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
917 Views
gives new meaning to the old joke....
- 28/09/2009 09:47:36 PM
609 Views
my favorite joke from Navy basic training (mature readers only, poorly veiled sexual reference)
- 28/09/2009 10:06:51 PM
689 Views
As I understand it, there are very good reasons why they don't let women on submarines.
- 28/09/2009 09:50:39 PM
686 Views
frankly i get along better with women who are menstruating with me.
- 28/09/2009 11:26:05 PM
639 Views
seems like a strange choice to me
- 28/09/2009 10:26:24 PM
651 Views
if you can't keep it zipped
- 28/09/2009 11:35:35 PM
639 Views
Correct and yet it happens all too frequently already.
- 29/09/2009 12:43:15 AM
624 Views
In my mind, that's a pretty pathetic arguement.
- 29/09/2009 01:02:31 AM
687 Views
WHOA!
- 29/09/2009 01:14:27 AM
594 Views
Dude I know!!
- 29/09/2009 01:20:27 AM
602 Views
Hehehe, we could "name the show".
- 29/09/2009 01:26:11 AM
590 Views
XD Or even better!!!
- 29/09/2009 01:40:50 AM
637 Views
ROFL!
- 29/09/2009 01:47:07 AM
565 Views
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
272 Views
I love how you disregard my entire arguement based on that one factor
- 29/09/2009 01:48:09 AM
710 Views
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
263 Views
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
312 Views
It's not idiotic at all.
- 29/09/2009 05:21:49 AM
609 Views
Sweden has women on subs, as do (at least) Norway, Germany, Australia and Canada *NM*
- 29/09/2009 07:38:43 AM
292 Views
Just wondering..
- 29/09/2009 12:42:22 PM
624 Views
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
606 Views
There's also the fact that none of those countries have nuclear weapons
- 29/09/2009 03:14:48 PM
618 Views
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
286 Views
~Plays devils advocate~ Lets pretend...
- 29/09/2009 02:54:03 AM
710 Views
By that same token, should women also be banned from long business trips? *NM*
- 29/09/2009 03:23:22 AM
286 Views
Re: ~Plays devils advocate~ Lets pretend...
- 29/09/2009 03:23:31 AM
606 Views
It might be true in some situations, but it's a weak argument against this issue.
- 29/09/2009 05:15:47 AM
631 Views
subs are really really cramped. Ever heard the phrase hot racking?
- 29/09/2009 03:23:33 PM
743 Views
"The military is instrument of war not social engineering." Excelent point. *NM*
- 30/09/2009 12:34:28 AM
360 Views
oh please will people stop the “it worked with segregation argument”
- 29/09/2009 03:01:48 PM
606 Views
A submariner's perspective
- 29/09/2009 08:30:45 AM
651 Views
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
378 Views
Interesting.
- 29/09/2009 09:55:11 AM
666 Views
a rack is just the name for a bed
- 29/09/2009 03:30:05 PM
606 Views
See, that's a good reason.
- 29/09/2009 01:29:32 PM
615 Views
before you knock the return to high school argument
- 29/09/2009 10:39:47 PM
606 Views
which i think is just silly in the terms of greater age-related legalities
- 30/09/2009 12:08:46 AM
637 Views
- 30/09/2009 12:08:46 AM
637 Views
Re: which i think is just silly in the terms of greater age-related legalities
- 30/09/2009 01:12:05 AM
599 Views
- 30/09/2009 01:12:05 AM
599 Views
Thank you for talking some sense. *NM*
- 29/09/2009 06:46:33 PM
369 Views

*NM*