The U.S. Navy commissioned its first co-ed submarine, the USS New Jersey, on Saturday, in a historic moment that signals a new era of inclusivity below the surface.
“USS New Jersey (SSN 796) is commissioned and ready to serve!” the Navy proudly announced in a post on X. “The Navy’s newest Virginia-class submarine has joined the fleet.”
According to a video posted by the Navy, New Jersey is “the first fully integrated submarine built for both male and female crews” in the 100-year history of submarines.
“It’s an honor for us to be learning this particular part of the story for the first time,” a woman who appears to be a Navy official says in the video.
The video’s narration says this is “a testament to the strength that diversity brings to the Navy.”
A narrator proclaimed that for the first time, men and women would pilot a submarine “side by side,” and be “united in purpose, skill and determination.”
The video noted that the addition of the USS New Jersey to the Navy fleet is a “symbol of progress in breaking down barriers in protecting our coasts.”
“New Jersey represents the future of the submarine force and the integration of this boat has been a long time coming,” the woman seen in the video said.
“This is really the first time the Navy is really planning for the future in terms of staffing and tapping into its entire population to find those rare individuals who can and should be submariners,” said a second woman in the video, also believed to be a Navy official.
The ship’s modifications included adding doors and extra washrooms to separate sleeping quarters and bathrooms for the mixed-gender crew, according to a report from Stars and Stripes, a news outlet for the US military.
Other modifications include lowering overhead valves to make them easier to turn and installing stairs in front of triple-tiered beds and stacked washing machines.
The ship’s design was changed to accommodate the growing number of women joining the Navy as submarine crew members, Stars and Stripes reported, noting that the Navy has doubled the number of female commissioned officers and tripled the number of enlisted men in the submarine force over the past five years.
There are currently more than 60,000 enlisted women serving in the U.S. Navy, according to Women in the Navy.com. Stars and Stripes reports that as of August, 730 women were serving on operational submarines.
The submarine was commissioned during a ceremony Saturday morning at Naval Weapons Station Earle in Middletown Township, New Jersey, according to the Department of Defense.
According to the Department of Defense, the ship is the third Navy vessel named after the state. The first was a battleship built in 1906 that was part of the Great White Fleet during World War I. The second, also a battleship, was commissioned in 1943 and served in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
According to the Department of Defense, the name USS New Jersey, a “nuclear-powered fast attack submarine,” was first announced in May 2015. The ship was finally delivered on April 25.
“The future of Navy warfare starts here — and it will be more inclusive, stronger and more capable than ever before,” the Navy video states.
