I stole this from another group... Thoughts?
Military mom 'proud' of breast-feeding in uniform, despite criticism
Brynja Sigurdardottir
Military mamas breast-feed with pride. A photo shoot at an Air Force base, intended to raise awareness about breast-feeding, has stirred up controversy.
Is breast-feeding while in uniform conduct unbecoming to a military mom?
The debate over nursing in public got a new layer recently, when photos taken on an Air Force base began to circulate online. In the series of tasteful professional photos showing beaming moms as they nurse their kids, one jumps out: the photo of two servicewomen with their uniform shirts unbuttoned and hiked up to breast-feed.
"A lot of people are saying it's a disgrace to the uniform. They're comparing it to urinating and defecating [while in uniform]," says Crystal Scott, a military spouse who started Mom2Mom in January as a breast-feeding support group for military moms and "anyone related to the base" at Fairchild AFB outside Spokane, Wash. "It's extremely upsetting. Defecating in public is illegal. Breast-feeding is not."
Live Poll
Should military moms breast-feed in uniform, in public?
| Yes! It's awesome. |
| No, it's inappropriate. |
- 184713Yes! It's awesome.69%
- 184714No, it's inappropriate.31%
VoteTotal Votes: 9733
It was Scott's idea to ask photographer Brynja Sigurdardottir to take photos of real-life breast-feeding moms to create posters for National Breastfeeding Awareness Month in August. One of the moms photographed in uniform, Terran Echegoyen-McCabe, breast-feeds her 10-month-old twin girls on her lunch breaks during drill weekends as a member of the Air National Guard.
"I have breast-fed in our lobby, in my car, in the park ... and I pump, usually in the locker room," she says. "I'm proud to be wearing a uniform while breast-feeding. I'm proud of the photo and I hope it encourages other women to know they can breast-feed whether they're active duty, guard or civilian."
She said she's surprised by the reaction to the photos, which also feature her friend Christina Luna, because it never occurred to her that breast-feeding in uniform would cause such a stir.
"There isn't a policy saying we can or cannot breast-feed in uniform," Echegoyen-McCabe says. "I think it's something that every military mom who is breast-feeding has done. ... I think we do need to be able to breast-feed in uniform and be protected."
The Air Force has no policy specifically addressing breast-feeding in uniform, according to Air Force spokesperson Captain Rose Richeson, who added, "Airmen should be mindful of their dress and appearance and present a professional image at all times while in uniform."
Brynja Sigurdardottir
Terran Echegoyen-McCabe, left, and Christina Luna breast-feed their children. Terran says she's proud of the photo, though she didn't expect it to get such a reaction.
Robyn Roche-Paull has been advocating for such a policy since she left the U.S. Navy 15 years ago. Her challenges in breast-feeding her son while on active duty - she recalls her "flaming red face" upon being reprimanded for nursing in a medical waiting room - prompted her to write a book called "Breastfeeding in Combat Boots" as a resource for military moms. She is now an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant who remains close to the military through her active-duty husband and her blog for military moms.
"If you follow the comments on my blog, a lot of the comments are that the breast-feeding mothers are the ones who need to be covered up. Nobody sees anything wrong with bottle feeding mothers or fathers," she says. "Asking mothers to feed a baby by bottle when they are together, simply because they are in uniform, can both affect the mom's milk supply and her willingness to keep breast-feeding or stay in the military. It's simply one more barrier they have to face."
The criticism of the photo goes beyond the usual nursing-in-public debate, though. One commenter on Roche-Paull's website who identified herself as a retired captain in the Marine Corps said she advocated for breast-feeding moms in the military and now, as a civilian, she nurses freely on base. However, she writes:
"I would never nurse in uniform. I took my child to the bathroom or a private office when her nanny brought her to me .... Not because I was ashamed of nursing, nor of being a mother. All the guys knew I pumped. The military is not a civilian job. We go to combat and we make life or death decisions, and not just for ourselves but for those we lead. The same reason I would never nurse in uniform is the same reason I do not chew gum, or walk and talk on my cell phone, or even run into the store in my utility uniform. ... We are warfighting professionals. Women before us have worked too hard to earn and retain the respect of their male peers. I don't want my Marines to look at me any other way than as a Marine. When I am asking them to fly into combat with me and do a dangerous mission, I do not want them to have the mental image of a babe at my breast. I want them to only see me as a Marine. Let's be a realistic folks. We give up many freedoms being in the military...Breastfeeding in front of my fellow Marines was one of them."
Another commenter on the blog replies:
"There is N-O-T-H-I-N-G more authoritative than a strong mother standing tall breastfeeding as she barks orders. It's AWESOME that you've worked so hard promote breastfeeding, but I think you *might* be selling yourself short."
The women in the photo have given some thought to the whole question of military versus maternal duties. To those who believe breast-feeding in uniform undermines the authority of a female officer, Echegoyen-McCabe says:
"I guess my thoughts are, if you don't want to breast-feed in your uniform, you don't have to. But you should have respect for those who do. ... If anything, it should make people look at you as someone who is able to multitask."
Awesome... There's no reason they can't change first...
Quoting sodsoldierwife:Guard official: Breastfeeding airmen violated policy on uniforms
By Kristin Davis - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Jun 1, 2012 9:51:55 EDTTwo Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash., airmen who donned their uniforms for a photo session in support of Breastfeeding Awareness Month violated a policy that forbids military members from using the uniform to further a cause, promote a product or imply an endorsement, said Capt. Keith Kosik, spokesman for the Washington National Guard.
A photo of Senior Airman Terran Echegoyen-McCabe and Staff Sgt. Christina Luna breastfeeding their children in unbuttoned airman battle uniforms went viral this week. Echegoyen-McCabe, the mother of 10-month-old twin girls, is pictured with her T-shirt pushed above her bared chest.
The women are both members of the Air National Guard and part of Mom2Mom, the breast-feeding support group that organized the photo shoot. Mom2Mom founder Crystal Scott said the group planned to use the pictures in posters to encourage new and expectant mothers at Fairchild and nearby Spokane to breastfeed.
Most of the images, shot by Washington photographer Brynja Sigurdardottir, feature breastfeeding moms in civilian clothes. Those didn’t stir a debate. And the Air Force takes no issue with those, Kosik said.
Hundreds of people expressed support for Echegoyen-McCabe and Luna online. Others said they fully supported women who breastfeed in uniform but that it ought not to have been photographed and posted on the Internet. And some said women should either cover themselves or find someplace private to nurse in or out of uniform.
Echegoyen-McCabe said in a telephone interview Wednesday that she was proud of the photograph. “To me, it feels like I’m doing something amazing in my uniform.”
She said she didn’t do it to start a debate. The sensation surprised her, she said.
The Air Force has no policy on breastfeeding in uniform. But it does forbid airmen from using the uniform to advance the cause of an outside organization.
“The uniform was misused. That’s against regulations,” Kosik said. “I want to be very, very clear about this. Our issue is not, nor has it ever been, about breastfeeding. It has to do with honoring the uniform and making sure it’s not misused. I can’t wear my uniform to a political rally, to try to sell you something or push an ideology. That was our point of contention.”
Exactly..I think the very last statement in this article says it all! It's the principle behind misusing the uniform, not the issue on breastfeeding! Doing something amazing uniform? Yeah, it's called serving your country! :P
One kid got in big trouble for attending a political rally in his uniform, several months ago, because it's "misuse of the uniform"...in my honest opinion, even as a breastfeeding advocate, this falls under the same general principle.
Quoting jas_momof2:Awesome... There's no reason they can't change first...
Quoting sodsoldierwife:Guard official: Breastfeeding airmen violated policy on uniforms
By Kristin Davis - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Jun 1, 2012 9:51:55 EDTTwo Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash., airmen who donned their uniforms for a photo session in support of Breastfeeding Awareness Month violated a policy that forbids military members from using the uniform to further a cause, promote a product or imply an endorsement, said Capt. Keith Kosik, spokesman for the Washington National Guard.
A photo of Senior Airman Terran Echegoyen-McCabe and Staff Sgt. Christina Luna breastfeeding their children in unbuttoned airman battle uniforms went viral this week. Echegoyen-McCabe, the mother of 10-month-old twin girls, is pictured with her T-shirt pushed above her bared chest.
The women are both members of the Air National Guard and part of Mom2Mom, the breast-feeding support group that organized the photo shoot. Mom2Mom founder Crystal Scott said the group planned to use the pictures in posters to encourage new and expectant mothers at Fairchild and nearby Spokane to breastfeed.
Most of the images, shot by Washington photographer Brynja Sigurdardottir, feature breastfeeding moms in civilian clothes. Those didn’t stir a debate. And the Air Force takes no issue with those, Kosik said.
Hundreds of people expressed support for Echegoyen-McCabe and Luna online. Others said they fully supported women who breastfeed in uniform but that it ought not to have been photographed and posted on the Internet. And some said women should either cover themselves or find someplace private to nurse in or out of uniform.
Echegoyen-McCabe said in a telephone interview Wednesday that she was proud of the photograph. “To me, it feels like I’m doing something amazing in my uniform.”
She said she didn’t do it to start a debate. The sensation surprised her, she said.
The Air Force has no policy on breastfeeding in uniform. But it does forbid airmen from using the uniform to advance the cause of an outside organization.
“The uniform was misused. That’s against regulations,” Kosik said. “I want to be very, very clear about this. Our issue is not, nor has it ever been, about breastfeeding. It has to do with honoring the uniform and making sure it’s not misused. I can’t wear my uniform to a political rally, to try to sell you something or push an ideology. That was our point of contention.”
Quoting sodsoldierwife:Exactly..I think the very last statement in this article says it all! It's the principle behind misusing the uniform, not the issue on breastfeeding! Doing something amazing uniform? Yeah, it's called serving your country! :P
One kid got in big trouble for attending a political rally in his uniform, several months ago, because it's "misuse of the uniform"...in my honest opinion, even as a breastfeeding advocate, this falls under the same general principle.
Quoting jas_momof2:Awesome... There's no reason they can't change first...
Quoting sodsoldierwife:Guard official: Breastfeeding airmen violated policy on uniforms
By Kristin Davis - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Jun 1, 2012 9:51:55 EDTTwo Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash., airmen who donned their uniforms for a photo session in support of Breastfeeding Awareness Month violated a policy that forbids military members from using the uniform to further a cause, promote a product or imply an endorsement, said Capt. Keith Kosik, spokesman for the Washington National Guard.
A photo of Senior Airman Terran Echegoyen-McCabe and Staff Sgt. Christina Luna breastfeeding their children in unbuttoned airman battle uniforms went viral this week. Echegoyen-McCabe, the mother of 10-month-old twin girls, is pictured with her T-shirt pushed above her bared chest.
The women are both members of the Air National Guard and part of Mom2Mom, the breast-feeding support group that organized the photo shoot. Mom2Mom founder Crystal Scott said the group planned to use the pictures in posters to encourage new and expectant mothers at Fairchild and nearby Spokane to breastfeed.
Most of the images, shot by Washington photographer Brynja Sigurdardottir, feature breastfeeding moms in civilian clothes. Those didn’t stir a debate. And the Air Force takes no issue with those, Kosik said.
Hundreds of people expressed support for Echegoyen-McCabe and Luna online. Others said they fully supported women who breastfeed in uniform but that it ought not to have been photographed and posted on the Internet. And some said women should either cover themselves or find someplace private to nurse in or out of uniform.
Echegoyen-McCabe said in a telephone interview Wednesday that she was proud of the photograph. “To me, it feels like I’m doing something amazing in my uniform.”
She said she didn’t do it to start a debate. The sensation surprised her, she said.
The Air Force has no policy on breastfeeding in uniform. But it does forbid airmen from using the uniform to advance the cause of an outside organization.
“The uniform was misused. That’s against regulations,” Kosik said. “I want to be very, very clear about this. Our issue is not, nor has it ever been, about breastfeeding. It has to do with honoring the uniform and making sure it’s not misused. I can’t wear my uniform to a political rally, to try to sell you something or push an ideology. That was our point of contention.”
I don't agree with this or what is has been made out to be. I'm with some of the other mom's, I breast fed both of my children but it was a private matter and bounding time with them. I was very modest but that's just me. If you're going to say that everyone is equal in the military and then you show your breast because you're promoting breast feeding....just a contradiction to me.
Quoting Pugsmuggler:
Am I the only who keeps reading uniform as unicorn? I think I need my eyes checked....
I am SO happy that happened. I am all for BF but not in uniform like that for a cause. I have seen moms in uniform BF at the CDC in the little glider chairs in the infant room, but you kind of expect that. This whole thing irritated me because they were pushing an agenda in uniform.
Quoting sodsoldierwife:Exactly..I think the very last statement in this article says it all! It's the principle behind misusing the uniform, not the issue on breastfeeding! Doing something amazing uniform? Yeah, it's called serving your country! :P
One kid got in big trouble for attending a political rally in his uniform, several months ago, because it's "misuse of the uniform"...in my honest opinion, even as a breastfeeding advocate, this falls under the same general principle.
Quoting jas_momof2:Awesome... There's no reason they can't change first...
Quoting sodsoldierwife:Guard official: Breastfeeding airmen violated policy on uniforms
By Kristin Davis - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Jun 1, 2012 9:51:55 EDTTwo Fairchild Air Force Base, Wash., airmen who donned their uniforms for a photo session in support of Breastfeeding Awareness Month violated a policy that forbids military members from using the uniform to further a cause, promote a product or imply an endorsement, said Capt. Keith Kosik, spokesman for the Washington National Guard.
A photo of Senior Airman Terran Echegoyen-McCabe and Staff Sgt. Christina Luna breastfeeding their children in unbuttoned airman battle uniforms went viral this week. Echegoyen-McCabe, the mother of 10-month-old twin girls, is pictured with her T-shirt pushed above her bared chest.
The women are both members of the Air National Guard and part of Mom2Mom, the breast-feeding support group that organized the photo shoot. Mom2Mom founder Crystal Scott said the group planned to use the pictures in posters to encourage new and expectant mothers at Fairchild and nearby Spokane to breastfeed.
Most of the images, shot by Washington photographer Brynja Sigurdardottir, feature breastfeeding moms in civilian clothes. Those didn’t stir a debate. And the Air Force takes no issue with those, Kosik said.
Hundreds of people expressed support for Echegoyen-McCabe and Luna online. Others said they fully supported women who breastfeed in uniform but that it ought not to have been photographed and posted on the Internet. And some said women should either cover themselves or find someplace private to nurse in or out of uniform.
Echegoyen-McCabe said in a telephone interview Wednesday that she was proud of the photograph. “To me, it feels like I’m doing something amazing in my uniform.”
She said she didn’t do it to start a debate. The sensation surprised her, she said.
The Air Force has no policy on breastfeeding in uniform. But it does forbid airmen from using the uniform to advance the cause of an outside organization.
“The uniform was misused. That’s against regulations,” Kosik said. “I want to be very, very clear about this. Our issue is not, nor has it ever been, about breastfeeding. It has to do with honoring the uniform and making sure it’s not misused. I can’t wear my uniform to a political rally, to try to sell you something or push an ideology. That was our point of contention.”
Wow. Not all men are pigs. Mine certainly isn't and I wouldn't have married him if he was. It's called self control... and faithfulness.
Quoting Elle.tea.22:Quoting lovinmykiddo07:They are FEEDING THEIR CHILDREN the best food possible. Why is it such a big deal cause they are in uniform?
How do you feel about your husband seeing this woman's tits? Knowing she's quite the looker, she ain't shy and your husband gets to deploy with her. For a year.
As a female, not a position I would put my self in. Sexual harassment is a big problem in the army and all it takes is me hearing the boys talking about my boobs while I walk past an office for an accusation.
It doesn't bother me. I'm ALL for bf'ing in public. I can understand the military getting upset and it being "unprofessional". Then again, how often is the kid around while the mother is working? My husband is USMC and they can't wear camis when they aren't working.
There is nothing in writing that says a mother can't breastfeed in her uniform! These women can't be charged with anything through the navy, ucmj or otherwise!
Quoting AbriCrazy:
Yea, but not in uniform.
Quoting december911:
My dh and i just got into an argument over this. He is prior navy and i am still active. He says there is no room for it in the military. I for lack of better words told him he was a butthead. I breastfed for two years straight thru a second pregnancy and yes in public when my babies were hungry! It is every mother's right to bf in public and in private!
I hate this base!
- vintage-misha
on May. 30, 2012 at 3:15 PM