Family Values?

I read an article in The Washington Post the other day that made me incredibly sad and strikes me as ironic. It was about how Army mothers often have to leave behind newborn children in order to keep their jobs. That's right. According to Army rules a woman gets six weeks of maternity leave before she has to return to her job or her training. But what was really an eyeopener is the fact that four months after giving birth she has to be ready to be deployed if the army needs her.

Given our current situation with wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, soldiers are being deployed more often, for longer tours of duty, and less time at home in between. So the bottom line is that women soldiers who want to have children must get pregnant fast upon returning home, and then expect to take off again soon after their child is born. Sound anti-family? I think so. How is a mother supposed to bond with her child? What if she wants to breastfeed for the recommended period of time ( six months)? And why are women put in this position if they want to protect their jobs?

The stories in the article are so sad: a mother who doesn't get to see firsthand the first time her baby sits up, or crawls, or utters a sound. Then there are the tales of how grandparents have to tell the mother what the baby's nighttime routine is, or how best to get him/her to sleep or eat. These privileges belong to a mother. Yet the Army taketh.

Most importantly, these men and women put their lives on the line every day to protect the freedom of Americans. Yes the Army doesn't think twice about what's best for the life of a baby born to one of its own. In this day and age when recruiting soldiers is critical to the Army's mission, the Army's policy seems counter-intuitive.