The Deployment Dilemma: Navigating Pregnancy And Afghanistan Deployment In The Army

While the UK and US military rules ban pregnant servicewomen from front-line duties and serving in war zones such as Afghanistan, there have been instances of women troops giving birth in combat zones. In 2012, a British soldier gave birth in Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, after complaining of stomach pains. She was unaware of her pregnancy, and her child was born five weeks premature. In the same year, a US soldier also gave birth in Afghanistan, claiming that she didn't know she was pregnant. Both women and their babies were healthy and flown back to their respective countries.

Pregnant women are not allowed to serve on the front line

In the UK, at least 70 British servicewomen have been sent home from Afghanistan after discovering they were pregnant, and at least 102 have been evacuated from Iraq. In the US, women are also not allowed to deploy while pregnant, and pre-deployment pregnancy tests are mandatory.

Pregnancy comes with several physical limitations, and the army modifies the duties of pregnant soldiers to ensure the health and safety of both mother and child. Pregnant soldiers are exempt from wearing weighted equipment, immunizations, and duties that expose them to hazardous chemicals and automobile fuel. They are also not allowed to climb ladders or use scaffolding.

The UK's Ministry of Defence has faced calls to introduce compulsory pregnancy tests for women serving in war zones, as it is deemed 'unacceptable' that other service personnel are placed at risk of attack while evacuating pregnant women. However, critics argue that this would be an invasion of privacy.

Women are not routinely given pregnancy tests before deployment

Pregnancy tests can be bought from high street chemists for less than £10 and can give a result as soon as seven days after conception.

Some have called for compulsory pregnancy tests for women before deployment. In 2012, a British soldier gave birth in Camp Bastion, Afghanistan. The woman, who was not named, had been unaware she was pregnant.

In 2018, Private Ashley Shelton was sent into a war zone despite five positive pregnancy tests. Another soldier in the same unit, who asked to be identified only as Hannah, said: "I was surprised that they deployed her pregnant... I was just scared because I had seen other girls losing their babies."

Pregnant women are sent home from Afghanistan

In February 2014, the Daily Mail reported that 99 female soldiers had been evacuated from Afghanistan and 102 from Iraq under these rules. The article also noted that most of the pregnancies were conceived before the mothers left the UK, but a small number may have become pregnant while on tour.

In 2011, the Daily Mail reported that 12 British servicewomen had been sent home from Afghanistan that year after becoming pregnant. This brought the total number of female troops removed from Afghanistan due to pregnancy since 2003 to 64.

In 2012, a British soldier gave birth in Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, after complaining of stomach pains. The Fijian national, a gunner with the Royal Artillery, was reportedly unaware that she was pregnant. She was one of about 500 British military women serving in Afghanistan at the time.

In the same year, a U.S. soldier who claimed she didn't know she was pregnant gave birth while deployed in Afghanistan. The soldier and her infant son were flown to Germany and were reported to be in good health.

A Fijian soldier gave birth in Camp Bastion in 2012

A Fijian soldier gave birth to a baby boy in Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, in September 2012. The gunner with the Royal Artillery, who was deployed in March, had no idea she was pregnant until she went into labor. She was rushed to the base's infirmary with stomach pains and gave birth to a baby boy in the 34th week of her pregnancy. The baby was born five weeks premature and weighed 5lb 8oz. The birth stunned military chiefs as it was the first time a British soldier had given birth on the frontline.

The soldier was later identified as 28-year-old Lynette Pearce, a bombardier in the Royal Artillery. Pearce, who was fighting the Taliban, had no idea she was pregnant and only found out when she went to the medics complaining of stomach pains. She was flown back to the UK with her newborn son and treated at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. Pearce was granted six months of maternity leave and intended to continue her career with the Royal Artillery.

The MoD disapproves of sexual relations between troops

The UK's Ministry of Defence (MoD) disapproves of sexual relations between troops, and any inappropriate behaviour would breach guidelines. The MoD does not encourage or condone sexual relationships in the theatre of war.

The MoD's stance on sexual relations between troops is part of a broader policy on "fraternization", which refers to relationships that compromise the chain of command, result in favouritism, reduce impartiality, or undermine order and morale. The policy seeks to avoid unfair treatment and the appearance of unfair treatment between an officer or non-commissioned officer (NCO) and their subordinates.

The MoD's fraternization policy prohibits relationships that fall into the following categories:

• Compromise, or appear to compromise, the integrity of supervisory authority or the chain of command
• Cause actual or perceived partiality or unfairness
• Involve, or appear to involve, the improper use of rank or position for personal gain
• Are, or are perceived to be, exploitative or coercive in nature
• Create an actual or clearly predictable adverse impact on discipline, authority, morale or the ability of the command to accomplish its mission

These relationships do not have to be sexual in nature to be prohibited. For example, if an officer spends more time with one subordinate than others, it may give the appearance of favouritism. Similarly, an officer who socialises with subordinates or calls them by their first names may bring their authority into question.

The MoD's fraternization policy also prohibits certain categories of relationships between soldiers, such as ongoing business relationships, dating or shared living accommodations (other than those necessary for operations), and sexual relationships. These relationships were previously considered unwritten rules but have been codified in recent updates to the policy.

Consequences for violating the MoD's fraternization policy can include counselling, reprimand, reassignment, administrative action, or adverse action. More serious consequences could include non-judicial punishment, separation from service, barring from reenlistment, denial of promotion, or demotion. In extreme cases, a court-martial may be warranted.

Frequently asked questions