Q&A: Disclosures of Female Submariner Issues Most Have Not Yet Heard

Navy leadership has sounded unanimous in speaking publicly about Secretary Mabus's decision to deploy female sailors in combat submarines by next year. Behind the scenes, howver, coed subs present medical and design challenges many have yet to learn about, much less hear.


A retired Rear Admiral who is a specialist in undersea medicine warned Congress that the air inside a submarine can be hazardous to fetal development.

"Atmosphere controls are different between ships and a submarine's sealed environment," retired Rear Adm. Hugh Scott, a former undersea medical officer, told The Washington Times. "There are all types of organic traces that off-gas into the air that have to be removed by mechanical means. You just can't open a window and let them out."

Adm. Scott said the Office of Naval Research contacted him about serving on a panel to study women and submarine issues, but he never heard back. Three days after the 05 Apr 2010 NewsMax story appeared, the Navy placed its smoking ban on submarines. Political correctness and a lawyer SecNav have been trump cards only retired admirals need not have feared:

Q&A:

Q.-1) Who will do female officers' laundry?

Answer: not public information at this time.

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Q.-2) How large will extra uniform allotments for females on subs be as a contingency for those times when washing machines cannot be used? Will the extra clothing allotment be stored in oversized personal lockers?

Answer: not public information at this time.

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Q.3) Have there been any studies on the effects of human pheromones?
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Answer 3.1: Maybe; Swedish researchers have shown that homosexual and heterosexual males' brains respond differently to two odors that may be involved in sexual arousal, and that the homosexual men respond in the same way as heterosexual women, though it could not be determined whether this was cause or effect. The study was expanded to include homosexual women; the results were consistent with previous findings meaning that homosexual women were not as responsive to male identified odors, while their response to female cues were similar to that of heterosexual males.[24]
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Answer 3.2: In a 2001 study conducted by researchers at the University of Texas, men described the smell of a woman's T-shirt as more "sexy" or "pleasant" during the fertile stage of her menstrual cycle than the shirt of the same woman during her infertile stage.
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Q.4) Have all submarine flag officers been unanimous on bringing female crew on submarines?
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Answer: No; only those on active duty.
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Tomorrow's post: What Missed Clues Could Mean for Submariners
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Submarines are always silent and strange.