US Navy closer to having females

Officials have today announced that the US defence department has decided to allow women to serve aboard submarines. According to reports, the recommendation has been approved by Defence Secretary Robert Gates, and letters have now been sent to Congress informing them of the plan.

The BBC reports that the move comes as the US Army's Chief of Staff, General George Casey, said it was time to revisit rules restricting women from working in combat roles. Congress will now have 30 days to approve the measure.

Raise the bar

Currently, female employees are barred from traditional "frontline" roles in the armed forces, but General Casey yesterday told Congress that he strongly supported a reconsideration of this ruling. Speaking before Congress, he said, "I strongly believe that it is time that we look at what women are doing in Iraq and Afghanistan and then review our policies."

The reconsideration makes for interesting reading, considering that 15 percent of all US Navy personnel are now female. In fact, women have worked alongside men on surface ships and aircraft since 1993.

Cramped conditions

Until now, the biggest argument against female workers being aboard submarines has been that the cramped conditions would make living aboard the ship difficult for both sexes - but in an age where sexual discrimination and equality for all are both hot topics for HR managers, it seems that the US Navy are changing tact.

Ultimately though, whatever decision is reached, it is expected to be a year before the first females can be trained for US submarine duties. It is also anticipated that the great vessels will need to be modified along with entry policies so that the ships can accommodate both male and female quarters.

Matthew Buttell

Matt Buttell graduated from Bath Spa University in 2006. Since then he has written for several publications, before moving to the web. He now writes solely for the internet, continuing to cover key business issues while managing his own personal blog.

 

 

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