VIRAL PHOTO: Military moms breastfeeding in uniforms

The picture she took for display in the room also got posted to her photography website, where it’s been shared over 8,000 times: 10 moms in uniform nursing in sync.

With the permission of Fort Bliss, Ruby says she invited active soldiers to meet on September 10 for the photo shoot. She posted it again the next day and by Monday morning it garnered more than 11,000 likes. She hoped that such a photograph would show military moms that they “can be fantastic mothers and soldiers at the same time”.

“Today I believe we made history”, Ruby wrote on her Facebook page. But Ruby isn’t fazed: Her goal with the image was both to offer inspiration to the new moms making use of the Fort Bliss lactation room, and to normalize breastfeeding. She began to recruit volunteer models from the Army’s Pregnancy and Postpartum Physical Training Program at Fort Bliss. Ruby reposted the photo shortly after it disappeared and so far, it’s still on her timeline. “Breastfeeding their babies doesn’t make them less of a soldier”, she wrote.

“My intent is to show unity between the women and their children”, Ruby said. Numerous supporters have applauded Ruby’s seamless normalization of a natural process in the context of what is generally considered an uber-masculine, rough and tumble environment that has had its fair share of controversy when it comes to gender as a whole.

There are ten of them, dressed head to toe in camouflage, each holding a baby in their arms.

As one person said, “Thank you Tara, Fort Bliss, everyone involved to make this possible and an extra big thank you to theses ladies and babies who participated to capture this photo”.

Online, many people have praised the photo, but others questioned the “professionalism” of women breast feeding in uniform.

Another Facebook user, Katie Malinis, said, “Maybe it’s attractive in civilians but not in uniform”.

Such critiques miss the point, Ruby said.

“Virtually talking, it is a matter of retention”, she stated: “Moms want help so they do not have to decide on between household and fix”.