By Remi Halliburton, Fort Bliss Legal Aid Office
Navigating life as a soldier can be a daunting experience, especially for those starting or expanding their families. Soldiers face a multitude of issues when returning to work after giving birth, balancing the care and nutrition of their children while meeting the demands and standards of their job. In an effort to recognize the modern military family, Military Directive 2022-06 adopts new changes regarding maternity uniform policies, exemptions from body composition and physical fitness testing, professional military training, employment policies breastfeeding, family care plans and convalescent leave.
Uniforms and Customs: During pregnancy and for 365 days after termination of pregnancy, commanders and supervisors may not require Soldiers to wear the military service uniform or Army green service uniform. These Soldiers can mix and match the Maternity Permethrin Free Army Combat Uniform and the Warm Weather Enhanced Combat Uniform. Soldiers wearing a soft shoe profile must wear an athletic shoe marked with the ACU or IHWCU. Pregnant service members must wear the fitness uniform until it becomes restrictive, after which civilian attire is permitted. Pregnant soldiers will never need to purchase larger fitness uniforms. Child Development Centers may be designated as no hat or salute zones, while in non-designated areas salutes are not required due to impracticality when either person is carrying children or objects with both hands.
Postpartum Body Composition and Fitness Testing: It is mandatory that all pregnant and postpartum Soldiers enroll in the physical training program during pregnancy and postpartum. While participating in the P3T program during pregnancy and for 180 days after the end of pregnancy, Soldiers are exempt from regular unit physical training requirements, including timed distance runs and distance marches . For 365 days following the termination of the pregnancy or perinatal loss, Soldiers will not be enlisted in the Army’s Body Composition Program. While pregnant and for 365 days after the end of the pregnancy, Soldiers are not required to take a record physical fitness test, but must be prepared to take a record physical fitness test upon their return.
Operational and Training Deferment: To ensure at least one parent is home with the child, Soldiers are exempt for 365 days from continuous duty events of more than one duty day or quarter of postpartum labor, fertility treatment, adoption and long-term treatment. foster care. These events include, but are not limited to, deployment, mobilization, field training, combat training center program rotations, off-home station collection training events, pre-mobilization training, unit training assembly away from home station and temporary duty.
Professional Military Training: During pregnancy or after childbirth, officers and warrant officers may attend professional military training courses and NCOs may attend the Sergeant Major Academy. These commissioned officers, warrant officers and NCOs can use their latest physical fitness test and height and weight scores. However, enlisted NCOs cannot participate in leadership classes while pregnant, but may attend during the postpartum period.
Breastfeeding Policies: Commanders must provide breastfeeding Soldiers with a private space other than a toilet to sit, including a flat surface to place a breast pump, an electrical outlet, a refrigerator to store expressed milk, and access to a source of drinking water at a reasonable distance. . Nursing soldiers can take breastfeeding breaks of at least 30 minutes every 2-3 hours. Nursing Soldiers are eligible for field training and mobility exercises after completing the postpartum deployment deferment period. However, when appropriate breastfeeding accommodations cannot be provided, breastfeeding Soldiers remain exempt for 24 months from CTC rotations, deployments, and training events.
Family Care Plans: To allow Soldiers to arrange child care, commanders must provide three weeks’ notice of off-duty duty requirements or significant changes in normal duty hours . Commanders must provide six weeks’ written notice before a Soldier is required to activate the long-term guardianship provisions of his or her family care plan. This includes tasks related to routine TDY, school attendance, multi-day exercises, or extended periods of absence and travel. The six-week notification requirement does not include operations in response to a national emergency, activation of forces preparing to deploy, Soldiers assigned to an immediate or crisis response force, and Soldiers in emergency situations. rapid deployment units.
Convalescent Leave: Soldiers recovering physically and emotionally from childbirth, miscarriage, stillbirth, or termination of pregnancy will be granted non-billable convalescent leave that will be authorized by the Soldier’s unit commander. Soldiers whose spouse has a miscarriage or stillbirth will also receive convalescent leave to be used all at once for emotional recovery and family well-being.
Finding balance between career and family is certainly more achievable with Army Directive 2022-06. Drawing on evidence-based research on health and wellness, this guideline provides guidance to improve quality of life, flexibility, readiness, ability to perform critical tasks, and career advancement. soldiers’ careers while expanding their families. It is imperative that leaders learn and integrate these changes into their organizations as pregnant and postpartum Soldiers and their spouses assert their rights to these mandates.
If you have further questions about this topic and would like to speak with an attorney, please schedule an appointment with the Fort Bliss Legal Assistance Office by calling (915) 568-7141 during office hours or sending a E-mail. usarmy.bliss.hqda-otjag.mesg.bliss-legal-assistance-office@mail.mil at any time.
