Posted on Jun 30, 2014
Should the US Navy allow all berthing areas on Ship to be open to both genders?
127K
793
496
49
49
0
In the US Navy we have Traditionally Berthed enlisted personnel by Department and Division on Ships. With the introduction of Women on ships the Enlisted Berthing Areas have now been segregated into males being berthed by Department and Division and females into their separate areas. Officers live in Staterooms of 1, 2, or more officers and so the problem is much easier to handle.
To me this has always been strange because it breaks up work groups and separates people artificially. Sex between Sailors on the same ship has never been allowed, so that should not be a problem (right!) Now we have the added mixture of people being openly gay yet still assigned to the same berthing considerations.
BEQs at Shore Establishments have different rules based on availability of housing more than on gender. Is it time for a change or not?
To me this has always been strange because it breaks up work groups and separates people artificially. Sex between Sailors on the same ship has never been allowed, so that should not be a problem (right!) Now we have the added mixture of people being openly gay yet still assigned to the same berthing considerations.
BEQs at Shore Establishments have different rules based on availability of housing more than on gender. Is it time for a change or not?
Gender
Women in the Military
Boats
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 150
0
0
0
No I have been on an aircraft carrier for two deployments and thhere were so many people getting caught having sex. So why make it eisier for those people.
(0)
(0)
CMDCM Gene Treants
Pray tell, how does sleeping in the same berthing area make it easier? Do you really want to have sex with 40 to 100 of your best friends knowing what you are doing? I do like a little privacy myself.
(0)
(0)
AN (Join to see)
There is sex in the berthings now. It's not that hard to do it. There are ways to do it with out them knowing. Once they are integrated it will make it easier to have consentual sex or rape someone. It's already easy enough on a ship with all the places to go. Especially if you know somoen with keys.
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
I think this would be a VERY bad idea!!!! People in all branches everywhere (not all people) have sex at some point with another one in the area. This is making it to easy and asking for people to.
(0)
(0)
CMDCM Gene Treants
Do we alos then segrate gays and put them in same sex berthing areas so they cannot see someone of the same sex who is not gay or lesbian? What about BI? Transgender Berthing? How far do we separate people?
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
No way in hell should this ever happen. My wife is also in the Navy and I wouldn't be comfortable with guys in her berthing.
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
Lol really? It could be possible if both male and female where professional enough. But you are looking at sexual misconduct here. Not a good idea.
(0)
(0)
CMDCM Gene Treants
I do believe that the vast majority of our Sailors are true professionals and that is what will make this possible.
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
Not making light of your question, but I would truly hate to see them become real "birthing" areas.
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
No! keep them separate. I noticed some people trying to make it seem like things would go smoothly as in "it's just a bunch of sailors waking up to stand late watches and rushing to go to quarters dilligently." Let's keep it real. If you put men and women in close proximity there will be a whole lot of heart to heart action regardless of race. It's been like that for centuries. We're mammals it's embedded in us. A filthy berthing isn't going to stop anyone from doing what they're not supposed to do. How do I know? Because I've seen it happen already. Yes female was in male berthing during a liberty port and they took care of business. Or even an enlisted male in a female officer's stateroom. Fan rooms are dusty but do you think when someone is in the mood they have time to be picky? Majority of service members are in their 20s. Hormones are at their peak around that age. You mean to tell me if a beautiful voluptuous woman (and we all know there's always that one very attractive woman) walks by in berthing in her bras and panties that a heterosexual male will not stare? Emotions will run high testosterone will too and it would be a disaster. I'm not sugar coating anything. Other countries may be able to make it work. But this is America. Sex is a big deal in America. Loads of porn (and I mean hundreds of GBs of porn) are shared amongst males in the berthings. You telling me after they watch it they won't want the real thing that could be sleeping an arms length from them? Or there's always that one female who loves the extra attention from men and the larger the quantity the better for her if you know what I mean. Sexual harassment is a serious thing and we know it's going to happen. As much as everyone wants life to be happy with sunshine and rainbows the reality is it can't and won't be. There's sex addicts and perverts living on these vessels. By putting them in very close proximity like berthings will not have positive results. Keeping males and females is what's safest and best. A ship filled with rape cases is not a mission capable ship.
(0)
(0)
PO3 (Join to see)
People are going to have sex no matter what, but you honestly think there is enough time and freedom for two sailors to have sex in a crammed berthing. There least likely to have sex in a berthing opposed to a fan room.
(2)
(0)
CMDCM Gene Treants
Fan rooms, ships boats, working spaces, offices, etc are all more possibilities than a berthing area in my mind too. Sex with 30 or 40 of my best friends listening to everything, wow, what a great idea.
(1)
(0)
PO2 (Join to see)
Time and freedom? That's just like saying what sailor in his right mind will be highly intoxicated the day before the ship gets underway risking missing ships movement. Or what sailor would actually gun deck a check that can get him or her kicked out and lose his or her benefits? It may be hard to believe but people these days will do the most outlandish things that have people scratching their heads wondering what in the world were they thinking. Couple years back on the USS Tortuga in Japan at the time had a female and male couple or boat boo as they like to call it. They got caught having sex in the berthing by the wrong eyes. Yes in the berthing. First thing that came out of the female mouth is that she was raped just to avoid going on restriction or worse. They took her side he got screwed over. Point is they did it in the berthing. Don't get me started because I have stories for days of wild misbehavior. Putting males and females in the same sleeping area on ships is bad for business. In a perfect world it would work. But not in our society.
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
The genders should remain separate. Who comes up with these ideas? I am very grateful for the important differences between men and women.
(0)
(0)
LCDR (Join to see)
I agree. When you put 18-25 year old men and women in a confined space (i.e. a ship) for a lengthy period of time, it is silly to think you can stop the inevitable. But, putting them in even closer quarters (same berthing) is just throwing gas on the fire.
(1)
(0)
CMDCM Gene Treants
Gentlemen, I have to wonder if these are the same men and women you trust to take care of your ship, steer it, your food is cooked, ensure your weapons are safe and not fired in error, etc. You trust them to do all of this, but not keep their genitles under control in a berthing area that holds between 30 and 100 other people.
(0)
(0)
LCDR (Join to see)
Yes, I trust them to do all this, but that does not mean every sailor is equally adept, nor that every sailor can do each of these tasks 24/7. There is a discipline and orderliness that comes with running a ship. That is what we mean by "ship-shape." There is a fine line between order with high morale and perfunctory actions with begrudging morale. There is also a morality and an ethics that comes with running a warship during times of peace and war. If humanistic naturalism is our ultimate standard, than yes, let's mix the genders like so many evolved animals. However, if a standard external to human hormones is desired, let's keep to the standard that is tried and proved.
(0)
(0)
0
0
0
What are they pushing for, co-ed dorm rooms? Sure, let's allow sex-deprived sailors to sleep all in the same room.
How it does it separate people? If we're roommates, and we're out hanging out or working out or whatever, do we have to share rooms when we get back to the house? That's how your argument sits with me right now.
I was in, people still screwed each other's brains out, but most of them were caught either in the act or through small investigations. I knew a female sailor who was caught red-handed with the same guy TWICE! You'd figure the lesson would've been learned the first time, but nope. So, if people are gonna screw each other, they're gonna do it.
BUT LET'S NOT MAKE IT ANY EASIER FOR THEM TO GET AWAY WITH IT!!
No, it's not time for change, and no Shore Duty Stations don't really have much of a different scenario; roommates who share a kitchen or common living area are not different genders. And that's just the way it is.
How it does it separate people? If we're roommates, and we're out hanging out or working out or whatever, do we have to share rooms when we get back to the house? That's how your argument sits with me right now.
I was in, people still screwed each other's brains out, but most of them were caught either in the act or through small investigations. I knew a female sailor who was caught red-handed with the same guy TWICE! You'd figure the lesson would've been learned the first time, but nope. So, if people are gonna screw each other, they're gonna do it.
BUT LET'S NOT MAKE IT ANY EASIER FOR THEM TO GET AWAY WITH IT!!
No, it's not time for change, and no Shore Duty Stations don't really have much of a different scenario; roommates who share a kitchen or common living area are not different genders. And that's just the way it is.
(0)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google