The USS New Jersey, a Virginia-class fast attack submarine designed from the keel up to accommodate both male and female crew members, has entered service with the U.S. Navy.
Silent service has been exclusively for men since its inception in the early 20th century, until the Pentagon began allowing women aboard submarines in 2010, prompting modifications to address bathroom issues and lack of privacy.
Some 4,000 people attended the commissioning ceremony for SSN 796 at Naval Weapons Station Earle in Middletown, New Jersey, on Saturday. Commander Steve Halle, captain of the New Jersey, called it a “A truly historic moment.”
“Today we commissioned our fastest, most advanced and fully integrated fast attack boat to date,” Halle said in her speech. “Our superior professionalism is enhanced by the integration of our crew and our diversity.”
According to Vice Admiral Robert Gaucher, commander of Submarine Force Atlantic, the service is now “fully gender-integrated” and all future nuclear-powered submarines, including the new Columbia-class, will be designed with gender-neutral accommodations.
Adjustments have been made to increase privacy in sleeping areas and bathrooms, while access to upper bunks and overhead valves has been designed with women's height, strength and reach in mind, according to the military newspaper Stars and Stripes.
More than 700 women are currently serving on submarines, local news outlet NorthJersey.com reported, citing records from Naval Region Hawaii.
The nuclear-powered attack submarine has a crew of up to 135, measures more than 115 metres long, nearly 11 metres wide and can dive to nearly 250 metres deep. Newport News Shipbuilding President Jennifer Boykin has dubbed it “Jersey Girl” and decorated the interior with posters and memorabilia depicting the Garden State, including a guitar signed by Jon Bon Jovi.
The New Jersey is the 23rd Virginia-class submarine built in the past 25 years. It is also the third U.S. Navy ship to be named after the state. The first, BB-16, was a battleship that saw service in World War I, while the second was BB-62, an Iowa-class battleship built during World War II and finally retired in 1999.
According to local media, in the week leading up to the commissioning ceremony, the submariners visited the Battleship New Jersey museum in Camden and met with students from the Pablo Duarte-José Julián Martí School No. 28 on September 11, as part of community outreach.
You can share this story on social media:
