Submarine Squadron 20 is a United States Navy unit responsible for the maintenance and operation of five
''Ohio''-class ballistic missile submarine
A ballistic missile submarine is a submarine capable of deploying submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) with nuclear warheads. The United States Navy's hull classification symbols for ballistic missile submarines are SSB and SSBN � ...
s.
Military service
The Squadron is currently stationed at the
Kings Bay Naval Base
Kings or King's may refer to:
* Monarchs: The sovereign heads of states and/or nations, with the male being kings
*One of several works known as the "Book of Kings":
**The Books of Kings part of the Bible, divided into two parts
**The '' Shahnameh ...
,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to t ...
, and operates alongside the guided missile submarines of
Squadron 16 under the broader umbrella of Submarine Group Trident. The five ''Ohio''-class submarines under the command of Squadron 20 are , , , , and .
These submarines carry the
Trident missile
The Trident missile is a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) equipped with multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRV). Originally developed by Lockheed Missiles and Space Corporation, the missile is armed with thermonucl ...
and act as components of the United States' global presence for strategic deterrence.
As a result, the Squadron is responsible for the continued operation, maintenance and certification of all U.S. ballistic missile submarines in the Atlantic fleet.
In December 2011, two of the Squadron's submarines, and USS ''Wyoming'', become some of the first US submarines to include women officers in their crews. Though women had been allowed to serve in combat roles in the rest of the Navy since 1993, there was concern that the cramped spaces onboard and long tours of submarine crews were unsuitable for women.
This was the first step in the plan to fully integrate women onto all US Navy submarines. It was begun on the ballistic missile submarines because of their larger size as compared to the attack submarines, though there was the intent to eventually include those vessels as well in the future (and did begin in January 2015).
Beginning in 2016, the Navy planned to add female non-commissioned officers to submarine crews that already included female officers with the intent to eventually bring the number of women among the enlisted crew up to 20%.
Despite a few setbacks, including allegations that male sailors had secretly videotaped female shipmates in dressing areas, this process of integration continued. The first group of enlisted female sailors joined the crew of a submarine, though not one of Squadron 20's, in 2016.
References
{{reflist
Submarine squadrons of the United States Navy