The undersea environment is unforgiving, and mistakes can be deadly. The issue at hand is combat readiness. Assigning women to submarines contributes nothing to the combat effectiveness of a submarine. Adding women to this high stress environment will produce distractions and morale problems that only add to the danger already inherent in submarine operation. Senator Snowe should listen to the submarine veterans and experts before she tries to subvert the effectiveness of our front line defenders and undermine the safety of our sailors.
Submarines are combat vehicles that make a significant contribution to our national defense.
They should not be used as petri dishes for social experimentation. Mr. Bloomer is a retired US Navy submarine officer. All rights reserved.