Navy will soon let women serve alongside men on submarines

The U.S. Navy is opening up the avenue to women serving alongside men on Navy submarines. Congress will need to be in support for the policy to pass.

The United States Navy has recently moved to eliminate the ban on women serving on Navy submarines, opening up one of the last channels in the military where women previously were prohibited to serve. Now, the only roadblock that remains is Congress. Congress has been issued an exclusive 30-day window, to pass legislation by both houses that would keep women off submarines. The expectation is that Congress will not pass such legislation. ABC reports "defense Secretary Robert Gates signed a letter last Friday notifying Congress of the Navy's policy change." The Secretary of the Navy, Ray Mabus is in full support of the decision:

It is a great idea and it is the right thing to do, I fully support the assignment of women to submarines.

The larger ships are already equipped with separate sleeping quarters and bathrooms for officers and women officers will be assigned two or more to a ship. Women will not sail alone. The estimation date for women to be phased in is about one year and a half, about the time it takes to complete academy training. The female academy cadets next year, and ROTC graduates could be the first ones to sail on a co-ed ship. Both the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Naval officials agreed that it is time to:

broaden opportunities for women.

Officials state that one of these graduates could, in about 18 years or so, become the first woman to be in command of a Naval submarine. Women do serve alongside men in many "combat" positions. In a meeting with Congress, Army Chief of Staff General George Casey said:

I believe it is time to take a look at what we are doing in Iraq and Afghanistan. And then we take a look at our policies.

No plans have officially been made, however, to allow women to occupy combat roles.