Sailors Created 'Rape List' Aboard Navy's 2nd Sub to Integrate Women

17 May 2019
Military.com | By Gina Harkins

Navy leaders failed to address sailors' safety concerns after a sexually explicit list targeting female crewmembers surfaced aboard the service's second submarine to integrate women, resulting in the firing of a commanding officer and several other punishments.

A "rape list" was shared by members of the guided-missile submarine Florida's Gold crew, where investigators found "lewd and sexist comments and jokes were tolerated, and trust up and down the chain of command was nonexistent." That's according to a 74-page investigation into the misconduct, obtained exclusively by Military.com through a Freedom of Information Act request.

The Florida, homeported in Kings Bay, Georgia, was the second submarine to integrate enlisted women. Capt. Gregory Kercher, who became the Florida Gold crew's commanding officer about a year later, was fired in August for a loss of confidence in his ability to lead.

At least two sailors assigned to the submarine have been separated from the military, and an undisclosed number faced administrative punishment in connection to the list, Navy officials said.

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