Submarine

Rear Admiral Hugh Scott (MC) USN (Ret.) 3707 Merlin Way Annandale, VA 22003-1326 (703) 204-9146 (h); (703) 346-7767 (c) The Honorable Ike Skelton Chairman, House Armed Services Committee U.S. House of Representatives 2206 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515-2504 11 March, 2010

Subject: The Assignment of Women on Submarines: Issues of Concern Enclosure: Memorandum Assignment of Women to Submarines–Issues and Concerns Dear Congressman Skelton, Ten years ago, I had sent a letter to the HASC in which I expressed my concerns about making any changes to the submarine all-male assignment policy. There are many quality of life issues to consider, but my letter focused on health-related issues associated with the submarine environment and the lack of an adequate onboard medical capability to provide life-saving emergency surgical care for the occurrence of abnormal pregnancy complications while underway. Now that Navy leaders have announced their intention to change the current policy and assign women to submarines, I am writing to reiterate my initial concerns, which remain unchanged. The House Armed Services Committee should be aware of all of the health related risks, in preparation for its meeting with the Navy on this issue. By way of introduction, I am a retired Navy medical officer, qualified in submarines and medical deep sea diving. I had served as Medical Officer in both Submarine Group and Squadron echelons, and as Director of Undersea Medicine and Radiation Health, at the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. As Director, I had been involved with the National Academy of Sciences, Committee on Toxicology, Commission of Life Sciences, National Research Council for an operational issue associated with the use and quality of submarine air, which resulted in the publication by the Committee of a report titled: Emergency and Continuous Exposure Limits for Selected Airborne Contaminants, in Submarines. Based on that experience, I have serious concerns...