MCC Gwen A. Truett Cmdr. Greg Hilton, from Severna Park, Md., greets his family after returning from a nine-month Individual Augmentee tour in Afghanistan. Task Force Life-Work aims to gain a balance between career and family for the benefit of all

In support of Roughead’s vision, the U.S. Congress recently gave strong bi-lateral support to the 2009 National Defense Authorization Act which contained two family-friendly workplace programs – paternity leave and sabbaticals – which proponents say will improve the quality of life for military families and aid with retaining highly-skilled personnel.

Beginning Jan. 1, ten days of paid administrative leave will be authorized for any member of the armed forces whose wife gives birth to a child. In addition, a pilot program known as ‘‘Career Intermission” will allow up to 80 officers and 80 enlisted personnel over the next four years to temporarily step out of active duty for up to three years. During these sabbaticals, participating members will move from active to individual ready reserve status, effectively ‘‘stopping the clock,” yet they will receive a stipend and full healthcare benefits. When they return to active duty, their date of rank and eligibility will be adjusted so that they remain competitive for promotions.

Adoption of these programs represents the culmination of two years of work specifically focused on recruiting and retaining women. ‘‘We wanted to add retention tools other than financial incentives,” said Stephanie Miller, director of women's policy and Task Force Life⁄Work (TFLW). ‘‘Actually, we need to do a better job of communicating the benefits of a Navy career to young people with technical skills because the Navy does compare favorably to industry,” she added.

There are data to support Miller’s assertions. A recent study found that the Navy’s offerings met or exceeded private-sector benefits in four of the six areas that mattered most to 6,000 workers surveyed.

Nonetheless, Navy life can be stressful, especially for single parents. ‘‘Dealing with PCS moves every two years is hard on kids and families,” said Lt. Leticia Soto, assistant public works officer, Naval Station Norfolk, Va., and single mother. ‘‘Most male military officers have at-home wives,” she said. ‘‘The good things about the Navy are the benefits and chance for advancement; you get a career path,” she was quick to add.

Frequent moves, which have been part of Navy culture for decades, have come under new scrutiny recently. ‘‘There is a program in development now called ‘virtual commands.’ If we are giving you orders to move from Norfolk to Millington, Tn., we are planning to see if you could do your new job in an office in Norfolk,” explained Miller. ‘‘We realize that it is a lot easier to retain people if we don’t unnecessarily disturb their daycare routines, don’t force them to sell their homes, and allow them more time to become connected to a community.”

‘‘Family support programs are important, too” said Lt. Cmdr. Camille Flaherty, surface nuclear propulsion program manager, during a discussion on recruiting and retention of engineers and scientists at a recent Society of Women Engineers conference in Baltimore. ‘‘And back-to-back shore duties would help,” she said.

‘‘It takes time to change the course of this institution. It takes time for an aircraft carrier to come about. But we are changing our culture,” said Capt. Paz B. Gomez, of the Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Installations and Environment). Gomez serves as a mentor for many women engineers who aspire to a successful career in the Navy.

‘‘We recruit individuals, but we retain families,” Gomez said.