Are Women Allowed on Submarines?
Yes, women are allowed to serve on submarines in the U.S. Navy, including as officers and enlisted Sailors. The U.S. lifted its submarine-service ban for women in 2010, and the first female officers began reporting to Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarines a year later. Serving underwater is not automatic, though: it is a competitive assignment with medical, training, rating, and crew-placement requirements.
What Submarine Service Means for Women Today
Women can pursue submarine duty in enlisted or officer roles, subject to training and assignment requirements.
The important distinction is between being eligible to volunteer and being selected for a particular assignment. Submarines have limited berthing, specific job needs, and tightly managed crews. A Sailor’s rating, qualifications, medical status, performance record, and available positions all affect whether a submarine assignment is possible.
In the U.S. Navy, submarine duty is now a competitive career assignment, not a separate category of service reserved for men.
In 2017, the Navy selected enlisted women for training and assignment to USS Ohio (SSGN 726), homeported in Bangor, WA. That mattered because early integration discussions focused heavily on officers; enlisted women are part of the submarine force as well.
How to Pursue U.S. Navy Submarine Duty
| Your Situation | Practical Next Move | What Determines the Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| You are considering joining the Navy | Ask about submarine service opportunities. | Available ratings and qualifications |
| You are already enlisted | Speak with your chain of command, career counselor, or community manager about conversion or assignment options | Your rating, record, required qualifications, and available billets |
| You are on an officer path | Raise submarine interest during your commissioning and career-planning process | Warfare-community selection, training results, medical qualification, and openings |
| You have been offered an opportunity | Complete screening, paperwork, and training requirements promptly | Final medical and administrative approval, plus assignment needs |
Step 1: Choose a Navy Path That Can Lead to a Submarine Assignment
If you have not joined the Navy, start by discussing the kind of work you want to do rather than assuming every Navy job transfers directly to a submarine. Submarine crews need people in specific technical, operational, administrative, medical, and support roles.
If you are already serving, make your interest known through your command and career-management channels. A transfer to submarine duty is not simply a request for a new location; it usually involves a change in assignment community, required training, and screening.
Step 2: Treat Selection as Competitive
The Navy described its 2017 process for selecting enlisted women. Strong performance, relevant operational experience, and command endorsements were important in identifying Sailors for the program.
Build a strong record, maintain dependable performance, and begin assignment conversations early.
Step 3: Complete the Required Medical and Administrative Screening
Submarine service has medical standards because crews work in a confined environment far from routine shore-based support. The Navy determines eligibility through its current screening process rather than through a self-assessment.
For the 2017 Cycle 3 enlisted selection, primary selectees should have completed a Report of Medical History, DD Form 2807-1, and a Report of Medical Examination, DD Form 2808. Those forms are examples from that specific selection cycle, not a promise that every future applicant will follow an identical paperwork list.
Ask for the current requirements in writing through the official Navy process. Medical waivers, ratings, and training pipelines can affect timing and eligibility.
Step 4: Finish Training and Accept the Assigned Billet
Selection is only the beginning. A Sailor who is approved for submarine duty must complete the required training pipeline and arrive at the assigned command ready to qualify in the job.
The final result is an official set of orders to a submarine command, followed by onboard training and qualifications. Do not assume that expressing interest, submitting paperwork, or being preliminarily selected guarantees a specific boat or homeport.
The Navy’s 2017 Cycle 3 selection notice shows how formal that process can be, including selection, medical review, training, and assignment steps.
Why Women Were Historically Excluded From Submarines
Women were excluded from U.S. submarines for decades because of policy and practical concerns about living arrangements in very small, crowded vessels. The Navy had also cited the cost of creating separate accommodations and the limited space available for privacy.
Those reasons reflected the way submarines had been designed and staffed at the time, not a conclusion that women could not perform submarine work. When policy changed, the Navy addressed integration through crew planning, assignment management, and habitability modifications.
In 2010, the Defense Department lifted the ban. The change was announced after a 30-day period in which Congress could object had expired. Female officers began reporting to Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarines the following year.
Daily Life, Privacy, and Professional Conduct on Submarines
A submarine is a close-living workplace. Crewmembers work long watches, share common areas, and have limited personal space while underway. That reality applies to everyone onboard, not only women.
Privacy is handled through shipboard arrangements and habitability modifications. The Navy has made changes intended to meet privacy requirements as women have been integrated into submarine crews. The exact layout depends on the submarine class, the number of people assigned, and how that crew’s berthing areas are organized.
Professional expectations also remain the same for everyone. A submarine crew depends on discipline, respectful conduct, and clear boundaries because people work and live close together for extended periods.
What Navy Integration Plans Have Shown
The Navy’s public integration plans anticipated expansion beyond a small initial group of officers.
In a 2021 update, the Submarine Force stated a goal of having officers integrated into 33 different crews across platforms and homeports by 2030. It also described an enlisted-women plan covering 14 crews that was scheduled for review as the program expanded.
Those figures were planning targets, not a guarantee that every submarine would immediately have openings for women in every rating. Crew composition changes over time.
How to Confirm a Specific Opportunity
Use official career-management channels to ask about submarine service. This is especially important if you are comparing an enlisted conversion, a first enlistment, or an officer community.
Ask direct questions:
- Is my rating or intended rating available in the submarine force?
- What training or conversion steps would I need?
- What medical screening is required for this assignment cycle?
- Is there a current submarine billet for my grade and specialty?
- What homeports or submarine classes are realistically available?
If you are considering this path, state clearly that submarine service is your goal when discussing your options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can girls be on submarines in the military?
Yes, women can serve on military submarines as adult service members when they meet the military’s enlistment or commissioning requirements. In the U.S. Navy, women may serve in both officer and enlisted submarine roles, subject to assignment, training, and medical standards.
Can women serve on UK submarines?
Yes, women can serve on submarines in the U.S. Navy. Eligibility for UK submarine service is determined through the Royal Navy’s separate recruiting, training, medical, and assignment process. Applicants should use Royal Navy recruiting channels rather than U.S. Navy guidance.
Where do women sleep on submarines?
Women sleep in onboard berthing arrangements, not in separate shore accommodations. The Navy has made habitability modifications to meet privacy requirements, but the exact setup varies by submarine class, crew size, and available space.
What is the no-touching rule on a submarine?
There is no separate everyday rule called a “no-touching rule” that determines whether women may serve on submarines. Crewmembers must follow military standards for professional conduct, consent, personal boundaries, harassment prevention, and lawful orders in the same close-living environment as the rest of the crew.
Did Trump vote against women serving on submarines?
No. It is not accurate to frame the policy change as a Trump vote. The U.S. policy was announced in 2010 after the 30-day congressional objection period expired, before Donald Trump became president.
Are Women Assigned to Every Submarine?
Not necessarily. Women may serve on submarines, subject to selection, training, and assignment.
What submarine jobs can women have in the Navy, and what are they called?
Women are eligible for all submarine ratings, provided they meet the applicable selection, training, medical, and assignment requirements. In the Submarine Force, the term “submariners” is gender-neutral, and women serving in the Navy are Sailors.
When did the Navy begin allowing women to serve on submarines?
The Navy ended its prohibition on women serving aboard submarines in 2010. The first female officers then reported to Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarines the following year, marking the beginning of their service on those crews.