FALLS CHURCH, Virginia (AFNS) –
The Air Force Women’s Initiative team has made several efforts to address policy change barriers. The members of the WIT’s Women-Specialized Health Care Programs have the vision of building an Air Force health care system that strengthens high quality care for women.
“Our goal is to remove barriers to make it easier for women to continue serving in our Air Force,” said Lt. Col. Jeanette Anderson, Air Force perinatal care advisor General surgeon. “If we can give them the health support they need, we can make sure they stay in the Air Force and are medically equipped.”
According to Maj. Emily Yates, a WIT co-lead and health integrator at 633rd Medical Group at Langley-Eustis Joint Base, your team’s work is critical to retention.
“We found that one of the reasons women were leaving the Air Force was related to medical barriers,” said Yates. “Through our health-oriented efforts, we are working to strengthen a health system that meets the needs of our flyers.”
Over the past year, WIT’s women’s health programs have brought about several policy changes. In February, Standard hair guidelines were changed based on feedback from airmen who identified numerous health concerns surrounding the bun.
“The WIT conducted surveys, interviews, and other baseline data, and we found that women had headaches, hair cysts, and hair loss because of hair guidelines,” said Master Sgt. Johnathon Lind, Air Force Barrier Analysis Working Group division for the WIT. “We also learned from Veterans Affairs that 40% of hair problems were caused by women, but women only make up 20% of the force. We knew we had to update our hair guidelines.
“Thanks to the WIT, we were able to gain support from other air force units, main commandos and wing commandos. We have informed the Chief of Staff of the Air Force General CQ Brown, Jr. and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Joanne S. Bass on the proposed changes. “
Continue reading: Air Force allows longer braids, ponytails, and bangs for women
Another completed initiative driven by this team is lactation accommodation for Air Force and civilian employees.
“This policy change, which was completed this summer, will allow those returning to work after giving birth to have the appropriate accommodations to express milk while at work, so they can both feed their baby and maintain their health,” said Anderson .
Continue reading: Air Force Improves Breastfeeding Support for Breastfeeding Mothers
The U.S. Air Force has also updated its vacation leave policy for Airmen and Guardians who suffer a miscarriage or stillbirth to give them time to rest and recuperate.
With this policy update as described in Air Force Manual 41-210, there will be standardized vacation leave, different from the parental leave rules, for service members who experience perinatal loss. This change provides an important update to help women who are not eligible for parental leave.
“Previously, women were only eligible for parental leave if they had a qualifying birth event, that is, they gave birth to a baby and took that baby home,” said Lt. Col. Larissa Weir, chief adviser on women’s health for the Air Force Surgeon General. “But for women who had suffered a loss, we saw significant differences in the length of vacation they were given. We put this update together to standardize this vacation based on how far the pregnancy has progressed. “
Specifically, this policy grants up to 42 days of vacation based on the woman’s gestational age and any additional recommendations from the doctor. The guideline also covers airmen and Guardian who decide to put their baby up for adoption as soon as it is born.
The WIT consists entirely of volunteers of various ranks and origins who seek to bring about necessary political changes that remove barriers to service. Women’s health issues are not a purely women’s issue for Lind and should be something that the entire Air Force should be involved in.
“The WIT is not just for women and I’m trying to be an example of it,” said Lind. “Every problem you have is also my problem. That’s what drives me to be part of this team. When you are a minority in a group it can be difficult to make necessary changes. It is therefore important that we bring the entire team together to solve these problems. “
For those interested in WIT, more information can be found on the Common Access Card-enabled WIT’s Air Force Portal page.
source https://www.bisayanews.com/2021/09/16/air-force-womens-initiative-team-champions-womens-health-care-u-s-air-force-article-display/
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