CANBERRA (Reuters) – An Australian navy submarine skipper who suggested female sailors wear bikinis to help reverse a recruitment crisis has been criticised by lawmakers but supported by superiors, local media said on Thursday.
Commander Tom Phillips, appointed to the Australian navy’s HMAS Farncomb last year, also joked in a men’s magazine interview that the submariner equivalent of the notorious “mile-high club” for people having sex in aircraft was the “going down club”.
Asked by Ralph magazine “if female sailors all had to be hot and had to wear bikinis, would that help recruitment?”, Phillips responded: “It would certainly get the right demographic of young men in. I’m not sure how feasible it is, however.”
Australia’s Minister for Defence Personnel Warren Snowden told the mass-selling Daily Telegraph that the comments were “utterly unacceptable”, while conservative opposition lawmakers said the skipper should be sacked.
“If these comments are to be attributed to this newly appointed commander, I think it will go down as one of the shortest careers in naval history,” MP Bob Baldwin said.
Australia’s navy is suffering a recruitment crisis and had to stand down for two months over Christmas due to lack of available sailors. The navy last year said it had only enough sailors to man half its six-boat fleet of Collins-class submarines.
Real Admiral Davyd Thomas, the deputy navy commander, said Phillips had been asked a “flippant question”, rejecting women’s rights group accusations that the navy valued “bodies rather than brains”.
“The commanding officer’s response was not intended to be serious,” Thomas said.
Man, what happen to the old days………………When MEN were Men and Women were……..I think I better stop now.;)
By: Arabella-Cox - 20th January 2009 at 22:29
In Scooters pic of the new Aussie naval uniform, Where do the place their stripes? & surely in this day of PC aught she not be wearing fluorescent yellow?
hmmm, I could find a place or two………..:diablo:
By: The Doc - 20th January 2009 at 22:08
In Scooters pic of the new Aussie naval uniform, Where do the place their stripes? & surely in this day of PC aught she not be wearing fluorescent yellow?
By: Arabella-Cox - 20th January 2009 at 03:35
Thank God the world ends in 2012…..or 2014?…. the human race has had its day.
Well, its like “HEAVEN”……………Everybody wants to go, just not right now!;)
By: hawkdriver05 - 20th January 2009 at 01:35
Thank God the world ends in 2012…..or 2014?…. the human race has had its day.
By: Arabella-Cox - 19th January 2009 at 22:44
Jealousy…………
Jealousy is a terrible terrible thing………….;)
By: swerve - 19th January 2009 at 20:17
Nicolas – I can attest to the truth of that. 😉
By: Nicolas10 - 19th January 2009 at 19:46
Feminists suck
too :diablo:
By: Arabella-Cox - 17th January 2009 at 23:25
Firstly, his superiors weren’t impressed, the last thing the navy needs is more bad publicity- especially when things were going so well for them (recent surveys done on homes around the country have shown that should anyone wish to join an armed service, the navy was the first choice by far, the nearest competitor was the fire brigade services but they returned 15% over the navy’s 62%). It’s the government bodies who are calling for him to be sacked (especially the feminist movement).
Secondly, The magazine misquoted him and blew the whole thing out of proportion YET AGAIN. Given that the article appeared in a magazine aimed at the 18-28 year old male, Ralph Magazine is not really regarded as a reputable or informative media source and the feminist movement only jumped on this story because a) they read every edition every week to pick faults with the company, b) they knew the vunerability of the navy in this position and how the public love any put down of the forces and finally c) because the feminist movement are only too happy to destroy what they see is a male dominated industry (the navy that is) yet are too afraid of actually going and seeing for themselves that the navies biggest problem atm is the fact that they can’t get enough males to join- the ratio of females in the service compared to males is a very lop sided 15:1 with most males in the service guaranteed a sea billet while the women have to sit a shore because the facilities aboard the vessels cater more for men than they do women.
I read the article (mainly because it deals with the Sub force and everyone here knows how I am with that), and I can clearly see that it was both a trick question and that he has been misquoted. The Skipper is actually a very decent bloke and on the quiet side, he’d never say these sorts of things as they have made him out to have said!
Unfortunately, just another reason to mistrust the Media………….We just want the truth. No Spin, No Bias, just the Facts. Let us decide whats right or wrong.:(
They seem to think telling half truths is being honest…….:mad: That like being half honest!:eek:
By: Ja Worsley - 17th January 2009 at 23:02
Firstly, his superiors weren’t impressed, the last thing the navy needs is more bad publicity- especially when things were going so well for them (recent surveys done on homes around the country have shown that should anyone wish to join an armed service, the navy was the first choice by far, the nearest competitor was the fire brigade services but they returned 15% over the navy’s 62%). It’s the government bodies who are calling for him to be sacked (especially the feminist movement).
Secondly, The magazine misquoted him and blew the whole thing out of proportion YET AGAIN. Given that the article appeared in a magazine aimed at the 18-28 year old male, Ralph Magazine is not really regarded as a reputable or informative media source and the feminist movement only jumped on this story because a) they read every edition every week to pick faults with the company, b) they knew the vunerability of the navy in this position and how the public love any put down of the forces and finally c) because the feminist movement are only too happy to destroy what they see is a male dominated industry (the navy that is) yet are too afraid of actually going and seeing for themselves that the navies biggest problem atm is the fact that they can’t get enough males to join- the ratio of females in the service compared to males is a very lop sided 15:1 with most males in the service garrenteed a sea billet while the women have to sit a shore because the facilities aboard the vessels cater more for men than they do women.
I read the article (mainly because it deals with the Sub force and everyone here knows how I am with that), and I can clearly see that it was both a trick question and that he has been misquoted. The Skipper is actually a very decent bloke and on the quiet side, he’d never say these sorts of things as they have made him out to have said!
By: Arabella-Cox - 16th January 2009 at 13:46
Agree, where’s the sense of humour gone Down Under (now that’s another pun there for the taking…)?
By: kev 99 - 16th January 2009 at 09:49
Some people really do need to lighten up a bit.
By: F-111buff26 - 16th January 2009 at 05:22
This is the same department of defence that payed female soldiers and sailors to have there breasts enlarged to help there ‘self confidence’! If women want to serve they have to be able to take the crap like the men- typical feminazis- they dont question the adult magazines morales, but that of a long serving naval officer??????
By: Arabella-Cox - 16th January 2009 at 05:03
honestly it is blow out of preportion and the recruitment thing is a big deal. But you know what **** em those liberal groups and feminist only exist becuase of men like that captain who is willing to go into harms way
Slip of the tongue……………….just like the media. “Its not what they tell you but what they don’t”. Like what was the context of the conversation?? I am not saying he’s right. Yet, I wouldn’t be surprised if they set him up……then conveniently let out parts of the story!:eek::eek::eek:
By: Arabella-Cox - 16th January 2009 at 04:52
honestly it is blow out of preportion and the recruitment thing is a big deal. But you know what **** em those liberal groups and feminist only exist becuase of men like that captain who is willing to go into harms way
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January 16, 2009 at 4:16 am