A lot of big changes in the Army have gone underway to support women in uniform and Soldiers who have chosen to raise their family while serving. Although it’s not so recent, not all Army leadership is completely spun up on Army Directive 2022-06. Let’s talk about what women, parents, and even leaders should know about this new policy. 

 

How does the Army Directive 2022-06 impact pregnant and postpartum Soldiers?

 

So many wins for our pregnant and postpartum Soldiers happened in ad 2022-06 from updates to the ABCP to the lactation policy. Although this directive is pretty explicit in rights afforded to our Army Mamas, let’s break down what they mean and how you can advocate for either yourself or your Soldiers if necessary. 

 

How long do postpartum Soldiers have before they are subjected to HTWT?

 

This new Army Directive has extended the time frame for postpartum Soldiers to safely return to the Army’s body composition standard. Postpartum Soldiers have 12 months after the conclusion of pregnancy to get in compliance for the Army’s HTWT. 

 

On top of that, if a Soldier has been flagged for HTWT and becomes pregnant within 30 days then they can have their flag removed. Similarly, if they have been flagged for HTWT for less than 90 days, they can have their flag removed if they have been making progress every month and then become pregnant.

 

I’ve heard countless stories of Soldiers that have been steadily making progress to maintain compliance with the Army’s body composition standard, but then become pregnant and feel like all their hard work was for nothing. 

 

Unfortunately, the experience of perinatal loss is all too common. Fortunately, the Army is beginning to implement policies that support postpartum Soldiers recovering from such an emotional and physical toll on their body. With that being said, these postpartum policy updates also apply to Army Mamas that have experienced perinatal loss. 

 

When do postpartum Soldiers need to take an ACFT?

 

Soldiers are exempt from taking a record ACFT while pregnant or for 365 days after the conclusion of pregnancy. A pregnant/postpartum Soldier will be enrolled in P3T for up to 180 after the end of their pregnancy and will return to regular unit physical fitness training. 

 

Furthermore, postpartum Soldiers are exempt from regular unit physical readiness training requirements outside the Pregnancy Postpartum Physical Training (P3T) for 180 days after the conclusion of pregnancy.  

 

One of the most common questions asked is, “Can my unit make me take a diagnostic ACFT?” The answer is dependent on how far along you are in your postpartum journey.

 

Although the rumors about the inefficacy of the Army’s P3T are strong, if you’re concerned about being forced to do a 6 mile ruck march with your unit at 3 months postpartum then you should make sure that your medical profile is squared away. Every body is different. However, it is important to remember that even though you might feel like your body has snapped back early, there are a lot of internal biological changes that actually take more time to recover than we realize. 

 

How long can you wear the maternity uniform in the Army?

 

Postpartum Soldiers are allowed to continue wearing the maternity uniform for up to 365 days following the end of their pregnancy. Army Directive 2022-06 exempts postpartum Soldiers from having to wear the dress uniform during that time frame.

 

For example, a Soldier is not required to wear their Army Service Uniform (ASU) or Army Green Service Uniform (AGSU) to events like a board or to a PME. In lieu of wearing their dress uniform, postpartum Soldiers are encouraged to have their ASU/AGSU presented on a hanger and retain a copy of Army Directive 2022-06 on their person. No favorable/unfavorable action will be taken against the Soldier (e.g. prohibiting a pregnant/postpartum Soldier from attending an E5 promotion board).

 

Another allowance Army Directive 2022-06 gives its postpartum Soldiers is the ability to mix and match their maternity uniform with their regular ACU. For example, a postpartum Soldier can wear her OCP maternity pants with a regular OCP top if the regular OCP pants are a little snug, but the top fits fine. 

 

Can postpartum Soldiers go to the field?

 

 

According to Army Directive 2022-06, postpartum Soldiers are exempt from all continuous duty events in excess of 1 normal duty day for 365 days following the end of their pregnancy. This deferment also applies to single parent and dual military parents undergoing adoption and long term child placement. Soldiers who are expanding their family with use of a surrogate also fall under this deferment. 

 

 

Army Directive 2022-06 gives a long list of examples that include common training deferments like field training, deployment, unit training assembly (UTA) away from home station, pre-mobilization training and much more. 

 

This deferment period can be transferred to the non-birthparent. For more details on expansions and limitations, check out paragraph 4d of Army Directive 2022-06.

 

Can a pregnant Soldier go to BLC?

 

Soldiers cannot attend BLC, ALC, SLC, or MLC while pregnant. If they are already attending one of these PMEs and discover that they are pregnant, they may resume their course only when medically cleared to participate in all course physical requirements. 

 

If a Soldier is pregnant and is selected to attend an NCOES, attendance will be deferred and no unfavorable action will be held against that Soldier. If the Soldier has back-to-back pregnancies, then the deferment period will restart based on her current due date. 

 

Sometimes it is worth calling the schoolhouse to see what accommodations can be made for pregnant and postpartum Soldiers.

 

Can you go to an Army school pregnant?

 

For the time being, PMEs like BOLC or WOBC and Sergeants Major courses will allow pregnant Soldier attendance. Since these courses often place more emphasis on classroom graduation requirements than physical graduation requirements, pregnant Soldiers can attend with a pregnancy profile. 

 

How long can you breastfeed in the Army?

 

Army Directive 2022-06 highlights the Army’s current breastfeeding policy and what rights are afforded to lactating Soldiers.

 

• A private space with locking capabilities (not a restroom). Within that space, it must include:
  • A place to sit
  • A flat surface (not the floor) to set a breast pump
  • An electrical outlet
  • A refrigerator to store expressed milk
  • Access to a safe water source within reasonable distance from the lactation room

 

Postpartum Soldiers are allowed to take lactation breaks every 2-3 hours for not less than 30 minutes depending on how long it takes that Soldier’s body to express milk. This lactation policy has extended the timeline that a postpartum Soldier is afforded these accommodations past the 365 postpartum period and will be extended on her postpartum profile in 3 month increments as proof that the Soldier is still lactating. 

 

Since the allotted timeline for lactating Soldiers has been extended, this means that deferment from field training exercises and deployments is in effect where those accommodations cannot be provided for up to 24 months postpartum. 

 

Did Army Directive 2022-06 change requirements for the Family Care Plan in the Army?

 

Army Directive 2022-06 has outlined more specific requirements on how Commanders should apply the use of Family Care Plans for their Soldiers. The constraints of the recent COVID-19 pandemic brought to light many obstacles for parents when it came to childcare.

 

Most daycares still close entirely if there is a COVID-19 positive outbreak and others will send home your child if they have the sniffles leaving military parents stuck between a rock and a hard place. 

 

With this directive, it has specified that Commanders will not apply long term family care plan caregivers to short term unforeseen circumstances. For example, leadership cannot fault a Soldier’s family care plan if their child gets sent home from daycare/school due to illness. 

 

Furthermore, Commanders are required to give their Soldiers at least 6 weeks notice before requiring Soldiers to activate their long term Family Care plan. There are exceptions to this requirement found in paragraph 4i(2) of Army Directive 2022-06. 

 

 

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Army Directive 2022-06 has made it more manageable to grow your family as an Army Mama. Although there is still leadership out there unaware of these changes, it does not negate a pregnant or postpartum Soldier’s right to these mandates. 

 

I’ve talked about a lot of the main changes with this directive, but there are so many more accommodations made for Soldiers going through fertility treatments, stabilization allowances, convalescent leave in relation to perinatal loss, and pregnancy waivers for Soldiers seeking ADOS orders. 

 

If you are a leader or an Army Mama and have not combed through the new-ish directive, I strongly advise you do so that you’re aware of your own rights and those of the pregnant and postpartum Soldiers you lead.