Pregnancy ban: Sexism or good idea?

I saw this headline:

Seven soldiers punished thus far under pregnancy ban Stars and Stripes

and the feminist in me was ready to pounce. "How dare they," I thought? This sexism and misogyny is ridiculous.

And then I read the article.

As it turns out I don't entirely disagree with the thinking on this. The ban instituted six weeks ago bans pregnancy as it causes soldiers to have to stop working for an extended period of time. This creates a hole in the unit resulting in less people to do the work. I could almost agree with him if women didn't make up such a small portion of his unit.

I'm a woman and I don't think it's at all unreasonable to expect soldiers to think before they act. In 2009, pregnancies are preventable. The feminist in me says its your body and no one should be able to tell you what you can and can not do with it. But the practical side of me says these soldiers are doing a job and if you think you might be ready to have a child you maybe should reconsider enlisting at least until the child is old enough. You are starting a job and leaving others to pick up your slack. In an office that's okay, but on the frontlines its something different. Real lives not bottom lines are at stake here. Most pregnancies can be prevented. I commend the general in charging these soldiers to act responsibly.

However, I believe its impractical and unnecessary. Women soldiers are valuable, but the likelihood enough women will be pregnant at the same time that it would totally cripple a unit is highly unlikely. I also think court martialing and jail time is way too harsh and utterly ridiculous sentence for this. It's ludicrous that someone should go to jail because they got pregnant or for a man to be jailed for consensual sex, with a willing participant, that results in a baby.

Women have been getting pregnant since the beginning of time, (that's why there is a beginning of time). Many units have dealt with this natural part of life and been successful. Show me the unit truly harmed because of too many pregnant soldiers and maybe we can talk. Until then...

Are you freaking kidding me?