MARINE CORPS TO OFFER $1,000 REIMBURSEMENT TO NURSING MOTHERS SHIPPING BREAST MILK WHILE PCSING
In a letter released by the Pentagon, the Marine Corps said it would compensate its members up to $1,000 for shipping breast milk during a permanent change of station relocation. This is to reiterate a program announced in May this year in support of nursing mothers who are also service members.
In an effort to highlight the benefits of joining the Marine Corps, nursing mothers with infants under one year old can request reimbursement. This will help service members cover commercial shipping fees, reusable storage bags or nondurable containers, cold shipping packages, refrigeration, excess baggage fees, and dry ice or regular ice costs.
According to the message sent, military spouses are not eligible for the authorization. It is only for active-duty nursing mothers. The Pentagon's initiative to take care of their people announced the reimbursement modification several months ago.
The Reimbursement Policy on Shipping Breast Milk
The head of the Defense Travel Management Office policy section, Christopher Woods, said that the added allowance would target those costs that military families with infants previously had to pay out of their pocket. They want to ensure that the new policy can help make the moving process for nursing mothers easier with more financial support for their families.
Over the summer, Woods calculated that about 7% of all military moves would benefit from the change. Although that is a small percentage, frequent permanent changes of station (PCS moves) can cause additional stress for families and frequently result in out-of-pocket costs that are not reimbursed by the military.
Due to having travel schedules different from those of their spouses, the mothers may be separated from their infants during these travels.
Although their babies may go with them, the expenses and arrangements required to care for a baby during long flights or land trips only make the stress of moving worse.
The Marine Administration sent out a statement that service members are ultimately responsible for arranging the transport or shipment of their breast milk and for handling all related logistics. The reimbursement is just additional money to help handle the cost, but other expenses, including the cost of a rental vehicle, are the responsibility of the service member.
How Can Marine Members Access the Shipping Reimbursement?
The reimbursement policy states that before any costs are made, marine members who wish to participate in the program must have their move orders approved through the Marine Online Outbound Interview Module.
Within five working days following the completion of their move, nursing mothers must turn in their travel vouchers and gather receipts for all of their expenses, regardless of the total cost.
Military families' grassroots requests for reimbursement or extra assistance when flying with small children during PCS migrations served as the impetus for the Pentagon project. The Marine Corps wants their service members to keep giving this feedback about the program.
The Reimbursement Policy Under the DOD Campaign
The reimbursement policy is under the DOD Secretary’s campaign “Taking Care of Our People." These programs prioritize giving assistance to DOD Soldiers and their families, which is reflected in all their policies as well.
Among other things, these efforts include important programs to enhance the lives of service members and their families by providing them with access to high-quality, reasonably priced child care and reducing the strain of military families' relocation.
Christopher Woods stated that taking care of their people is their major initiative. This policy on reimbursing the cost of shipping breast milk supports two objectives: making moves easier and supporting families.
A distinctive aspect of military life is recurring maneuvers. Every year, almost 400,000 military members switch duty stations, so it can be a costly activity.
Woods also said that by making significant adjustments to the regulations concerning the moving process, the department is always searching for methods to make the lives of service members and their families easier. For instance, the department authorized a new policy last year to pay for travel costs, like pet shipping or quarantine fees, related to moving pets during transfers.
As of January, service members can also receive up to $2,000 for moves to or from duty locations outside of the continental United States and up to $550 for moves within the continental United States with a family pet.
He went on to say that any changes within federal regulations that enhance the lives of military members will be taken into consideration. The goal of the campaign is to look for positive changes in the different areas that will benefit the lives of all service members.
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