Page 4 - Desert Lightning News 2-5-16

4 February 5, 2016
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Soldier ‘Filled with Gratitude’ at New Family Policies
Karen Parrish The new initiatives are:
-- Establish a departmentwide standard for
DoD News Features, Defense Media Activity paid maternity leave of 12 weeks;
-- Expand spousal leave to 14 days, with legis-
WASHINGTON — One Army officer sched- lative approval;
uled to give birth by cesarean section said today -- Expand adoption leave, with legislative ap-
that the new 12-week maternity leave period and proval;
other family focused policies announced last -- Extend DoD-subsidized childcare develop-
week by Defense Secretary Ash Carter have left ment center hours to a 14-hour minimum;
her “shocked.” -- Require installation or modification of pri-
vate “mothers’ rooms” in every DoD facility with
“I am filled with gratitude,” Capt. Eileen Her- more than 50 women regularly assigned;
nandez wrote in an email interview with DoD -- Conduct long-range strategic planning and
News. “I feel respected as a worker and feel assessments for childcare options to improve ac-
hopeful about my future with the Army. That cess and usability;
feeling of hope for my future career is the first -- Allow service members to remain at a sta-
time I felt this way since becoming a mother in tion of choice for family reasons, in exchange for
September 2011.” an additional commensurate active-duty service
obligation; and
Easing Heavy Stresses -- Provide egg and sperm cryopreservation
During his announcement, the secretary said through a pilot mechanism within the current
it is absolutely essential to demonstrate “that governing rules of TRICARE, the military medi-
we’re a family-friendly force.” cal care network.
“We want our people to be able to balance two ‘No One Knows’
of the most solemn commitments they can ever Hernandez is currently assigned as a public af-
make: a commitment to serve their country and fairs officer with 1st Calvary Division’s 2nd Ar-
a commitment to start and support a family,” mored Brigade Combat Team at Fort Hood, Texas.
Carter said. She said she struggled to feel effective when she re-
A Defense Department fact sheet released turned to work just six weeks after the births of her
with the announcement said “the stresses of mili- other three children -- all delivered by C-section.
tary service on our families are heavy and well “You do not feel strong or confident, and that
known, and it is one of the top reasons people is what being an Army leader is all about,” she
transition out of the military … [These policies said. “You walk around post, and no one knows
will] enable the Department to attract, incentiv- you are six weeks postpartum; you just look like
ize, and retain the best talent today and in the
future while improving overall mission effective-
ness and the strength and health of our teams.”
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Desert Lightning News
an overweight captain who doesn’t care about
physical fitness. It’s not a good feeling, and it’s
not good for the Army.”
Hernandez said balancing the Army’s expecta-
tions and her own physical and emotional health
was a challenge with six-week maternity leave.
She said she battled postpartum depression after
her last two children were born. “It’s not something
that I can prevent, but it is something that I can get
treated for,” she said. “But after being gone from
work for six weeks already, there is so much pres-
sure to return to work and feel like you are contrib-
uting to the mission and feel and look great.”
A lot of women go untreated for postpartum
depression, Hernandez said, “because they barely
have time to even recognize the symptoms because
they are so busy trying to be all things to everyone.”
A 12-week leave will, she said, allow her to “be
ready to return to work as the officer the Army
needs me to be. I will feel my child is ready for
day care. I will have an opportunity to actually
have my body return to more presentable state.
I will feel and look my best and be ready to con-
tribute to the mission fully.”
Linking to the Force of the Future
The family focused reforms announced last week
are what Carter and department officials call the
“second link” to the future force they seek to shape.
The first link, announced in November, was
a series of reforms “to increase permeability of
personnel and ideas between the public and pri-
vate sector and improve recruiting, talent man-
agement and retention,” as stated in a depart-
ment fact sheet.
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