---Erin Williams, an Army officer serving at Fort Campbell, Ky., with her three children. Tamara Reynolds for NBC News
NBC NEWS
This was originally published on May 27, 2024
A shortage of child care providers has left around 9,000 children waiting months for spots at one of the military’s child care centers.
Erin Williams has jumped out of airplanes, led a platoon in Afghanistan and earned an Ivy League degree with three young children at home. But the hardest thing to navigate in her military career is finding child care.
“Child care is the only thing that has made me consider leaving military service,” said Williams, an Army officer who is currently serving at Fort Campbell in Kentucky. “I’ve worked for awesome leaders, and I think I’ve done a good job leading, but the logistics and constant stress that come from child care is truly the hardest thing I’ve had to deal with.”