A few weeks ago, I was chatting with a no-longer-on-active-duty serviceman. On the younger end of the vet spectrum, he was hesitant to be critical of women in combat when the topic came up. But when he was asked about submarines, there was no hesitation: “Now that’s just not remotely practical.” He went on to talk off the cuff about how sub life simply isn’t conducive to coed facilities.

When Rick Santorum made reference to political correctness in the military over the weekend, he was talking about nonsensical moves like this one. How this is a priority for the military right now (or ever, but let’s focus on right now) seems hard to fathom.

I’m reminded of a classic Florence King column from 1995 (when, of course, Elaine Donnelly was warning us of what was to come). She wrote in NR:

A Navy briefing document on this problem already exists. Outfitting coed subs “will require removal of operational equipment reducing war-fighting effectiveness.” So be it. Why worry about war-fighting when you have already converted the entire military to peacekeeping? Take out the torpedoes to make room for individual shower stalls. Operational equipment? On coed subs? Don’t be silly. Get rid of the periscope. Who needs one when you’ve got female intuition aboard? “I have a feeling something is up there . . . “