Soldier Mom refuses deployment to care for baby

AP ^ | 11/16/2009 | Russ Bynum

[Republic of Texas]

Then why allow women to enlist in the first place?

[earlJam]

This soldier signed a statement saying that she had someone who would be responsible for her children when she deployed. If they have a family situation that doesn't allow them to perform full duty they shouldn't be in the military.

So what if your back-up plan changes? What if you back-up person becomes incapacitated? Your back-up person recently had to get a job because her husband died or became unemployed. etc

Just saying there are lots of jobs stateside. Why separate mother and child?

Doesn't the Army have a back-up plan?

Why punish these mothers? Why encourage abortion?

Just saying.... not starting a flame war.

Cheers,

[rollo tomasi]

So join the army, get knocked-up, have the delivery/care paid for by the taxpayer, neglect your commitment/responsibilities, and get rewarded with a general discharge. Sounds like a great way to create moral boosters and run a voluntary force./s

BCD or DD, since she purposely missed her flight and most likely went through the "motions" of deploying with intent to skip out on her fellow warriors. Person who takes this cowards place is the only sympathetic individual in this case.

Alexis Hutchinson is pissing on the grave of the 12 women who took their responsibilities seriously and gave their lives for our safety while leaving their own kids behind in this war on terror.

[Think free or die]

As a woman, this sort of story really burns me up. Men and women each face challenges in meeting their responsibilities as family members, citizens and employees. Shirking responsibility is never right, but when women use family excuses like this, it reinforces a too-true stereotype. This is unfair to other women trying to achieve, and unfair to all those who have to step in and do her job.

There are times when family needs interfere with our jobs - no question about it. As individuals we have a responsibility to address these problems honorably and with foresight. Babies don't appear overnight, and deployments are a fact of military life. While I don't really think it's right to have babies while on active duty, I'd rather see her care for her child than abort it. However, if she wasn't willing and able to deploy when called, she should have requested a hardship discharge right away. Readiness is part of her job. She's been accepting payment for doing only part of her job.

[joe fonebone]

The only reason I say GD, is because this POS is not worth the time, expense or dignity associated with a courts martial....GD her ass and just send her on her way...no reporters or other such political garbage, just go away...

[SZonian]

First of all, sorry for your poor chain of command. Demonstrated a complete lack of leadership and decision making on their part.

I still question the foster care comment. I don’t believe it and until it’s attributed to someone in her chain of command I stand by my original assessment.

A lot has changed in the 20+ years since your chain of command’s inexcusable response to your situation. Commanders and 1st Sgt’s are supposed to be more empathetic to the plight of the servicemembers under their command. If a soldier is more concerned about what’s going on at home, they’re not going to be paying attention to their jobs in the field. Simple psychology.

We still agree on the dismissal part.

SZ

[rollo tomasi]

I would love to see her used as a teaching moment/example if the press continues on how insensitive the military is.

I get sick and tired of backing down from the PC brigade of the press/establishment. Bring up the fact that 7 service women who were single moms took on their responsibilities and gave their lives so we can be free during this war.

If you want to play emotional chess, get the families from the fallen single moms to do puff pieces. I get sick and tired of the military taking shots for their "lack of leniency, bleeding hearts" in the face of irresponsible individuals.

[org.whodat]

Wrong, keeping your bloomers on is a personal responsibility.

[org.whodat]

I agree. With all of the positions here in the states, why seperate mother and child?

So some people are more equal than others. I get it, how very liberal of you.

[mbynack]

I understand the problems. It seemed like every time I had to deploy we had some kind of emergency at home.

A military career is a major sacrifice. You get up when you're told, go where you're told, and do what you're told to do. It's even worse if someone doesn't pull their own weight because someone else has to take up the slack. I had several single parents that worked for me over the years and a few of them used their children as an excuse to get out of shifts they didn't want to work or deployments. It was a major hardship on the rest of us because someone had to work twice as hard.

Most military units are designed to deploy and fight wars. If part of your unit can't deploy, you have to go to another unit and get the people to replace them. That means that some married guy with a baby he's never seen is going to have to pull back-to-back deployments to fill in for her. This is bad for morale in the unit. It also sets a dangerous precedent because once an individual gets away with this, others are going to try it.

I sympathize with the woman's problems, but the needs of the unit have to come first. She should be discharged if she can't deploy.

[Sergio]

So what if your back-up plan changes? What if you back-up person becomes incapacitated? Your back-up person recently had to get a job because her husband died or became unemployed. etc

The military has backup plans for their backup plans, because if they don't, people die. The young lady in question should have had a plan A and a plan B.

Just saying there are lots of jobs stateside. Why separate mother and child?

Yes, there are many jobs stateside, (and where possible, these jobs are being filled by civilians so more military members can deploy), but the military is about fighting wars not being a "Jobs Program". We've been at war since 2001. The war is in Iraq and Afganistan. It's beyond reason to think that someone would volunteer for todays military and think that they will NOT be required to deploy. BTW, where is the sympathy for those service members have deployed to the "sandbox" four or five times during this time. By failing to deploy, this young lady has possibly made one of these four and five timers into five or six timers.

Doesn't the Army have a back-up plan?

The Military does not have the time or resources to make life easy for every service member. When you join the Military, you lose some of your rights. That is why military members fall under the Universal Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) rather than the civilian court system. Name one other job where your supervisor can order you to do something that is so dangerous that you may not survive the task, and where refusal will get you shot or thrown in jail? The Military spends most of it time making backup plans to keep brave service members, willing to lay down their lives for their country, from having to do so. Making backup plans for situations such as the one this young lady is in, detracts from the important things.

Why punish these mothers? Why encourage abortion?

First, she probably knew she was pregnant a few months before the baby was born, plenty of time to start planning. Second, deployment orders are not handed out the day before you are scheduled to leave. She probably knew she was to deploy a few months before the departure date. Again, enough time to make arrangements. I'm pretty sure that along the way, she was asked if she had her affairs in order on more than one occasion. If she said that all was taken care of when it really wasn't, then I don't see where punishment is not called for. Punishment in this case will not be confinment or hard labor, it will be a discharge, where she will then have the time to care for her child as she sees fit. As far as I can tell, no one is advocating abortion, besides, abortion would take away the young ladys barganing chip.

Just saying.... not starting a flame war.

Nope, not taken that way at all, and my post is not written to belittle, flame, or ridicule either. Just hoping to inform those who have no military experiance of the realities of military life. You brought up good questions that deserved serious answers. God bless.

[laweeks]

“Then why allow women to enlist in the first place?”

They should never be put in combat positions anywhere.

But, there are many useful areas for women in the military.

But, if they’re pregnant or have minor children, then they don’t need to be in the service. The children are more important. That’s my opinion.

[MayflowerMadam]

Sorry, Honey. It’s the truth. It always pissed me off to have to pick up the slack for working moms who missed work due to their kids’ issues, whether real or just convenient. Then we had to jump through hoops establishing “lactating rooms” so they could pump their breasts. Sheesh.

[Irisshlass]

I saw men taking off for dental and doctor’s appointments or for business reasons...or fooling around calling their girlfriends and bringing them lunch when they have wifes and children at home...don’t even get me started! I also loved it when you thought you would have a reservist (male) assigned to your aircraft each month but were too busy going to the hospital, commissary and elsewhere but work because they couldn’t access those facilities during the rest of the month. I use to call them the weekend donut warriors.

What I’m saying there are people both male and females who take advantage of the system and not just in the military. It is up to supervisors to counsel and take action.

[EricT.]

Barefoot and pregnant?!?

I said nothing of the sort.

What I said is that women get special treatment in the military, but everyone else was supposed to pretend they are equals.

In my 6 years of active duty and 4 years of drilling reserve status, I worked alongside women of the same rank and rate as I. Not a single one of them did the level of work that I did. They didn’t pull their weight, but got plenty of time to study for advancement exams in the office while I was working my ass off outside.

If women want to serve in the military, they should meet the exact same standards as men. They should have the same physical fitness requirements, they should have the same standing for advancement, they should do the same work as men are expected to do, etc.

In fact, I gave my little sister some advice when she joined the Navy after me. I told her to always pull her weight and don’t let anyone put her in an office for the senior enlisted and officers to ogle at. That advice served her well. She earned a Navy Achievement Medal and received phone calls from her ship asking her “how to” for 6 months after her enlistment expired.

[ntmxx]

“Another perfect example…”

I agree, my point is rhetorical; however, once having set the problem in place, not only the military, but the Political Class Leninists and society should have fixed the modern disparity of parenting while in the service. Unless, the intended goal is to have a forced (less than) one child policy for warriors; leaving a feminized society in its wake. On the face of it, this is the “mental disorder of liberalism” for all to view, the wearisome alteration of life’s truisms and empirical reality. While we dither around with social silliness and fuzzy thinking, keep in mind that the Chinese have an extra 100 Million men they could throw into a conflict, war and be available for colonizing other lands.

[Irisshlass]

I disagree...I worked with men that didn’t pull their weigh either. I guess the Navy has a different set of standards, the Air Force women have to meet the same standards as men in the traditional men’s fields. Call your congressman.

[SevenofNine]

Question now I saw her story on CNN hey I was at the store at Walmart Question now

Where is the ex husband or baby daddy that I change my mind on

[Bigg Red]

Empire???

[Former Military Chick]

PING

Speaking to my husband who is a commander, yes, she volunteered, a commander does call to verify that single soldiers have “family” plans for deployment.

Did her mom, say yes, did in the end her mom say NO she cannot. My husband has made it clear, commander's do not give option's to the soldier “foster care” or bust.

Having said that, he also said, if she wanted to serve than she should have found a way to have someone care for the child. Finally, he said she would be chaptered out if no other solution remained and the option is hardship discharge. Of course the arrest could change the nature of a discharge.

But, I go back to the choice of “foster care” or serving your country. If there is no one capable of caring for the infant than there is nothing dishonorable about choosing motherhood.

There are both single mom's and dad's faced with this situation all the time and it is very difficult and usually the plan's arranged by the service member allow the service member to do their duty in the armed services.

BTW, women serve honorably in our Armed Forces. Are there some that use pregnancy to get out of their deployment sure. Are there men who use CO status to get out of their duty sure.

But, more men and women serve their country with honor and distinction and I applaud each and every one of them and as I lay my head down I pray for each of them and for my husband to lead them with courage and to keep them safe.

Finally I look forward to see what the investigation proves. There is no doubt she missed her movement/deployment, that has consequences, she will have to face those but the bigger issue the circumstances behind the entire incident.

~FMC (proud Air Force veteran)