 Hey guys on this episode of the rundown we'll be talking about the big expansion of maternity leave We got a clip from sec nav about it, and we're answering questions. That's you're already asking This past week the second half tripled the amount of maternity leave to 18 weeks from a previous six effective immediately That's right an MC1 you talked to sec nav about it a few weeks ago Didn't you mention a plan to do this and his logic behind that is basically to help sailors balance a family and Their Navy careers. We're trying to make it a more family friendly atmosphere In in the service and allow you to not have to choose between family and service So MC1 the Navy down mill story talks about maternity leave and convalescent leave I'm a little confused on how the two work together. Well, it can be a little bit confusing First maternity leave is not an actual leave category per se It's a type of convalescent leave and so whereas standard convalescent leave is granted by doctors and CEOs Think a few days to get over a minor surgery Maternity leave is a specific prescribed amount of convalescent leave Following childbirth to both recover and bond with a new baby now It's 18 weeks, and it doesn't have to be used consecutively But it does have to be used within the first year after the child's born Well that answers that question, but here are some questions that we're getting from social media Is there any guidance to when the official instruction is coming out? Well in the all-nav release by sec nav There's quite a bit of info provided, but additional guidance will be forthcoming within the next 30 days Next we have a question that a lot of people are asking. What about paternity leave? Are there any changes there? Well paternity leave and adoption leave are not forms of convalescent leave They're their own thing which is an important distinction in the law because sec nav doesn't have the authority to change them by himself However, navy leaders intend to seek an expansion of those leaves as well. So more to follow on that So those were some of your questions if you have any more be sure to email us at usnpeople at gmo.com For the chief of naval personnel, I'm MC2 L.J. Brilson, and I'm MC1 L.A. Fabrizio. Thanks for watching