The secretary of defense shouldn’t have to worry about how changing state and federal laws can threaten or hurt service members.
Military leaders should be focused on America’s enemies, both foreign and domestic, and our country’s laws should consider all citizens’ needs.
But that’s not the world we live in.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision overturning Roe v. Wade saw Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin quickly issue a statement reaffirming the department’s support and concern for the health and well-being of all service members, civilian employees and families.
“The Department is examining this decision closely and evaluating our policies to ensure we continue to provide seamless access to reproductive health care as permitted by federal law,” he said in the statement.
The military covers abortion costs for pregnancies that result from rape or incest or place the mother’s life at risk, and that will not change.
People who don’t meet these criteria must go off base and pay out of pocket. They also may have to use their paid time off. Those in states or countries where abortion is restricted also will incur travel expenses and have fewer options for care. The decision in the Dobbs case creates certain inequalities depending on where a person is stationed. It could impact recruiting or even base closure decisions.
People stationed in Texas will have to travel out of state. And a bounty clause lets people sue those who help others get an abortion for $10,000 plus fees. Theoretically, a citizen could sue military members for sharing resources or helping someone travel for abortion care.
Recently, the Defense Department published a memo acknowledging “the implications of the Supreme Court’s decision are complicated and must be evaluated against various state laws” with the Department of Justice.
And as the bureaucracies work through the specifics, the laws are already impacting DOD people.
Janessa Goldbeck, a Marine veteran and chief executive officer of the nonprofit Vet Voice Foundation, said in addition to the extra costs and time, these laws will make it harder for service members to seek care discreetly, especially as the military continues to battle sexual assault and associated stigmas.
“There’s so many reasons outside of this very limited set of allowances for abortion on federal institutions right now that it creates this giant, spiraling set of problems that could really dramatically damage a member of the military’s health, their career, their ability to perform their duties, just the whole gamut,” she said.
Military commanders, she said, should follow Austin and other senior officials’ leads. She recommends military leaders keep communication open, emphasize that everyone has access to this care, consider creative ways to support their people and provide information on resources.
“It should be made explicitly clear that the DOD supports people who need this care and will do everything possible to make sure that they get it in a way that protects their privacy and doesn’t cost them money,” she said.
Texas’ position on abortion is the latest in a growing list of controversial state actions and policies, such as lax gun safety laws and the proposed investigation of parents of transgender children, that will give some military people pause when they receive orders here.
The potential impact on military readiness and resilience, especially as recruiting numbers are down across the services, is also troubling.
We need our military leaders focused on threats from those who seek to do our country harm, not the self-inflicted dangers of the culture wars.
San Antonio Express News
