U.S. Navy makes history by launching its first coed submarine: "Breaking barriers"

The United States Navy commissioned its first coed submarine on Saturday, in a ceremonial event that the vessel's commander called "a truly historic moment." 

"Today, we commissioned our ship, and she is the fastest, most advanced, fully integrated fast-attack to date," said Cmdr. Steve Halle, the commanding officer of the USS New Jersey.

"Our superior professionalism is enhanced by our crew integration and our diversity," Halle continued as he spoke about his crew being the first to be fully integrated on a fast-attack submarine. 

The ceremony marked the conclusion of a years-long process to commission the USS New Jersey, which is the third Navy ship named after the U.S. state, succeeding the BB-62 battleship that sailed in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, according to the Navy. The event for the fast-attack submarine took place at Naval Weapons Station Earle in Middletown, New Jersey, the military branch said.

"USS New Jersey (SSN 796) is now commissioned and ready for service!" the Navy said in a social media post unveiling the sub. "The Navy's latest Virginia-class submarine joins the fleet."

In a video accompanying that post, the Navy described the USS New Jersey as the "first fully integrated submarine built for male and female sailors" in the history of submarines, which stretches back roughly a century. It said the vessel is "a symbol of progress" that is "breaking barriers as it protects our shores."

A female crewmember appeared in the video and spoke to the value of this milestone for inclusivity.

"It is an honor that we are the first to have this slice of that particular narrative," she said. A narrator' voice added that the USS New Jersey is "a testament to the strength that diversity brings to our Navy."

Fast-attack submarines are used for various Naval missions, including anti-submarine warfare, anti-ship warfare, strike warfare, special operations, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, the Navy said. 

Women were first permitted to join the Navy in 1917, and more than 60,000 women are currently enlisted, according to the military. The inclusion of women in Naval submarine crews was initially announced in 2011 and billed as the Navy's "final, large-scale gender integration," the U.S. Naval Institute said. As of October 2023, more than 600 women were assigned to operational submarines as officers and sailers, according to the institute.

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