... and Skippy's head exploded

I think we found the "Life-Work Balance" SME.

In what may be a first, the U.S. Naval Academy graduated a pregnant midshipman on May 22, a move that ran contrary to policy that middies not marry or begin a family while attending the school.

The academy, citing medical privacy, will not identify the woman, who received her commission and is now a Navy officer, according to Joe Carpenter, an academy spokesman.

“Initial duty assignments are the responsibility of the Navy,” Carpenter said in an email to Military.com. “For reasons of privacy, it would be inappropriate for the Naval Academy to discuss the details of this individual’s service assignment.”

Carpenter did not say how far along in her pregnancy the woman was at the time of graduation, but said the academy became aware of the midshipman’s pregnancy in early May.

According to the academy’s Midshipman Regulations Manual, a midshipman who becomes pregnant and chooses not to resign will be allowed to take a leave of absence for no more than one year. Those who become pregnant but do not resign or request the leave will be separated, the manual states.

The same rules also apply to a midshipman who “incurs the obligations of parenthood,” so that a male midshipman would face the same choices.

In this case, however, after the academy determined the midshipman would not be eligible to graduate and be commissioned, the woman submitted a waiver asking to be exempted from the policy, according to Carpenter.

“That request was evaluated through the chain of command,” he said. “[Defense Department] and Navy leadership approved the midshipman’s request for waiver.”

Something tells me there is a lot more to this story; until then though, I - like you - wait for Skippy's comments.

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As a side-note; IMAO opinion all children are a blessing and I wish the mother and child the best of health and happiness. That being said, I have a better than average understanding of what a single mother must go through - and a better than average idea what it means to be an Ensign. Someone needs to man-up yesterday, and/or Ensign BunInTheOven needs a serious mentor to have a serious talk with her.

This is no time for snuggly-huggly. Children are too important for happy talk.

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UPDATE: Over 100 comments deserves an update.

I present to you the USNA Class of 2009 song!



See, the 80s has something for every occasion.