My wife is a resident physician in an OB/GYN department at a major
university.  Due to the overwhelming cost of a medical education, she
accepted a scholarship from the US Air Force for the final 3 years of
medical school.  As part of the arrangement, she owes the USAF one
year of service for every year of medical school they paid for.  She
will be finishing residency in the spring of 2008, at which time she
will go on active duty.  Due to the fact that the military considers
OB/GYNs abdominal surgeons, the Air Force will essentially give her a
crash course in trauma surgery, then send her off wherever they see
fit.  My question may seem rather odd, but it is very serious for us. 
We had been planning on starting a family around the time she finishes
residency.  However, we?re not very keen on the idea of an overseas
deployment to a war zone, particularly while she is pregnant.  We?ve
been trying to find some information on how the military, and the Air
Force in particular, deals with soldiers who are carrying.  Most of
the information I?ve found is from people who try to basically escape
the service by getting pregnant (they are, under some circumstances,
able to get out of the service with an honorable discharge).  We?re
not interested in this.  We want to know the following:

1)	Does the military send pregnant personnel on overseas deployments,
and more specifically, to a war zone?
2)	What sort of maternity leave does the Air Force allow?
3)	Are there any restrictions on the deployment of new mothers (e.g.
who gave birth within the last 6 months) to war zones?

Thanks in advance for your thoughtful response to these questions. 
We?ve had a hard time finding the answers to these questions, but
clearly want to get accurate information because it might well end up
influencing the timing of when we want to start our family.

---

Clarification of Question by svannes-ga on 17 Nov 2005 11:21 PST

A good tip for a thorough, thoughtful answer.

---

Request for Question Clarification by pafalafa-ga on 17 Nov 2005 12:25 PST

svannes-ga,

I found this info on leave:


http://www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/mpf/CSS/leave/military_convalescent_leave.htm
...During pregnancy, members continue to perform their normal duties
as long as they remain medically fit to do so. When it is necessary
for the health and safety of the member or the fetus, the medical
authority may place member on convalescent leave pending childbirth.


This seems to imply that pregnancy would not be a factor in deployment
decisions, but of course, the reality on the ground (or in the air!)
might be a bit different.  However, I didn't see anything that
addressed this issue directly.

Perhaps the above info will be helpful to you, or to anyone pursuing
further research on this topic.

All the best,

pafalafa-ga

Dear svannes-ga;

Since you are agreeable to my research as an answer I am merely
reposting this in order to officially close your question:

Pregnancy DEFINITELY is a factor when it comes to deployments. In most
cases a military member who has a restrictive medical condition
(referred to as a ?profile?) is ineligible for deployed and in many
cases promotion. In all branches of the service ?pregnancy? is
considered a ?profile? condition.

The Center for Military Readiness says forthrightly, with regard to
all branches of the military, ?Pregnant soldiers are ineligible for
deployment overseas.?
http://www.cmrlink.org/WomenInCombat.asp?docID=233

In a report entitled, PRE- AND POST-DEPLOYMENT HEALTH ASSESSMENT
PROCESS, prepared by Colonel Paula K. Underwood, MD, MPH, Preventive
Medicine Staff Officer for the Office of the United States Surgeon
General, she makes the statement, ?pregnant women cannot be deployed?.
http://www.pdhealth.mil/video/clinical_training_series/dialup/pdfs/underwood_trans.pdf

At a 2004 Defense Department Advisory Committee on Women in the
Services (DACOWITS) meting, the official minutes reflect a joint
presentation by Col Jon R. Pearse, Chief of Policy, Medical Operations
Office of the Surgeon General, USAF and Lt Col Leslie Formolo,
Headquarters Air Force Personnel Policy during which they explained
the Air Force ?pregnancy policy?. In the course of the presentation
the officers state emphatically that the, ?member is taken off of
mobility status until 4 months post partum?.

DEFENSE DEPARTMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON WOMEN IN THE SERVICES
(DACOWITS) MEETING MINUTES
http://www.dtic.mil/dacowits/agendadoc/May_2004_Minutes1.html

In 1998 the Secretary of the Air Force issued a revision to AFI 44-102
(1996) that said, in part:

??A profile officer in either Flight Medicine or Occupational Medicine
will ensure that the occupational hazards affecting pregnancy have
been addressed in the restrictions, and that the member?s profile is
changed to a 4T, potentially disqualifying the member from deployment
or a permanent change of station move..?.The 4T, profile will remain
in effect until the completion of any post-pregnancy convalescent
leave.
http://www.brooksidepress.org/Products/OperationalMedicine/DATA/operationalmed/Instructions/AirForce/44010200a.pdf

What is a ?4T? profile in the Air Force?

?4T profile precludes TDY [temporary duty assignment] PCS [permanent
change of station] until MEB [Medical Evaluation Board]/PEB processing
is completed or condition is resolved?
AF FORM 422 PHYSICAL PROFILE SERIAL REPORT
http://www.brooks.af.mil/web/eh/force_health_mgt/files/train_med-standards/Slides/af-form-422_physical-profiling.ppt

SEE ALSO:
Air Force Instruction 48-123 --MEDICAL EXAMINATION AND STANDARDS
http://www.e%2dpublishing.af.mil/pubfiles/af/48/afi48%2D123/afi48%2D123.pdf

I hope you find that my answer exceeds your expectations. If you have
any questions about my research please post a clarification request
prior to rating the answer. Otherwise I welcome your rating and your
final comments and I look forward to working with you again in the
near future. Thank you for bringing your question to us.

Best regards;
Tutuzdad-ga ? Google Answers Researcher



INFORMATION SOURCES

Defined above


SEARCH STRATEGY


SEARCH ENGINE USED:

Google ://www.google.com


Terms

Air Force

Pregnancy

Pregnant

Deployment

Profile

Regulations

Policy

Dear svannes-ga;

Pregnancy DEFINITELY is a factor when it comes to deployments. In most
cases a military member who has a restrictive medical condition
(referred to as a ?profile?) is ineligible for deployed and in many
cases promotion. In all branches of the service ?pregnancy? is
considered a ?profile? condition.

The Center for Military Readiness says forthrightly, with regard to
all branches of the military, ?Pregnant soldiers are ineligible for
deployment overseas.?
http://www.cmrlink.org/WomenInCombat.asp?docID=233

In a report entitled, PRE- AND POST-DEPLOYMENT HEALTH ASSESSMENT
PROCESS, prepared by Colonel Paula K. Underwood, MD, MPH, Preventive
Medicine Staff Officer for the Office of the United States Surgeon
General, she makes the statement, ?pregnant women cannot be deployed?.
http://www.pdhealth.mil/video/clinical_training_series/dialup/pdfs/underwood_trans.pdf

At a 2004 Defense Department Advisory Committee on Women in the
Services (DACOWITS) meting, the official minutes reflect a joint
presentation by Col Jon R. Pearse, Chief of Policy, Medical Operations
Office of the Surgeon General, USAF and Lt Col Leslie Formolo,
Headquarters Air Force Personnel Policy during which they explained
the Air Force ?pregnancy policy?. In the course of the presentation
the officers state emphatically that the, ?member is taken off of
mobility status until 4 months post partum?.

DEFENSE DEPARTMENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON WOMEN IN THE SERVICES
(DACOWITS) MEETING MINUTES
http://www.dtic.mil/dacowits/agendadoc/May_2004_Minutes1.html

In 1998 the Secretary of the Air Force issued a revision to AFI 44-102
(1996) that said, in part:

??A profile officer in either Flight Medicine or Occupational Medicine
will ensure that the occupational hazards affecting pregnancy have
been addressed in the restrictions, and that the member?s profile is
changed to a 4T, potentially disqualifying the member from deployment
or a permanent change of station move..?.The 4T, profile will remain
in effect until the completion of any post-pregnancy convalescent
leave.
http://www.brooksidepress.org/Products/OperationalMedicine/DATA/operationalmed/Instructions/AirForce/44010200a.pdf

What is a ?4T? profile in the Air Force?

?4T profile precludes TDY [temporary duty assignment] PCS [permanent
change of station] until MEB [Medical Evaluation Board]/PEB processing
is completed or condition is resolved?
AF FORM 422 PHYSICAL PROFILE SERIAL REPORT
http://www.brooks.af.mil/web/eh/force_health_mgt/files/train_med-standards/Slides/af-form-422_physical-profiling.ppt

SEE ALSO:
Air Force Instruction 48-123 --MEDICAL EXAMINATION AND STANDARDS
http://www.e%2dpublishing.af.mil/pubfiles/af/48/afi48%2D123/afi48%2D123.pdf


Please let me know if this sufficiently answers your question.

Best regards;
Tutuzdad-ga ? Google Answers Researcher

that answer does it.  thanks.