The
Washington National Guard has criticised two servicewomen for being
photographed in military uniform while breast-feeding their babies.
The photos
were posted on the Facebook website by a support group at Fairchild Air Force
Base called Mom2Mom.
The group's
leader, Trysta Chavez, said the photos were meant to promote World
Breast-Feeding Week in August.
Military
officials said it was a breach of the rules to use the uniform to promote
non-military causes.
National
Guard spokesman Captain Keith Kosik told the BBC that there was no regulation
against breast-feeding in uniform.
But he said
the National Guard took issue with the uniform being used "by an outside
entity for a cause", regardless if it was a positive one.
Capt Kosik
said the women were unlikely to face disciplinary action.
The Mom2Mom
group posted a message on their Facebook page defending their actions, and
insisting that they supported the military "110%".
"The
military photographs were never meant to exploit, promote or to use the uniform
to help our group," the message said.
"These
were for our local community to raise awareness for World Breast-Feeding Week
in August. Our mission is to help raise awareness, educate and support
breast-feeding mothers."
The photos,
taken by another military spouse at Fairchild, quickly went viral after being
posted online.
"It's
sad that this is such an issue," Ms Chavez said. "It's a taboo
really."
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