The U.S. Army is expanding benefits to both birth and non-birth parents.
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This new directive is a mix of new policies and updates to existing rules.
General James McConville, chief of staff of the Army, explained, "We recruit soldiers, but we retain families. Winning the war for talent means making sure our best and brightest people don't have to choose between service and family.”
One of the rules will excuse soldiers who give birth for a year from any continuous duty events longer than one normal duty day, including deployment and field training.
The deferment also applies to certain other non-birth parents, single soldiers and soldiers undergoing fertility treatment.