Re: Where Have All The Boys Gone (Again)

[Hugh Haskell <hhaskell@MINDSPRING.COM>]

Jim Green wrote:

> Instead of bemoaning the inequality, we should be celebrating the differences.
>
> And I will effusively celebrate the first lady US Navy carrier captain (or
> the equivalent).

Unfortunately, that event (which I also look forward to) is a few
years down the pike. The women who would eventually be eligible to
command an aircraft carrier haven't been in the pipeline long enough.
There may be some female combat pilots who are Lt. Commanders or
junior Commanders, but commanding a carrier is a job for a senior
Captain, about to be considered for promotion to Admiral (Command of
a carrier is sort of the Admiral training ground for Naval
Aviators--do well in this assignment and promotion is pretty much
guaranteed, screw up and kiss that promotion good-bye). I don't know
what the letter of the law regarding women in combatant ships is
right now (I've been out for over 20 years and things have changed a
lot since then), but I suspect that there will be considerable
resistance from the old guard to giving a woman command of a
man-o-war. Many of them are grumbling now about giving women command
of auxiliary ships, which has happened. It will happen, sooner or
later, but there are powerful forces trying to make it later.

Hugh
--

Hugh Haskell
<mailto://hhaskell@mindspring.com>

Let's face it. People use a Mac because they want to, Windows because they
have to..
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