THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Saturday, April 1, 1995                TAG: 9504010012
SECTION: FRONT                    PAGE: A10  EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Letter 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   26 lines

WOMEN ON SHIPS OK

Regarding ``No women'' (letter, March 28): My wife is onboard the USS Eisenhower and is proud to be there.

The press focuses on the negative parts of the issue. Most of the problems with the women are caused by very junior enlisted, not the senior females.

The Navy should have started out with senior females onboard ships, then opened it up to less senior females.

Men get flown off of ships all the time for various reasons and it doesn't really make an impact on ship readiness or combat capability. Ships belong at sea and sailors belong on ships - whether male or female sailors.

R. S. MESSIER

PO2, U.S. Navy

Virginia Beach, March 28, 1995 by CNB