As someone who has served on a US submarine, I have to say that honestly I don't think that will be happening anytime soon. And not for any PC or non-PC reasons, but really for the simple reason of logistics.
The US Navy's current policy is that women and men must have separate and berthing and heads. The average fast attack submarine (which makes up the majority of the fleet) has only 2 heads, one with 3 stalls, a urinal and a shower. The other has only one stall and one shower. All of this has be shared between 120 people. With just men there is already a wait just to be able to use the bathroom on a regular basis, women would only make this worse. Meanwhile, the smallest berthing space has 9 racks and those are typically all shared. (3 people for every one rack)
Until they change the design of submarines (something that would cost billions of dollars) I don't realistically see a change in the current male-only policy for submarines.
To be quite honest, if they were to try and force a co-ed force with the current sub designs I would feel incredibly sorry for whatever women chose to volunteer first. They would probably be victim to a tremendous amount of hazing not just because of their sex, but because of the preferential treatment they would receive. (i.e. 'Why should this NUB girl get her own rack when I have to share one and have been here for years?'
I won't even go into the other types of drama that runs rampant on ships with more living space, but I'm sure that would also be an issue.
Bottomline is that current logistics and policy can't support a co-ed sub fleet.
ET1(SS) Grimbear
The US Navy's current policy is that women and men must have separate and berthing and heads. The average fast attack submarine (which makes up the majority of the fleet) has only 2 heads, one with 3 stalls, a urinal and a shower. The other has only one stall and one shower. All of this has be shared between 120 people. With just men there is already a wait just to be able to use the bathroom on a regular basis, women would only make this worse. Meanwhile, the smallest berthing space has 9 racks and those are typically all shared. (3 people for every one rack)
Until they change the design of submarines (something that would cost billions of dollars) I don't realistically see a change in the current male-only policy for submarines.
To be quite honest, if they were to try and force a co-ed force with the current sub designs I would feel incredibly sorry for whatever women chose to volunteer first. They would probably be victim to a tremendous amount of hazing not just because of their sex, but because of the preferential treatment they would receive. (i.e. 'Why should this NUB girl get her own rack when I have to share one and have been here for years?'

I won't even go into the other types of drama that runs rampant on ships with more living space, but I'm sure that would also be an issue.
Bottomline is that current logistics and policy can't support a co-ed sub fleet.
ET1(SS) Grimbear
But wine was the great assassin of both tradition and propriety...
-Brandon Sanderson, The Way of Kings
-Brandon Sanderson, The Way of Kings
"Military may lift ban on women in submarines" (Reuters)
28/09/2009 08:26:30 PM
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gives new meaning to the old joke....
28/09/2009 09:47:36 PM
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my favorite joke from Navy basic training (mature readers only, poorly veiled sexual reference)
28/09/2009 10:06:51 PM
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As I understand it, there are very good reasons why they don't let women on submarines.
28/09/2009 09:50:39 PM
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frankly i get along better with women who are menstruating with me.
28/09/2009 11:26:05 PM
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seems like a strange choice to me
28/09/2009 10:26:24 PM
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if you can't keep it zipped
28/09/2009 11:35:35 PM
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Correct and yet it happens all too frequently already.
29/09/2009 12:43:15 AM
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In my mind, that's a pretty pathetic arguement.
29/09/2009 01:02:31 AM
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WHOA!
29/09/2009 01:14:27 AM
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Dude I know!!
29/09/2009 01:20:27 AM
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Hehehe, we could "name the show".
29/09/2009 01:26:11 AM
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XD Or even better!!!
29/09/2009 01:40:50 AM
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ROFL!
29/09/2009 01:47:07 AM
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Your comparison to segregation is idiotic. I won't even give such a stupid claim a second thought. *NM*
29/09/2009 01:44:46 AM
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I love how you disregard my entire arguement based on that one factor
29/09/2009 01:48:09 AM
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It is an irresponsible comparison. Even in your response to my comment you can't make it work. *NM*
29/09/2009 06:39:48 PM
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Actually I could see her point. She was thinking along a different line than you thought she was. *NM*
29/09/2009 02:57:17 AM
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It's not idiotic at all.
29/09/2009 05:21:49 AM
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Sweden has women on subs, as do (at least) Norway, Germany, Australia and Canada *NM*
29/09/2009 07:38:43 AM
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Just wondering..
29/09/2009 12:42:22 PM
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well since all of those countries use diesel/electric subs I would no they don't stay out as long
29/09/2009 03:10:34 PM
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There's also the fact that none of those countries have nuclear weapons
29/09/2009 03:14:48 PM
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Racial prejudice has nothing to do with envy over who is fucking who. It is not a valid comparison. *NM*
29/09/2009 06:40:57 PM
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~Plays devils advocate~ Lets pretend...
29/09/2009 02:54:03 AM
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By that same token, should women also be banned from long business trips? *NM*
29/09/2009 03:23:22 AM
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Re: ~Plays devils advocate~ Lets pretend...
29/09/2009 03:23:31 AM
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It might be true in some situations, but it's a weak argument against this issue.
29/09/2009 05:15:47 AM
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subs are really really cramped. Ever heard the phrase hot racking?
29/09/2009 03:23:33 PM
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"The military is instrument of war not social engineering." Excelent point. *NM*
30/09/2009 12:34:28 AM
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oh please will people stop the “it worked with segregation argument”
29/09/2009 03:01:48 PM
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A submariner's perspective
29/09/2009 08:30:45 AM
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That was not Beqi but Grimbear. I was signed in but it still credited the post to her. GRRR! *NM*
29/09/2009 08:32:21 AM
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Interesting.
29/09/2009 09:55:11 AM
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a rack is just the name for a bed
29/09/2009 03:30:05 PM
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See, that's a good reason.
29/09/2009 01:29:32 PM
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before you knock the return to high school argument
29/09/2009 10:39:47 PM
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which i think is just silly in the terms of greater age-related legalities
30/09/2009 12:08:46 AM
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Re: which i think is just silly in the terms of greater age-related legalities
30/09/2009 01:12:05 AM
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Thank you for talking some sense. *NM*
29/09/2009 06:46:33 PM
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