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
1
1
0
So here's the deal. Yes sex on ships and sex between shipmates is a nono. But guess what. It still happens every minute that goes by there is a new relationship or a new set of ppl hooking up. It's like when we were younger (speaking for my age group) our parents did everything to stop us from doing what we wanted. But at the end of the day; we still ended up getting some alone time with that special person so they could have sex. My point is Regardless of if they ever integrate or not sex between sailors is still going to happen whether big navy likes it or not. I do agree that the sexual assault rate would go up. But like I said. They will never EVER be able to stop sailors from having sex. And this is one of those other reasons that I chose to get out. We are all grown but there are so many ppl that the navy can't trust to act like adults that they have to put 10000 rules in place that make life miserable for the ppl who actually act like adults. Smh.
(1)
(0)
1
1
0
I strongly believe that if you place males and females in the same berthing areas this will encourage more rapes than what is already happening. This would only highly encourage this horrible act! Do NOT do this.
(1)
(0)
CMDCM Gene Treants
PO2 Kay Ralston this is a hypothetical question only. I disagree with your assessment and think we are a long way from doing this, if ever.
(0)
(0)
1
1
0
They should definitely not be allowed to berth together. Keeping males and females segregated has nothing to do with whether or not anyone would be trying to have sex. It had to do with physical privacy while dressing or actually sleeping. In addition all women whether they're straight, gay or any other orientation have times where personal privacy I'd of the utmost importance. They are also bound to have times where dressing in the head just isn't possible and they may need to dress in the berthing area. It would be very unfair to force them to do so in the presence of male shipmates.
(1)
(0)
1
1
0
I believe a transition would be viable if we started with a "segregated" berthing area where it was males on one side and females on the other. Same compartment, but still segregated. Just a thought.
(1)
(0)
CMDCM Gene Treants
I really think that is the way it will go, at least at first. It is very easy to subdivide many compartments and have 6, 12, 15, or other subsections. Thanks for the idea PO1 (Join to see).
(0)
(0)
1
1
0
Male and female berthing is normally separated and should be, but there will be times when hanky panky will occur as human nature is hard to control
(1)
(0)
CMDCM Gene Treants
Oh I fully agree MGySgt George W Iliffe Jr. people will be people and I understand that, but there are lines that cannot be crossed.
(0)
(0)
1
1
0
Honestly I don't see this as a problem. It's all about trust and your workshop is your family. Sleeping in a berthing with your family of same and opposite sex shouldnt and most likely wouldnt be a problem. On duty we sleep in the workshop half of the time anyways, so right there is co-ed arrangements of sleeping in a shop. Not a problem in my perspective.
(1)
(0)
CMDCM Gene Treants
Damn AA (Join to see) there you are bringing logic into this thread. Next thing you will do is go into a battle of wits armed with brains. Well done! (that is a BZ from a retired guy.)
(0)
(0)
1
1
0
I think it's a tradition that will never be broken. It could work with different living arrangements but it will have to be well thought out.
(1)
(0)
CMDCM Gene Treants
I would seriously think that much thought and planning would go into a move like this.
(0)
(0)
1
1
0
Don't truly know enough about Naval ships to take a solid position. From an outsider's point of view, Navy ships are limited in space and facilities. From the surface, it would be worth considering opening them up to male and females for maximizing usage of them.
Not that concerned mixing male and females. I believe Sailors are disciplined and can handle coed sharing.
Not that concerned mixing male and females. I believe Sailors are disciplined and can handle coed sharing.
(1)
(0)
CMDCM Gene Treants
Actually SFC Michael Jackson, MBA your last sentence was the premise of my question. Many seem to disagree with us on that point.
(0)
(0)
1
1
0
This is a workplace, not a barracks. There still needs to be a level of professionalism. Sleeping in separate berthings does not separate you from your division. With males and females sleeping in the same berthing I feel like any other scenario they will start sleeping together. That is not only fraternization. 1. If two people date and then break up that's more unneeded stress. 2. If a female gets pregnant we lose a body and then everyone else has to pick up the workload. 3. If a first and whoever are caught sleeping together that's mast and loss of more bodies. This will only cause problems.
(1)
(0)
CMDCM Gene Treants
PO3 (Join to see) I totally agree that any ship is a workplace and not a barracks. in response to your points: 1. Dating in the same chain of command - especially in the same work center has always been not only frowned upon, but essentially illegal. 2. I would hope that by now females as well as males would know the whys and hows of NOT getting pregnant, but many still use it as a way to get out of deployment. That goes for married as well as single personnel, even though only married men can claim Paternity Leave (or has that changed). 3. If any 2 people, regardless of paygrade or gender, are caught sleeping together it should still be mast, and the punishment should be more severe if there is a senior PO, CPO, or Officer involved.
Lastly, are all of the fan rooms and workspaces locked and/or guarded. We all know that berthing spaces are not going to be anyone's first choice for an assignation. But, I really do like your response, it was well thought out and very appropriate.
Lastly, are all of the fan rooms and workspaces locked and/or guarded. We all know that berthing spaces are not going to be anyone's first choice for an assignation. But, I really do like your response, it was well thought out and very appropriate.
(0)
(0)
1
1
0
We make too much of an issue out of what might happen. If your that worried make a berthing watch.
(1)
(0)
CMDCM Gene Treants
Do we really need another watch stander? and I have to ask, "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?" Hint: do we need a watch to watch him/her?
(0)
(0)
PO1 (Join to see)
i see your point. In light of that id say it would come down to training. We beat to death just about everything conceivable in navy training. And simply put if we, today, found ourselves in the midst of a third world war with say the same casualty rate then would we really have time to worry about separating the sexes? Today were all about equality, we work the same, we fight the same, we bleed the same, so dont you think its about time we stopped looking at eachother as different. Sooner or later were going to have to dispense with the plesantries, and decide that either we are all going to be held to the same standard, and treat eachother with the respect and dignity or were going to have to write this all off as a great experiment and move on. I personally think the latter would be a very wrong move. Both as an orginization, but also as a country. And seriously isnt that the direction we are going with the whole transgender thing going on in the country right now. Its only a matter of time and well be expected to accept our shipmates who make that choice just like we did those who are gay. Its all the same to me and sooner or later it will become policy. I donno thats my take on it. I could be wrong. But based off my 15 years of navy life id put my money on that bet.
(0)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google