desertvixen (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
desertvixen) wrote2008-03-02 08:44 pm
desertvixen) wrote2008-03-02 08:44 pm
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Cross-posted to ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
womenwarriors:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/17/AR2008021702324.html
Article about mother and deployments.
Some interesting numbers in the article:
** The willingness of women to serve in the military has dropped faster than that of men in recent years, from a high of 10 percent among 16- to 21-year-olds in November 2003 to 4 percent last July, according to periodic youth surveys on "propensity to serve" conducted for the Army.
** Nearly 40 percent of women on active duty have children.
** Women make up about 15 percent of today's military, and about half of them have deployed for the anti-terrorism campaign at least once since 2001,
** More than 25,000 are deployed in that fight now.
** About 10 percent of women in the military become pregnant each year, and an estimated 75,000 military offspring are younger than 1 year old.
** (Major General) Pollock said last summer that she had proposed that the Army double the time women are exempt from deployment from four to eight months, noting that she would prefer 12 months. "That addresses the need for breast-feeding that is important for health, and also allows for optimal bonding time," she said. So far, Army policy remains unchanged, spokeswoman Cynthia Vaughan said this month. Senior Army officials declined requests to explain the reasoning behind the current policy.
** Other services grant longer exemptions, and all have generally shorter deployments: The Navy exemption is 12 months, and the Marine Corps's is six months, and deployments average seven months for both. The Air Force has a four-month exemption, but its deployments average only four to six months.
** Maternity leave in the military is 6 weeks. Women can take extra leave assuming they have the days and their commander approves it. I took an extra three weeks.
It's a pretty decent article, if a touch depressing.
Yes, another of the reasons I (and a lot of other people) are getting out of the military.
DV
womenwarriors:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/17/AR2008021702324.html
Article about mother and deployments.
Some interesting numbers in the article:
** The willingness of women to serve in the military has dropped faster than that of men in recent years, from a high of 10 percent among 16- to 21-year-olds in November 2003 to 4 percent last July, according to periodic youth surveys on "propensity to serve" conducted for the Army.
** Nearly 40 percent of women on active duty have children.
** Women make up about 15 percent of today's military, and about half of them have deployed for the anti-terrorism campaign at least once since 2001,
** More than 25,000 are deployed in that fight now.
** About 10 percent of women in the military become pregnant each year, and an estimated 75,000 military offspring are younger than 1 year old.
** (Major General) Pollock said last summer that she had proposed that the Army double the time women are exempt from deployment from four to eight months, noting that she would prefer 12 months. "That addresses the need for breast-feeding that is important for health, and also allows for optimal bonding time," she said. So far, Army policy remains unchanged, spokeswoman Cynthia Vaughan said this month. Senior Army officials declined requests to explain the reasoning behind the current policy.
** Other services grant longer exemptions, and all have generally shorter deployments: The Navy exemption is 12 months, and the Marine Corps's is six months, and deployments average seven months for both. The Air Force has a four-month exemption, but its deployments average only four to six months.
** Maternity leave in the military is 6 weeks. Women can take extra leave assuming they have the days and their commander approves it. I took an extra three weeks.
It's a pretty decent article, if a touch depressing.
Yes, another of the reasons I (and a lot of other people) are getting out of the military.
DV
no subject
no subject
You expected more from these people?
They're the same people who think losing 9 months of pregnancy weight in 6 months is perfectly reasonable as well.
Especially given that the Army is trying to push breastfeeding for a year.
Is it time to get out yet?
DV
Military 'suits'
An 18 yr old today doesn't have to take his/her recruiter's word for anything. Ten keystrokes in Google will get him/her to Joe's Web Page About How I Left the Army and similar first-person accounts. Not that Joe is necessarily accurate, but it's going to raise questions.
Re: Military 'suits'
Yes - it even happens here on LJ, where we have military communities for people to ask questions.
I think what they're counting on is young people not having that many other good chances.
I would definitely encourage a young woman thinking of coming in to think about the family aspect.
Also, I think the "recruiters will say whatever it takes" meme is pretty well known. I understand why they get desperate - because that job is pretty much pure hell - but it's definitely a buyer-beware situation.
DV