Spring Grad Class Includes One of the Navy’s First Female Submarine Candidates
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Spring Grad Class Includes One of the Navy’s First Female Submarine Candidates
Article By: MC1 Grant P. Ammon
When Ens. Peggy LeGrand walked across the stage in King Auditorium to receive her master of science degree in mechanical engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), June 17, she was a bit unique from her 270 plus fellow new alumni, for she is one of just 24 women selected to become part of the Navy’s first female submariners.
In April 2010, top defense officials parted with the more than a century-old rule of male-only submarine crews. For the 24-year-old native of Amarillo, Texas, selection to pioneer the transition of this policy change proved to offer her the opportunity of a lifetime.
Enlisting in the Navy under the nuclear surface electronics program in 2004, LeGrand swiftly proved herself in the military as an academic achiever. At the Naval Nuclear Power Training Command, she was quickly recognized as a top performer and offered a scholarship at the U.S. Naval Academy through the Navy’s Seamen to Admiral commissioning program. It was while serving at nuclear power school that she first discovered an interest in submarines and developed a keen attraction to underwater warfare.
“My interest in submarines started back in my A-school days,” noted LeGrand. “I would hear all of these exciting sea stories from people that have served on subs. The job seemed a lot more interesting to me than anything that was going on aboard an aircraft carrier. I also believe I will enjoy the people in the community. The submariners I’ve met are all very intelligent and full of character. It’s an all volunteer force, so I think their dedication is appealing.”
Rear Adm. Barry Bruner, commander of Submarine Group 10 and an NPS graduate himself, is charged with leading the Navy's Task Force for Women in Submarines, and he anticipates the change in policy to be a successful venture.
"It is important to note that women were first assigned to selected non-combatant ships in 1978; and in 1994, following repeal of the combat exclusion law, women were assigned to billets in surface combatants," said Bruner. "We are planning the first female submarine officer candidate accessions into the standard nuclear training and submarine training pipelines this year, making it possible to assign the first women to submarines in late 2011 or early 2012. The Navy has a good history of being able to work through these kinds of changes in policy, and I anticipate we will be just as successful in this endeavor."
ENS Peggy Legrand poses for a photo in the materials testing lab at Naval Postgraduate School. [See link above for the photo.]
For LeGrand, the excitement about her selection to join the Navy’s silent service comes not from breaking gender barriers, or pioneering new frontiers, but from the chance to serve in an exciting and challenging community engaged in rewarding missions.
"For me it’s not even about being the first, I’m just happy to get the opportunity to serve aboard submarines,” said LeGrand. “Desk jobs don’t sound that thrilling to me. I’m sure I’m going to do my fair share of paperwork and stand a fair amount of watches but at least I’ll be doing something worthwhile and doing it with people hopefully I enjoy being around.”
The motivation for LeGrand’s journey to submarines may have been spurned by tales from veteran submariners heard early in her enlisted career, but the actual path towards the community didn’t begin to take shape until the latter half of her undergraduate studies at the U.S. Naval Academy.
“When I first got to the Academy I was asked what community I wanted to serve in and my answer was always subs. By the spring semester of my junior year at the Naval Academy it was decided that I was going to serve as a nuclear propulsion officer in the Navy’s surface community,” noted LeGrand. “This led me to completing a screening interview that is required of all nuclear propulsion officers with Admiral Donald, the director of the Navy’s nuclear propulsion program. By the fall of my senior year there was talk about finally letting women service select into the submarine community, and that is where it began to happen.”
Being inducted into the Navy’s nuclear submarine community, for male and female Sailors alike, is a long and exacting process requiring, in some cases, personal scrutiny from the Navy’s top nuclear reactor officer. LeGrand’s path to submarines was no exception.
“After volunteering for submarines during service selection, Admiral Donald interviewed us again,” noted LeGrand. “Basically he wanted to meet with us again to get a feel for our moral character. After completing the interview process with Admiral Donald, I was put through a rigorous physical screening. I had blood drawn and examinations to ensure I was physically qualified for the submarine duty.”
Physically qualified, and just having completed her undergraduate degree LeGrand was detailed to NPS’ mechanical engineering master’s program. Graduating from NPS is just one step towards assignment to a vessel. Now she will focus on completing the 15-month submarine officer training pipeline, which consists of nuclear power school, prototype training, and the Submarine Officer Basic Course.
“After graduating here I will go to nuclear power school in Charleston, and then to prototype and then Submarine Officer Basic school. It will probably be another year or more before I get to actually report to my first command,” noted LeGrand.
LeGrand says that her degree from NPS helped to hone her technical abilities, making her a stronger officer and a more valuable asset to the Navy. Opening the submarine service to female officers also allows the Navy access to broader pool of talent.
“This is a really good thing for the military because it allows for more qualified applicants to get to the submarine community,” said LeGrand. “Now you can get the highest qualified people who really want to be there. That’s really what it’s all about. Getting the right quality of people in the positions, not necessarily an opportunity for a gender-based decision.”
This wider selection pool was also a sentiment echoed by Bruner when he announced the Navy’s implementation of the new policy.
“It is important to note that the percentage of women graduating with technically-based degrees in our country has risen to the point where females now make up 51 percent of the total talent pool of young Americans we can recruit to enter our submarine force in the nuclear-trained officer community," noted Bruner.
While studying at NPS, LeGrand says she was not only afforded the opportunity to develop her technical skills, but also gave her the chance to grow and learn from officers who have been at sea, with the operating Navy.
“Studying at NPS has allowed me to learn from and interact with officers with fleet experience,” noted LeGrand. “They have been out there operating and can share insights with issues involving the operational fleets. I have also benefited from the mentorship of Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Heather Mattern. Sometimes she has been my voice of reason through this whole process.”
As LeGrand departs NPS and begins the next step in her submarine officer training, she notes the overall satisfaction of being selected to serve on board subs comes from being a good role model, and possibly inspiring others to follow her lead.
“I’m excited to do a good job and represent the Navy the best way possible,” noted LeGrand. “If I can represent the Navy in a more positive light and give someone else the opportunity to join the military when they weren’t necessarily thinking about it and it helps to improve their life, then even better.”
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