annagp1 Says:

My husband is in the Canadian Navy on a co-ed ship. While this does give the opportunity for inapproprate behavior there are rules of conduct in place & they can face disapline if they go down that path. The ships also do go into port while away so we (the spouses) need to trust our military members anyway.
As long as they can configure the subs so the men & women have seperate sleeping quarters, bathrooms & showers it would be no different than any other co-ed ship. If not, there are going to be very few women that are going to want to share showers etc anyway. :)

NavyMom518 Says:

Both my sons are in the Navy, one on a ship and one (married) on a ballistic sub. Sex is an issue, more than gets to the public, believe me. I heard many stories when my son was deployed for 9 months on his ship. My other son's sub is always out for 3 months with not making port (fast attacks go for 9+) and I know his wife would not be happy. Email is the only contact and not very often. But you all focused on the sex. The big issue is space. We were lucky enough last month to be able to finally go aboard and even though it is bigger than most would think, there is just NO EXTRA room for privacy. There are racks (beds) between the missiles! The bunk rooms have 9 beds, 3 high and each about 18 inches high! Men and women will have to be sleeping, bathing,and changing together. There just isn't room to separate the two. Don't forget too, that after the sub returns and is in 6 weeks of maintenance before going out again, there are crew that rotate duty and stay on board so it's not just the time at sea that has to be dealt with. Women can do the job, absolutely, but do they really have to do everything???

MNHousby Says:

My Husband is in the US Army and though the Army doesn't have subs there are many of the same rules and regulations that are covered in the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). And though, yes, you need to trust your spouse, it is not just on the spouse. Some females in the military have made accusations against senior ranking persons, and though the US says that one is innocent until proven guilty the opposite tends to be closer to the truth. Many of my husbands colleagues have had female soldiers make accusations against them and though the accusations were proven to be false through investigations the male was treated as though he was guilty and their careers has suffered greatly for this. The Army is not as in close of quarters and there still are problems. And in combat situations, pregnancies occur due to these close quarters and the bonds that combat creates. There will be more problems on the sub due to even closer quarters. I do believe women can do anything men can, but sometimes they should not do them together.

rfljenksy Says:

I believe there is a difference between being on a co-ed ship and a co-ed submarine. I am a retired Navy female and lived on a ship for a year. I also actually had to do work on a submarine while I was in the reserves. Let's move away from the naive sexual view. It's not just about inappropriate behavior, it's about space.

In order for me to do my job (Off-loading weaponry) I had to go through male berthing to leave and return to my station. There was NO other way. Subs are small and there is often not an alternate passageway.

During the time I was on the sub (only while it was in port) the men were working in shifts so some men were sleeping and would have to go on shift and wait for me to pass through for them to get dressed and some did not even know a woman was passing through the berthing. What if a man had to pass through female berthing?

Unless they plan on building a new and improved submarine that allowed access to all parts of the submarine without passing through either male or female berthing or showers, I do not see it happening. I can't imagine the cost. All women subs??? I don't think so.

I am for equal rights on all levels, but I just don't think it's a realistic option.

mrsthigpen365 Says:

Come on Ladies! I am former Navy and a current Navy Spouse. There are phones on Subs and computers too, Sherri. It is 2009 and the Navy is one of the leaders in technology. The Navy has standards that must be maintained. I know none of you have been military but I have and out to sea there really is not a lot of time for sex. There are no days off. We worked, ate and slept every day. Honestly, there will be probably be some sex but only for the very creative and the SINGLE!!!!! Married men in the Navy for the most part just want to do their jobs and get home to their families and don't want to risk what will happen if they get caught, not by their wives by the Navy...it is not pretty!

this is not a laughing matter and should be taken very seriously.