The Navy‘s submarine group has introduced a brand new historic first for girls within the silent service: the primary high enlisted sailor on a submarine.
In a press release launched Wednesday, the Navy introduced that Grasp Chief Data Programs Technician (Submarine) Angela Koogler joined the Gold crew of ballistic missile submarine USS Louisiana as their Chief of the Boat on Aug. 22, 2022.
Koogler, who has been within the Navy for 20 years, remarked that each her journey and that of feminine sailors is much from over. “We have to maintain breaking down the limitations in order that it simply turns into all Sailors,” she mentioned within the assertion. “It is necessary to combine everyone and it should not matter so long as they get the job executed.”
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The historical past of girls aboard U.S. Navy submarines is proscribed, as feminine officers have been solely allowed to serve on submarines beginning in 2011. Enlisted sailors adopted in 2016. The method was additionally not with out bother and controversy.
There was an incident aboard the USS Wyoming in 2014 the place sailors have been caught secretly video-taping feminine submariners undressing and showering. Then, in 2019, sailors aboard the USS Florida have been investigated and punished over allegations of a “rape checklist” of feminine sailors stationed aboard the submarine. That boat was the second submarine to combine girls.
Koogler was one of many first enlisted sailors to volunteer to serve on submarines. Wednesday’s press launch famous that she reported to her first submarine, the guided-missile submarine USS Michigan, in Might 2016.
“Each time I used to be up for orders, I used to be at all times on the lookout for one thing totally different and difficult,” Koogler mentioned. “When it was introduced that enlisted girls might apply for submarines, with some encouragement from my Sailors, I went forward and utilized.”
Submarine Squadron 19’s Command Grasp Chief, Travis Brown, known as Koogler’s appointment to Louisiana’s high enlisted spot “an enormous glass ceiling busted within the submarine drive.”
“Now there is a path to the highest of the submarine drive,” he added.
The information additionally comes solely weeks after one other main first for the Navy. The service’s first feminine plane provider commanding officer, Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt, simply returned dwelling from her first deployment earlier this month.
For her half, Koogler mentioned she isn’t able to relaxation on her achievements. The sailor now has her eyes set on changing into a Command Grasp Chief — a high enlisted chief in a Navy command.
“Now that I’ve transformed to the submarine drive I’ve to function chief of the boat earlier than I can go into the CMC world, so that is simply one other stepping stone,” she mentioned.
— Konstantin Toropin may be reached at konstantin.toropin@army.com. Comply with him on Twitter @ktoropin.
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