I’ve mentioned before that a low point for me, in the struggle to go on believing that we are a serious country, was when women were allowed to serve in submarines.

That was seven years ago. Today, quote: “About 80 female officers and roughly 50 enlisted women are now serving on subs, and their numbers are expected to climb into the hundreds over the next few years,” end quote.

That’s from a story in the Navy Times, April 19th. Telling us that is not the main point of the story, though. The main point is, that all our submarines are being redesigned to make them more girl-friendly. Quote:

As anyone who watches war movies knows, submariners are always turning valves, whether to operate machinery, redistribute water between tanks or isolate part of a system that has been damaged.

On the Columbia-class boats, valves will generally be placed lower … Sometimes there will be an extension handle, and some will be easier to turn.

End quote.

Isn’t that sweet? I hope the navy contractors will be installing fainting couches, just in case any male submariner should tell a female she’s looking good.