Here in the United States, it’s no secret that we are a military powerhouse amongst other countries in the world.
Still to this day, there are things that have remained instituted within the military that some would say are old-school traditions.
This past weekend, barriers were broken by the United States Navy that will forever go down in history.
The event that was celebrated took place at the Naval Weapons Station Earle in Middletown, New Jersey, this past Saturday (Sept. 14).
U.S. Navy Makes Military History With First Coed Submarine
The ceremony that took place marked the end of a year’s worth of work to get to that point and launch the latest USS New Jersey submarine.
According to Commander Steve Halle, this submarine is a beast. It’s the “fastest, most advanced, fully integrated fast-attack to date.”
But what makes the launch of the third Naval ship to be named after New Jersey so special is that this is the first ever coed submarine.
Halle expanded on that sentiment, “Our superior professionalism is enhanced by our crew integration and our diversity.”
The diversity that Halle speaks of is the first ever fast-attack United States submarine with both men and women on the vessel at the same time.
The Navy launched a sweet video to commemorate the event, where it says it’s the “first fully integrated submarine built for male and female sailors” in the roughly 100 years of submarines.
Buckle up for a quick history lesson. Women were first allowed in the Navy in 1917. With over 60,000 women in the Navy currently, there are around 600 women assigned to submarines both as officers and sailors.
The video talks about how men and women will now work side-by-side for the first time on Navy submarines. Honestly, the video alone will give you goosebumps just seeing how far advanced we have and are becoming as a nation.
Will First Coed Submarine be the Only of its Kind in the Navy Fleet?
If you are a betting person, bet on no. The voiceover in the video says, “The USS New Jersey is representative of the future of the submarine force and integrating this boat is a long time coming.”
Military website Stars and Stripes reports some of the changes on-board the ship include more doors and washrooms and separated sleeping and bathing areas for the coed crew.
As Neil Armstrong once famously said, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
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