Former airman applauds military moms photographed breastfeeding in uniform

A former airman described a popular viral picture of 10 military moms breastfeeding in their uniforms as a “surprise,” but is pleased to see an outpouring of support for their action.

The photo was taken by Tara Ruby in Texas and was intended to be hung on the wall of a new nursing facility for active duty mothers at Fort Bliss in Texas. In the photo, 10 women stand or sit while in uniform and nurse their infants. Ruby decided to post the picture on her business Facebook page. The picture quickly gained traction on the social media site.

Former Airman Darcy Frye first saw the photo Sunday.

“It took me by surprise at first because being a mom and being an airman are so completely different, they don’t usually intertwine,” said Frye.

Frye joined the Air Force after high school, following in her father’s footsteps. She eventually decided to start a family. She wanted to breastfeed her baby, but felt the Air Force would not accommodate her choice.

“Breastfeeding was never even mentioned to me throughout pregnancy or after the birth. I only knew about it just from friends or things like that. At the time, the Air Force really pushed bottle feeding,” said Frye. “It was never an option, there was never time away from work.”

She felt breastfeeding was the best and healthiest choice for her child and was disappointed that she wasn’t able to breastfeed her child. In later pregnancies, she worked under a different commander who was more accepting.

“I was able to take care of my daughter in the way that I wanted to. I will always be appreciative of him,” said Frye. “It really broke the barrier between airman and mom; you could feel like your life isn’t so separated.”

She hopes the photo of the women circulating on social media is a sign that the military has become more accepting of a woman’s decision to nurse her child.

“I am sure those mothers feel so supported and accepted. The military understands, it’s not only that person, that person has a family to take care of also,” said Frye.

Frye was in the Air Force for 12 years. She has three daughters; two are in middle school and one recently joined the military.