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RE: Women in the Silent Service?
The US Navy has a couple of objections to mixed sex crews. One is privacy there is virtually no privacy on a "688" boat, especially when it leaves port. There are times when the crews have to "hot bunk!" You just got off duty and you wake someone who is going on duty, climbing into the bunk you share, thus the bunk is warm when you get into it!
Another is America's subs go on some of the longest patrols of any sub service. All of the patrol areas of interest are thousands of miles away. So on a ninety day patrol to spend seven to ten days going and returning means the sub spends only between seventy to seventy-six days on patrol. The Navy does not want to mess with the problem of men and women being confined together in such close proximity for long periods of time.
Yes, some European navies have both men and women aboard but, we are talking about three week cruises and, when they leave port, they are not crammed with supplies in hallways like America's SSN's. This packing of supplies makes the privacy issue worst.
Adrian
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