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@ChemicalFire A thread: You can’t change the status as it exists in the moment. What you have to figure out is what next. Making extra effort to take care of your soldiers here—especially new parents—will pay off in better performance & readiness later. What you CAN do: 1/
@ChemicalFire 1. Chart out when your post-pregnancy nondeployable soldiers will return to deployable status, and when any scheduled Fit for Duty assessments will take place. When will the situation your company is in change? 2/
@ChemicalFire See how you can connect in with Medical (or whomever does the Fit for Duty assessments), take them your chart, and show them why YOUR company needs priority in getting those assessments. Can they bump anybody up? If you don’t ask the answer is always no. 3/
@ChemicalFire Check in with all your new & prospective parents—moms AND dads. If dependent care plans for single parents & dual military are still reqd, is everyone up to date? Have 1st-time parents done or updated wills? 4/
@ChemicalFire (This can be delegated, but make your PLs responsible for briefing you weekly until everybody’s 100% compliant.) 5/
@ChemicalFire Commander’s call w/new & prospective parents preferably, individually: how’s everybody doing? Does everybody have access to all the resources they need? 6/
@ChemicalFire Things to check on behind scenes w/yr senior enlisted advisor: for junior enlisted parents, does Army equivalent of Navy Relief do something like “baby’s first seabag,” and if so, have those been delivered to your new babies & are they scheduled for the prospective babies? 7/
@ChemicalFire Is anyone having trouble getting medical appointments for well baby visits & vaccinations? And especially—is anyone having a medically challenging pregnancy that may require additional duty restrictions or early departure? If yes, plan for it now. 8/
@ChemicalFire Review Army pregnancy & breastfeeding regulations. For breastfeeding moms, is there an adequate & easily accessible pumping room (not a bathroom)? Navy has standards for this. If Army doesn’t, I can send you the Navy instruction—go the extra mile for nursing moms if possible. 9/
@ChemicalFire I don’t know much about Army fit-for-duty issues, but am sure there are instructions to review. And other CCs who have had similar personnel issues. Good luck! 10/
@ChemicalFire Oh: one other thought: is the senior woman in your company a mom? Can you invite her for coffee and a chat about why women are choosing your unit to start families in, and how she thinks you can best balance 11/
@ChemicalFire being a “family-friendly” unit w/readiness? Important to do it in a way that does *NOT* show frustration w/, or blaming/shaming, soldiers who want children & happen to be women, so choose your words carefully. /12
@ChemicalFire Was told w/my older son that “You can’t be a naval officer & a mommy at the same time,” & treated like a saboteur when I planned the 2nd pregnancy & gave the boss 8 months to find a qualified reservist to cover my job for 12 weeks (was in Russia; had to medevac out at 34wks). /13
@ChemicalFire I wish I had a nickel for every time I heard some man refer to a pregnant sailor as having the “9-month flu” or saw one treated as a problem, not a parent. If you don’t yet have kids, you don’t yet know what a HORRIBLE drain this kind of thing is /14
@ChemicalFire on morale—which will affect readiness & retention. Don’t be that CC; don’t let your PLs and senior NCOs be those guys either. TY for coming to my TED talk. /15
