The U.S. Pentagon has thrown common sense, human nature and their own history out the window by moving ahead with plans to allow women to serve on submarines. Critics maintain that unlike surface ship where women currently are permitted to serve, the cramped quarters and sharing of bunks is inappropriate. In addition there are the unique medical needs if a woman becomes pregnant while out at sea.
This is historically been demonstrated with the embarrassing 1991 USS Acadia incident where 36 sailors ended up pregnant. During the fiscal year 2002, the U.S. Navy placed 12.3 percent of their ship-based female sailors on shore duty after they became pregnant.
According to my research it is very difficult to get the military to release statistics on pregnancy in the military most likely due to the politics around the issue. In 2004, Elaine Donnely, President of the Center for Military Readiness told the Washington Times, that despite her repeated requests for statistics on the number of pregnancies which have occurred in Iraq since the 2003 invasion, the Defense Department would never release any such statistics.
This is not just a problem on the high seas. Last fall in Iraq Major General Anthony Cucolo told the BBC he was losing people with critical skills because soldiers were getting pregnant. He added the deterrent of a possible court martial for soldiers that got pregnant while on deployment. The new policy applied to both female and male soldiers, even if married. The male sexual partners of female soldiers who get pregnant would also "face the consequences", he said. It is the first time the US Army has made pregnancy a punishable offense. That policy was overturned in less than a month after Barbara Boxer and three other female Senators complained to brass higher up the chain.
The problem with this politically correct policy is that while it makes feminists like Barbara Boxer happy it ignores reason and reality. Where there are women and men or gay men serving together there will be sex, period. There are no rules that can prevent that but with tough enough consequences the military can deter the reckless and risky sexual activity that the new policy opens the door for.
There will be lawsuits, claims of rape, sexual harassment and broken hearts both straight and gay. All are distractions from the stated purpose of the military which is to defend this nation. I understand that the military can't afford to lose more soldiers but with policy changes like this you are going to lose the soldiers anyway. You might as well lose them before they get pregnant on the tax payers dime or create a sticky situation for a submarine under the sea.
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STORY: Pentagon OKs lifting ban on women in submarines
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