US Navy launches gender inclusive USS New Jersey
Sopuruchi Onwuka, with agency reports
The U.S. Navy weekend commissioned the USS New Jersey, its first submarine designed to fully integrate male and female sailors.
The fast-attack Virginia-class submarine, which was commissioned during a ceremony at Naval Weapons Station Earle in Middletown, New Jersey, has a crew of nearly 135 male and female sailors. It’s the first in its class designed to be fully gender integrated.
The nuclear-powered sub is 377 feet long with a 34-foot beam. It can dive to depths greater than 800 feet and operate at speeds in excess of 25 knots.
USS New Jersey
Commander of Submarine Forces Atlantic, Vice Admiral Robert Gaucher, stated the USS New Jersey was designed for two genders from the outset with accommodations like increased privacy in washrooms and sleeping areas.
Access to top bunks and overhead valves were also designed with the height, reach and strength of women in mind.
The nuclear-powered submarine was unofficially nicknamed “Jersey Girl,” and its interior spaces decorated with posters and memorabilia representing the state, including a guitar signed by Jon Bon Jovi, the news outlet reported.
It is the third U.S. Navy ship named after the state of New Jersey, following the legendary battleship BB-62 that saw action during WWII, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
“You operate the most complex platform on the planet and you continuously strive for excellence,” New Jersey’s commanding officer Cmdr. Steve Halle addressed the submarine’s crew during the ceremony. “I’m amazed and humbled at what we have accomplished.”
“Our superior professionalism is enhanced by our crew integration and our diversity,” Halle continued. “We have exceeded expectations at every turn and overcome every obstacle set before us.”
When the Navy lifted its ban on women in submarines in 2010, concern about the living quarters being too tight and a lack of privacy prompted the Navy to retrofit subs and designate washrooms.
