The following is the NAVADMIN message, released on Jan. 21 2015, outlining the plan to integrate enlisted female sailors onto U.S. Navy submarines.
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R 211425Z JAN 15 PSN 507838H31
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NAVADMIN 019/15
SUBJ/OPENING SUBMARINE FORCE BILLETS TO ENLISTED WOMEN//
MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO WASHINGTON DC/N1/JAN//
RMKS/1. In July 2014, the Secretary of the Navy approved an integration plan
to open to all women previously closed ratings and Navy Enlisted
Classification (NEC) codes in the submarine force. This plan includes the
opportunity for all enlisted female Sailors of ranks E-1 to E-8 and all
ratings to request a conversion to serve in the submarine force.
2. The integration of female enlisted Sailors will follow the successful
integration of female officers aboard submarines in a similar manner.
Initially, Sailors will be selected and trained for rating conversion to
serve aboard SSGNs and SSBNs previously integrated with female officers.
The first two crews will be integrated in 2016, with an additional two to
four crews added each year through 2021. Phase two of the plan will
integrate enlisted female Sailors aboard new construction VIRGINIA -class
SSNs in approximately 2020.
3. Eligibility.
a. E-7/8. Chief Petty Officers (CPOs) with the following
ratings
will be eligible to request assignment aboard submarines:
IT/YN/CS/LS/HM(IDC). These CPOs will be the first enlisted women assigned to
integrated crews and will arrive in sufficient time to fully integrate into
the crew prior to junior personnel arriving.
CPOs with these ratings will be chosen to bring their current expertise and
leadership skills aboard submarines quickly, which will be essential in the
follow-on integration of junior female Sailors. CPOs will be selected from
these ratings for conversion and assignment in submarines until their
important leadership role can be filled by the normal advancement process
inside the submarine force. Following selection, CPOs will attend basic
enlisted submarine school and any necessary rate-specific training prior to
being assigned to their first submarine.
Details on the application and selection process will be provided in a
separate NAVADMIN (FY16 ENLISTED WOMEN IN SUBMARINES CHIEF PETTY OFFICER
CONVERSION PROCESS).
b. E-6 and below Sailors with an assigned rating. All E-6 and below
female Sailors are eligible to apply for rating conversion into one of the
following submarine ratings: STS/FT/MMW/MT/ITS/ET-NAV/ET -COM/LS/YN/CS/MMA.
Each Sailor selected for conversion will attend basic enlisted submarine
school followed by *A* and *C* schools, as needed, based on their selected
rating and expertise. Details on the application and selection process will
be provided in a separate NAVADMIN (FY16 ENLISTED WOMEN IN SUBMARINES E-6 AND
BELOW RATING CONVERSION PROCESS).
c. New recruits and Sailors without an assigned rating. Female recruits
and female Sailors who have not yet selected a rating are eligible to apply
for training and assignment in the following
ratings:
STS/FT/MMW/MT/ITS/ET-NAV/ET-COM/LS/YN/CS/MMA/EMN/MMN/ETN/MMN-ELT.
Following assignment, these Sailors will complete the same training pipeline
as their male counterparts. Sailors serving in the fleet who have not yet
selected a rating may apply per NAVADMIN (FY16 ENLISTED WOMEN IN SUBMARINES
E-6 AND BELOW RATING CONVERSION PROCESS). Specific guidance for Navy
Recruiters will be provided SEPCOR from Navy Recruiting Command.
d. Nuclear Trained Sailors. Female Sailors in the nuclear
training
pipeline or serving as junior staff instructors at a Nuclear Power Training
Unit (NPTU) should contact their Command Career Counselors for details on how
to apply for submarine service. Specific guidance for Navy Recruiters will
be provided SEPCOR from Navy Recruiting Command.
4. To support the integration of submarine crews, ships that will have
enlisted women onboard will be modified to ensure conditions meet Navy
guidelines for habitability and privacy while maintaining equity for male and
female Sailors embarked in submarines.
5. More information on the opportunities available and the benefits of
service in the submarine force is available via the NPC website at
http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/enlisted/community/submarine
/pages/enlistedwomeninsubmarines.aspx.
This information will also be provided during visits to Navy homeports by
detailers and Enlisted Community Managers (ECMs).
a. Non-nuclear Sailors, Command Career Counselors, and commands may also
contact the submarine non-nuclear ECM office: LCDR James Drumgole, 901-874-
2082; STSCS(SS) Joseph Hanley, 901-874-4367;
YNC(SS) Aaron Norton, 901-874-2819.
b. Nuclear-trained Sailors, Command Career Counselors, and
commands
may contact the nuclear ECM office: LCDR Will Wiley, 703-604-5493;
ETCM(SW) Victor Harris, 703-604-5492.
6. Released by Vice Admiral W. F. Moran.//
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