10 Navy women to be first on subs

Goose Creek -- The first women to be assigned to submarines will graduate from the Navy's Nuclear Power School today.

The 10 junior officers will be assigned to their submarines after completing their training, which includes prototype training and the Submarine Officer Basic Course, according to Tom Dougan, spokesman for the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program. They are expected to report to their submarines starting in December.

Of the 85 officers who will graduate in the private ceremony, 16 are women, Dougan said in an e-mail. They will serve aboard submarines and aircraft carriers. Women have been attending Nuclear Power School since 1994 and have served on aircraft carriers since then.

"There are extremely capable women who have the motivation, talent and desire to succeed," Dougan said. "Drawing from this talent increases our ability to maintain the world's best submarine force."

The Navy announced last year that it was lifting the ban on women serving aboard subs, the last class of military vessels off limits to them.