The first four of the female enlisted sailors selected for the Navy's "silent service" have begun training at submarine school in Groton, Connecticut.The barracks at the Navy base have been reconfigured for privacy, but officials say the first co-ed class of enlisted recruits is not being received differently from any others.
The commander of the Naval Submarine School, Capt. Andrew Jarrett, said he explained to his staff that it will be business as usual. The only adjustment made in anticipation of the women's arrival, he said, was the addition of a few senior enlisted female sailors to the school's staff who could mentor the young women.
The Navy ended a ban on women serving aboard submarines in 2010. It already has introduced female officers to crews of ballistic-missile and fast-attack submarines.
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