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U.S. NAVY
120521-N-UK333-071 JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM (May 21, 2012) Hawaii's namesake Virginia-class submarine, USS Hawaii (SSN 776), departs Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for a scheduled six-month western Pacific deployment. Measuring 377 feet long, weighing 7,800 tons when submerged and with a crew of 129, Hawaii is one of the Navy's newest and most technologically sophisticated submarines. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ronald Gutridge/Released)
Fiscal year 2016 will see the assignment of female officers for the first time to Pearl Harbor-based Virginia-class attack submarines, the Navy announced..
USS Virginia and USS Minnesota, both East Coast submarines, were selected as the initial two attack subs on which female crew members will serve.
A total of six female officers — two supply corps and four nuclear-trained — will report aboard no later than January 2015, the Navy said.
“My plan is to begin by integrating four Virginia-class attack submarines, with the second set of two units being integrated in Fiscal Year 2016,” Vice Adm. Michael Connor, commander of submarine forces, said in a news release Tuesday.
“Since Virginia and Minnesota are both Atlantic Fleet submarines home ported in Groton, Conn., I intend to select two Pacific Fleet submarines home ported in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, early next year,” he said.
Pearl Harbor has three Virginia-class subs — the Hawaii, Texas and North Carolina — with more expected to be based here as they are built.
“Female officers serving aboard Virginia-class submarines is the next natural step to more fully integrate women into the submarine force,” said Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus.
