 Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus has tripled maternity leave for women serving in the Navy and Marine Corps. Effective immediately, new mothers will have 18 weeks of maternity leave during the child's first year. SECNAV directed commanding officers to grant up to 84 additional days of convalescent leave beyond the previously authorized 42 days. New mothers do not have to take all their leave at once, but it must be used within the first year. The new maternity leave policy also retroactively applies to any female service member who has given birth since January 1st, 2015. This change is another step in SECNAV's Work-Life Balance Initiative to support military families and retain talented service members. Log on to Navy.mil for more information on the new maternity leave policy.