A Sacred Oath: Memoirs of a Secretary of Defense During Extraordinary Times – An Instant New York Times Bestseller: A Pentagon Insider's Tumultuous Years Under President Trump

by Mark T. Esper

I had to assume that every day was my last. I would often ask Jen Stewart, my chief of staff, “What are the ‘must do’ items for today in case I’m not here tomorrow?” or “What do I need to sign tonight, before I go home for the day, to advance the NDS or take care of the force?” We couldn’t rest; we were going to run through the tape. After months of work, for example, we published a new policy in early November regarding pregnant service members. As Army secretary, I had learned of anecdotes about female soldiers whose careers were mishandled by the service’s personnel system, or their respective leaders, because they were pregnant. This was an issue in the other services as well. Too often, outdated policies and procedural norms not based on medical fact meant that military women had to disrupt their assignments, forgo noncombat deployments, or even relinquish leadership positions—any of which could be detrimental to their career—due to pregnancy. In this day and age, with medical advancements, far better knowledge, and full incorporation of women in the workforce, it seemed like the armed forces were behind the times.