The woman behind the controversial photographs of military mothers breastfeeding in their uniforms has been fired from her civilian job as an X-ray technician, while the women who posed up have been disciplined.
Crystal Scott, founder of the Mom2Mom Breastfeeding Support group based in Spokane, Washington, told how her employers at Schryver Medical said her campaign to raise awareness about nursing military moms had drawn too much media attention.
'It’s sad because the media has portrayed Mom2Mom in such a positive light,' Mrs Scott told Right This Minute.
Proud: Servicewomen Terran Echegoyen-McCabe, left, breastfeeds her twin daughters while wearing her uniform alongside colleague Christina Luna and her little girl at Fairchild Airforce Base outside Spokane, Washington
'I was doing something for the good of people. I feel like our organization is making positive changes for women all over the world. To be punished for something that was good was unfortunate.'
The military wife and mother-of-three has now hired a lawyer to fight the unfair dismissal. '[I was] sad, shocked, disappointed. To be wrongfully terminated for the media… I was upset,' she said.
The military mothers who posed for the photographs have also been disciplined, according to reports.
In the images, Terran Echegoyen-McCabe and Christina Luna are pictured nursing their babies on an Air Force base in an image that they said was intended to raise awareness of the right to breastfeed in public.
But the controversial photoshoot was a violation of regulations against using the uniform to promote a civilian cause, according to Guard spokesman Capt. Keith Kosik.
Although he told the New York Daily News the pair were not expected to face disciplinary action, he said the incident warranted a formal response for educational purposes.
Fired: Founder of Mom2Mom Crystal Scott, who posed with her son Roman, has been fired from her job as an X-ray technician because of the controversial campaign
The striking image has seen a flurry of comments, from supporters who say breastfeeding is a 'fundamental right' to another who compared it to 'defecating in uniform'.
Mrs Echegoyen-McCabe is pictured breastfeeding her 10-month-old twin girls on her lunch break during a drill weekend as a member of the Air National Guard. By her side is friend Mrs Luna who feeds her toddler.
Scott asked the women to pose for the support group she founded in January to help those who live and work at the Fairchild Air Force Base outside Spokane, Washington.
Mrs Scott has lived on the base for four years with her husband Kevin, an instructor, and their three children Gavin, ten, Aiden, four and one-year-old Roman.
It was her idea to asked photographer Brynja Sigurdardottir to photograph the mothers in their fatigues ahead of National Breastfeeding Awareness Month in August.
Following the photoshoot in May, the image of the military mothers breastfeeding was posted online and became a red-hot issue.
Mrs Scott told MailOnline: 'We were not expecting it. We went to bed and the next morning, we were getting calls, comments and emails.'
Although there has been a rally of support, one Facebook comment compared the image of the mothers in uniform to 'urinating and defecating'.
Bringing about change: Trysta Chavez also posed for a photograph with her baby after seeing a lack of support for women breastfeeding in public
Mrs Scott said: 'No one can agree on everything and everyone is 100 per cent entitled to their opinion.
'But to compare breastfeeding to other bodily functions like defecating and urinating? It's disheartening and saddening.'
She added: 'We've done nothing wrong. We're not disgracing the uniform, we are very proud.
We've done nothing wrong. We're not disgracing the uniform, we are very proud.
Crystal Scott, founder of Mom2Mom Breastfeeding Support Group
'We can only hope that it brings positive changes not only for military but for women across the board to show them they don't have to hide in the closet.
'We love our military. We don't want to go against them at all.'
There are currently no clear regulations as to whether or not a military member in uniform is allowed to breastfeed.
There has been much confusion over this issue with some servicewomen being asked to move to private rooms while at the same time nothing has been said to women feeding their babies from bottles.
The Mom2Mom Facebook page has been flooded with comments.
Statement: Mrs Chavez was among the women who allowed themselves to be photographed for a campaign for National Breastfeeding Awareness Month in August
Tracy Mueller Schoesler wrote: 'What strong beautiful women who are not just fighting for the freedoms of this country but for themselves and their children! Breastfeedingis a fundamental right in or out of an uniform!'
One supporter Anna Krause commented: 'This is great. You are still A mom no matter what.'
Another Jessica Emerick said: 'I can't believe someone would have the audacity to judge or criticize this photo, or any nursing mother. It's pitiful.'
However there have been detractors. One fellow soldier Rita Trujillo commented: 'I as one of many women who fought long and hard to be accepted and respected as fellow soldiers and the right to wear these uniforms feel shocked, angry at these published photos.'
Robyn Roche-Paull, a lactation consultant and a U.S. Navy Veteran wrote a book and has a blog called Breastfeeding in Combat Boots which aims to make women's position clearer while breastfeeding and serving their country.
As she writes: 'There are NO polices or regulations in any of the military branches that either approve OR disapprove of breastfeeding in uniform.'
She said that arguments against were based on the fact that it shows a woman to be nurturing and therefore 'unprofessional'.
U.S. law states that a woman may breastfeed her child at any location in a Federal building or on Federal property.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2159795/Woman-photos-military-moms-breastfeeding-uniforms-fired-job.html#ixzz1xsuRs4d6
