Photo By Sgt. Sharmain Burch | Maj. Robin W. Lea, Third Army/ARCENT deputy patient administration officer and Army...... read more read more
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SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. – Third Army/ARCENT opened the first nursing center on a military base in South Carolina today, providing a private area for nursing moms during their work day.
The Third Army Nursing Center, the “TANC,” part of the unit’s approach to the Army’s Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness, is equipped with a microwave, refrigerator and storage cabinets that would give nursing moms better ways to sanitize their funnels and bottles as well as give them an opportunity to balance between work and breastfeeding.
“This lactation room will really help me as a career mom,” said Maj. Creyonta N.B. West, Third Army/ARCENT trans-regional team officer-in-charge. “I recently gave birth to my daughter March 28 and I have been nursing in conference rooms, sometimes locker rooms but being able to properly sanitize my funnels right away is something that I and all moms need, and in my 12 years of service I have not seen a unit to embrace this need for women. This is a message to all moms nursing and working that it’s OK to embrace your motherhood and still be a career woman.”
“The concern for women breastfeeding in the locker rooms or rest rooms began to grow,” said Sgt. Maj. Tessie D. Coe, Third Army/ARCENT chaplain senior enlisted adviser. “Women voiced, in our meetings, the aspects of sanitation and space for nursing mothers so, we, the senior panel for sister in arms, here, at Third Army/ARCENT decided to show our troops that we support their concerns.”
For nursing mothers finding a private place to nurse in comfort while away from home can be difficult. So “Sisters in Arms,” came together and campaigned for a space within Third Army/ARCENT to nurse during their spare time.
Third Army/ARCENT’s “Sisters in Arms,” was inspired by a similar group in the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division at Camp Buehring, Kuwait. The group reaches out to female soldiers of various ranks to give them an opportunity to network, share ideas and exchange information that are relative to them. Discussions vary in these monthly meetings and the topic of having a lactation room for nursing mothers evolved sometime in November.
Many service members took interest in the nursing room and although the task to bringing it to life would be a challenge, the tenacity of the group brought it to life. Converting one of the break rooms in Patton Hall to be a lactation room was their solution, the next step would be to seek approval.
The process, initiated nearly six months ago, began with submitting a request to Third Army/ARCENT leadership through Headquarters and Headquarters Battalion. Lt. Gen. Vincent K. Brooks, Third Army/ARCENT commanding general approved it almost immediately said Coe.
For some Soldiers the room shows the Army’s efforts to meet the needs of all service members.
“In my 21 years of service, I’ve been assigned to Fort Monroe, Fort Hood, Fort Story, Fort Jackson, Fort Lee, Fort Stewart, Korea, Kuwait and Kosovo and I have never seen a lactation room for female soldiers,” said Lt. Col. James Palmer, Third Army/ARCENT chief of effects and engagement policy. “It shows how the Army is changing and how it’s willing to meet the needs of all soldiers.”
“I’m delighted to be able to cut the ribbon for those who are in that unique circumstance that is providing service to our nation while also trying to take care of their children,” said Brooks. “This ceremony is about making this room available to women at Third Army/ARCENT who are nursing children. To provide them with this resource as it represents the commands commitment to making it easier for military women, government civilians and our spouses who come into our headquarters and need to make use of this room with some privacy and the right type of resources.”
The TANC is available to all females, not only soldiers, during duty hours and with the simple use of an access code can have 24-hour access.
“We expect our leaders to take care of our service members but we also understand with this expectation we must provide the career mother an opportunity to take care of family too,” said Palmer.
| Date Taken: | 05.17.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 05.17.2013 18:06 |
| Story ID: | 107166 |
| Location: | SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, SC, US |
| Web Views: | 293 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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