The guidelines, issued by Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead, came in conjunction with Thursday’s official announcement of women being cleared to serve aboard submarines. The change was considered by Congress after Defense Secretary Robert Gates formally presented a letter to congressional leaders Feb. 19 notifying them of the Navy’s desire to reverse the male-only policy.

“Today, women earn about half of all science and engineering bachelor’s degrees,” said Vice Adm. John J. Donnelly, commander, Naval Submarine Forces, in a press release. “There are capable women who have the interest, talent, and desire to succeed in the submarine force. Maintaining the best submarine force in the world requires us to recruit from the largest possible talent pool.”

Selections will begin in July. The officers will be “preferentially selected” from the Naval Academy, Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps, Seaman-to-Admiral 21 commissioning program, and Officer Candidate School via the normal service selection/assignment process, according to NavAdmin 152/10. Interested midshipmen and officer candidates should contact their company officer, professor of naval science, or nuclear recruiter.

The new sub officers will attend 15 months of nuke school — a six-month academic course, six months of operational curriculum and three months at the submarine officer basic course, according to the message.

Opportunity is not confined to new ensigns. Unrestricted line officers in year groups 2008 and 2009 will be considered for lateral transfer on a case-by-case basis. But interested officers should contact their detailers and complete a package now — the deadline for lateral transfer applications is July 2.

All lateral transfers will be required to complete the standard 32-month submarine division officer tour, regardless of their year group. And due to the length of the nuclear and submarine training pipeline combined with the required sea assignments, officers who laterally transfer may miss a shore rotation in order to catch up with peers who were directly accessed into the submarine force, according to the message.

Up to eight female supply corps officers will also be eligible to join the submarine force in late 2011. These officers will attend submarine officer basic course in July 2011. Candidates must have supply corps warfare qualifications.

The Navy has no plans to segregate its co-ed crews. Following initial training, female officers will be assigned to one of eight blue and gold crews aboard ballistic- and guided-missile submarines. The assignments involve two submarines on the East Coast and two on the West Coast. The number of integrated crews will expand in subsequent years, Roughead said in the NavAdmin.

The larger Ohio-class subs were selected because the introduction of co-ed crews will not require extensive modifications, as would be required on the smaller attack subs.