Wednesday, January 11, 2017

‘36 Pregnant Aboard Navy Ship That Served in Gulf’

This is a ‘No Shitter’ Originally published by…

 The New York Times

‘36 Women Pregnant Aboard a Navy Ship That Served in Gulf’



Published: April 30, 1991

SAN DIEGO, April 29— Thirty-six crew members of the supply ship Acadia were pregnant and had to be transferred during the ship's deployment to the Persian Gulf, naval officials say. (Approximately 10% of the females onboard!)

More than half became pregnant after the ship was under way, but a Navy spokesman, Lieut. Comdr. Jeff 'Smallwood,' said there were no indications of improper fraternization between men and women on the ship.

"These women have a right to get pregnant," Commander 'Smallwood' said. "The conclusion somebody is jumping to is that the Acadia is a love boat, and that's not the case."

He said nine women became pregnant before the Acadia left San Diego on Sept. 5, but were not tested until the ship was under way. Five others were transferred to the Acadia while she was sailing to the gulf, but their pregnancies were not discovered until after they were on board. Seven Months on Duty

The remaining 22 women became pregnant while the ship was deployed, perhaps on liberty calls in Hawaii, the Philippines and other ports the Acadia visited on her way to the gulf, Commander Smallwood said.

The ship, whose 1,250 crew members included 360 women, returned to her home port here on Friday. The Acadia is among a number of Navy support vessels that permit women to serve on board because she is not considered a combat ship.

Naval policy is to transfer women immediately to shore duty if they become pregnant.

The Navy has strict rules against sexual relationships between men and women while on duty or between commissioned officers and enlisted personnel, but Commander 'Smallwood' said there was no evidence any such regulations were broken.

The tender nicknamed the "Love Boat" received the Navy Unit Commendation for her exemplary service upon return from the Gulf War.


I still can't get over the Commander's last name... 'Smallwood!' 





 

24 comments:

  1. I remember that, we got 1 transferred to use before the Acadia left so she would not have been included in the count

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  2. How many of those Navy babies are now in the Navy.

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  3. I remember the USS Jason, same story in the early 80's.

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    1. We called the Jason "Building 8" when I was in San Diego in '92.

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  4. Women should get their own ships, no mixed crews. Yellowstone, Hector, Jason, and now combatants too.

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  5. Same thing aboard Jason when I was stationed on her in the late 80's. I agree with David probably would be one of the best run ships in the Navy but you mix men and women for extended periods of time thing are gonna happen!

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  6. A common occurrence. I was on the Holland in the mid-90s and whenever we got underway the pregnant females were all left behind and it was usually a pretty large group. Not just limited to tenders, I'm sure the carriers have the same problem these days.

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  7. I got out of boot in Jan of 91 and made it on board the love boat in early Feb. Word has it some were prego before deployment and some got knocked up during. It was like a 60/40 ratio when I was on board her.

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  8. The no shit story of the mid '80s was that the Yellowstone or Shenandoah, both out of NorVa, couldn't sail for deployment because so many women got knocked up.

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  9. I was stationed on the Puget Sound (AD-38) at that same time this article was written. All ships that had women on board at that time were referred to as the "Love Boat".

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    1. And it was. I helped with some of the decommission. Great library.

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  10. When i was on the ship alot of crap happened an noone cared they would try to silenced. Them by getting rid of them not kill them just get them off the command an wouldn't fully. Investigate them

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  11. I was on the Uss Acadia then...I I laid plenty of pipe on board her....

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    1. My former husband was on the commissioning crew. He wanted to be a plank owner. She was commissioned June 6, 1981. I was there. After several years and a med cruise he went to the Cal lab at 32nd Street. Then he was an electronics instructor at Service School Command. We eventually divorced due to his antics in the Philippines. You older guys know exactly what I'm talking about. He eventually made his way back to the Acadia and was on the Love Boat during this time. He told me years ago that people were always getting caught messing around.

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  12. I can neither confirm nor deny that statement. USS Pyro (AE-24)😳😳😳😁😁😁

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  13. Is this why there are so few tenders today?

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  14. were going to war!!!!!..... no me I'm pregnant.... and so another shore billet was filled and some sailor was EXTENDED SEA DUTY

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  15. And they were all impregnated by the same guy

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  16. I was on her then and it didn't happen in the gulf the women got pregnant to get out of the deployment. So they left the ship a few days prior to our departure

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