scope:

Scope and Applicability

a. This instruction applies to all DON military personnel, both Regular and Reserve, except midshipmen.

b. The mission of the DON requires the highest level of operational readiness to meet the nation's strategic goals. A full complement of highly trained personnel is essential to maintaning operational readiness in deployable units.

c. Military responsibilities, including the expeditionary nature of our Navy and Marine Corps, often add factors for serious consideration for our servicemen and servicewomen as they make family planning decisions.

d. Women are full participating members of the Navy-Marine Corps Team. DON leadership recognizes that pregnancy is a natural event that can occur in the lives of Navy and Marine Corps servicewomen, and is not a presumption of medical incapability. Pregnancy could affect a command's operational readiness by temporarily limiting a servicewoman's ability and availability to perform all assigned tasks.

e. Consideration of these realities requires establisment of policies and procedures which accord due regard to the demands of parenting in the Service and address career and health issues.

Purpose.

To provide a DON policy for all military personnel on issues related to parenthood and pregnancy; to ensure equality of opportunity while maintaining operational readiness and supporting a high-performing workforce; and to establish reporting requirements. This instruction has been substantially revised and should be reviewed in its entirety.