The US Army offers 10 days of non-chargeable paternity leave to married soldiers, which must be used consecutively within 60 days of the child’s birth. Other countries may have different policies. Paternity leave encourages fatherhood and strengthens family relationships.
Army paternity leave is a policy that grants a soldier the right to take time off from his military duties to father his newborn child. In the United States, the policy was approved on October 14, 2008 by President George W. Bush. This paternity leave is specifically offered only to those in the military and is not applicable to any other military branch.
The applicability of Army paternity leave may vary differently by country. In the United States, discharge can only be granted to married soldiers. In the UK, paternity leave is more lenient, allowing unmarried soldiers their own leave. The policy is generally applicable to both single and multiple births such as twins and quadruples. For adopted infants, the military usually has separate policies.
US Army paternity leave is non-chargeable, which means the soldier does not have to pay to get the leave. In some other countries, the leave may also be paid paternity leave, so the soldier continues to receive his regular salary even when not on active duty. Ten days of leave are granted to an American soldier, who can only use the granted period consecutively. This means that the 10 days cannot be separated. For example, a soldier cannot use only five days for one period and use the other five days for a separate period.
After returning to his base station, the soldier has up to 60 days to take his leave or else he loses his privilege. In some cases, when annual leave coincides with the time of his child’s birth, the soldier can request that his paternity leave be reinstated in his “vacation account.” According to US policy, the leave should be taken within 45 days of the birth of the child. This gives the soldier ample time to process the necessary paperwork and notify his commanders and related authorities.
Giving a soldier his paternity leave in the military encourages him to still play the role of a father even when serving his country in distant places. Politics, in a sense, also helps the soldier’s wife cope with the sudden responsibilities of becoming a mother. Indirectly, military paternity leave also fosters child-parent relationship building.
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