A new nursing room for breastfeeding soldiers at the Army post of Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, has inspired a beautiful photograph that represents women balancing active service with motherhood.
The image was shot by El Paso local and ex-Air Force member Tara Ruby who told CNN that after her own experience of pumping milk in empty offices and bathrooms she wanted to support this new nursing room by offering beautiful decor to adorn the walls.
“I thought it would be nice to offer some photographs as an additional show of support,” she said. “Seeing a picture like that helps mothers understand they can be an active soldier and provide support to their children.”
Fort Bliss Public Affairs and Garrison Command approved the shoot, an Army spokesperson said, as there is no policy that prevents women from breastfeeding in uniform as long as they maintain “professional standards.”
“I think it’s great the Army is supporting active duty mothers,” Ruby said. “Sometimes, you hit a point in your military career where you have to choose between being a soldier and a mother, and a photo like this helps mothers so they don’t have to choose.”
Ruby posted the image to her Facebook page and it was removed for reasons unknown to her. It has since been reposted and subsequently shared more than 4,000 times and received hundreds of positive comments.
