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COURTESY U.S. NAVY
The Virginia-class fast attack submarine USS Mississippi departs Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for routine operations in this Jan. 5, 2015 photo.
Two women officers reported to the Pearl Harbor submarine USS Mississippi in December — the first women to serve on an attack submarine in the Pacific the Navy said.
The Mississippi is a Virginia-class attack submarine.
The assignment represents an expansion of moves made by the Navy three years ago to open positions to women on its ballistic- and guided-missile submarines.
Opening Virginia-class subs to women has to do with berthing and habitability, officials have said. The Virginia subs have berthing that is more modular and has three officers per stateroom.
The Navy announced in 2013 that the branch would be assigning women officers to Virginia-class submarines, pending successful completion of the naval nuclear-powered training program required for that class of craft.
Chief of Naval Personnel Vice Adm. Bill Moran is in Hawaii to meet with sailors and ride on the Mississippi, in part to examine how the integration of women on subs is working.
Shucks. Men can’t talk dirty anymore.
Another one of your ridiculous comments!
That’s AWESOME. Everyone needs to be professional as we know that we all can!
Right on moving in the right direction.
I agree with the comments. Women are professionals in nearly every discipline and I’ve found that I would prefer to work with women over many men. I wonder though. I think most women are smart enough not to ride galley trays down the companion way during emergency surface evolutions.
I agree that this is a step in the right direction. However, it’s a funny thing, though, that many women prefer to have male bosses rather than female bosses.
“The Mississi is a Virginia-class attack submarine.”
Mississi?
Perhaps it’s a Virgin class?
Good luck ladies.