as no one tries anything funny we get along fine. Don’t redesign everything for women. A woman can turn a valve like a guy can. What do short guys do when they have to turn a valve that is up high? Tell the woman to do the same thing. Sometimes in aircraft maintenance it pays to be small. I can fit into small spaces much easier than the bigger guys can and many times the crew chiefs can leave parts in place that they’d have to remove for a larger inspector. That means shorter turn around time and less work for them!

 

I HATE SUBS
NEVER AGAIN !!
Agreed 10000000 %
There is no condom disposal area on a sub (WHY )) Think !!
S