The USS New Jersey is unlike any other submarine in the U.S. Navy’s fleet for one specific reason: It’s the first sub intentionally designed for men and women to live and work on.
The Navy lifted the ban on women on submarines over a decade ago and retrofitted bathrooms and sleeping quarters to accommodate them. But this nuclear-powered submarine, nicknamed “Jersey Girl,” wasn’t adjusted after the fact — it was built to be fully gender inclusive.
At 377 feet long, the ship has a capacity for 135 crew members, and about 40 are women. “There’s no other fast-attack submarine with that volume of women part of the crew,” Steven Halle, the ship’s commanding officer, told CBS News. He added: “Studies have shown that a fully integrated, diverse crew, they just perform better. Up to 15% or 20% better.”
Lt. Victoria Meyer, the Navy’s Women in Submarines coordinator, explained that the newly commissioned submarine represents change. “When I was on the USS New Jersey, I was one of just a couple of female officers, and now almost half the wardroom is female officers who are absolutely crushing it out there.”
Completed in 2021 and delivered to the Navy this April, the vessel was commissioned at a traditional ceremony on Sept. 14, with Halle calling the event a “truly historic moment,” per a Navy press release.
“To the crew, the plank owners, this ceremony … is about you. You operate the most complex platform on the planet and you continuously strive for excellence. I’m amazed and humbled at what we have accomplished,” he said, adding that the ship is “the fastest, most advanced, fully integrated fast-attack to date.”
Design changes include longer bathroom stalls, increased privacy in shower rooms, and secluded berths for sleeping, the Asbury Park Press reported.
“I think it’s about time,” shared Claudia Casillas, a sailor on the USS New Jersey who has been training on the ship. “The whole year I’ve been here, it’s been pretty obvious that U.S. females are just capable of just as much, sometimes even more, than the males on this boat.”
In addition to being gender inclusive, the interior of the vessel reflects immense pride for the state it’s named after. The walls boast Rutgers University posters, New Jersey Devils memorabilia, and a guitar gifted by Jon Bon Jovi, according to the outlet. And crewmembers said they are even considering making the communal eating area resemble a New Jersey diner.
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