Should the US Navy allow all berthing areas on Ship to be open to both genders?

Side note, we cohabitated with women on about half of one of my deployments due to the nature of our location and the need for security, and I don't even recall a single issue that came of it. It's a maturity thing - you can either deal with it, or you can not. I grew up in a household with 6 women and one bathroom. We were very... close in the mornings, because that bathroom was a busy place.

Preach. haha.

Our society may not be ready, but often the Military has to lead the way. It may be time for all of us, male and female alike to stop the point and giggle crap.

LCDR Jaron Matlow as the number of women in the Navy and at sea increases we really need a paradigm shift and new types of thinking to make sure all of our bunks are filled and personnel levels are maintained. What is a good way to ensure that we do not deploy with unfilled bunks and missing people people. Any Suggestions Commander?

Master Chief, when I was Radcon officer on Shenandoah, one of the things we noted was about a 25% pregnancy rate among women in the several months before deployment. It was known that a number of them got pregnant deliberately to avoid deploying - a very cynical thing to do, but yet it was done.

I have long felt, and I know this is far from PC, that sea duty should include an obligation to avoid pregnancy. If any male sailor caused a medical condition to avoid deployment, they'd go to mast, yet no women were ever held accountable for this.

I understand that women's reproductive rights are a very touchy subject, but still, when you volunteer to join the Navy, as we all do these days, and you raise your right hand, you incur an obligation. I strongly feel that this includes avoiding pregnancy.

If you're talking about a non-rated seaman, no big deal. But.. what about on a Tender, when you have ONE sailor with a given NEC. If she leaves due to deployment, you are no longer mission ready.

I guess a parallel for men would be that they incur an obligation to not have pregnant wives during deployment -again, a hugely difficult proposition, but according to the Family Leave act, Paternity leave carries the same weight as Maternity leave.

I know none of this would ever happen, but that's one thing that needs to be done to make this work.

The other way to make it work would be the "Pink ship" - an all woman crew. That has its own unique problems as well.

So, Master Chief - what would you do? You are a wiser man than I as an MCPO - I never claimed to know more than my master chiefs...

LCDR Jaron Matlow I knew of this strange, prior to deployment disease of pregnancy that happened once some women were stationed on ships. Back in the late 70's when I was a Company Commander, if a woman became pregnant, she was discharged if she wanted to be and had been in less then 2 years, not kidding. So a lot of them got out that way and then aborted their child as soon as the discharge came through.

I don't know if Navy still keeps women from deploying if they are pregnant, but I would keep her aboard as long as possible and then return her to their unit as soon as Maternity Leave was over. Oh, what a bummer. I would also make sure this policy was well known. If I could do it, I agree, no pregnancy while attached to a ship, either gender.

We talked about Pink Ships a long time ago when I went to Senior Enlisted Academy (Class 09 in 1983) and it just made NO sense at all. There were just not enough trained personnel of each rate to make the idea fly and then to replace the people as they rotated out, plus that was only one or two ships that we could do. (Since we were at Newport we got input from NWC as well.)

At that time we were NOT thinking about one berthing space with mixed gender, we did not even admit (officially) there was such a thing as, dare I say it, homosexuality, in the Navy.

Wise? I don't not know if that applies, but I listen, consider, stay up on rules and regs, seek input from all hands, and then I make my best decision for a recommendation to my CO. In making that recommendation I do consider all inputs, but it is not a vote, it is my true belief of what the situation warrants, sometimes without other input if there is no time to gather, but based on my judgment alone.

ETCM, I was told by our ship's doc that most of the women who got pregnant did in fact abort then transfer to another ship - a real sick plot if you ask me.

Re pregnant women now at sea; the issue hasn't changed - pregnant women need to be close to a major medical facility, and generally the CVN isn't enough -so once they report the pregnancy, no Skipper will keep them on board - the medical risk is too great...

Thanks for the info about your deliberations on the Pink Ship - I know it wouldn't fly - and there are other reasons besides those you mention, as well.

Still, as one experienced with women at sea, and now as clergy, my vote remains no on co-ed berthing...

I have to agree - WHEN POSSIBLE, for the good of the mission and the Ship.

Col Williams I will agree with you that if it is not necessary to berth personnel together, why do it? However, in the field you and I both know that placing a few females in a tent alone, separated from the rest of the team can be a disaster. In certain situations, where the safety of all is concerned, placing a few alone is unsafe. Other then that, I cannot see in the confined space of a ship, with everyone trying to move around the berthing areas, where it is necessary to have the genders mixed. Until humans begin to mature at an earlier age, mixing late teenagers in a small space is not always a good thing.

Wow that is a great point MSgT Mallory-Robinson.... Obviously my background is of Soldier...

PO3 (Join to see) you are being sexually harassed if you are having to listen to or experience lesbians (or hetrosexual couples) having sexual relations in your berthing area.
Having to look over your shoulder and see if you are safe is never comfortable. I know this is a radical idea and it may never come to fruition in any case, but you do need to be comfortable today.

I do not know of any ships that have open showers. The ones I have see all have closed shower spaces that are like little rooms, not like the scene in Star Ship Troopers.

Yes some do have shower stalls, but not all stalls have curtains. there was a few times I had to make curtains for them. Until I had made them people were still showering in them. Star Ship Troopers is what came to mind when I read this article.

mean times the shower stalls are to small to shower in, and change?

Most shower stalls were the standard size you'd find in a military hotel...barely big enough for a 6 foot tall, 180 lb. guy to shower in.

Some very good thoughts PO3 (Join to see). Thanks for your response and yes, some have been mentioned, but it is always worth saying again.

Even the "luxurious" CPO berthing is the same, Barley big enough for one.

" If there is a will there is a way"

Even though each shower is enclosed in its own private bubble? Curtains or doors that make sure you are in a room without a view?

PO2 Meagan Brown
Did you go through boot camp? Great Lakes A-School?