When I was in the military, it was a punishable offense if a sunburn “kept a person from normal assigned duty”. Pregnancy certainly does that also. The military hires a person to do a job. If that person does something to keep them from doing that job a punishment is only logical. There should be no difference if it is a sunburn or a pregnancy to me. Both are preventable.
I am not in the military. The last generation of military men in my family served honorably in Korea (my grandfather). My cousin (a woman) served the USAF in Afghanistan as an MP. I think this policy is a good thing, and I agree with you, Redeye, that voluntarily preventable situations should be punished if they impede your job.
That being said, this PC nonsense seems to have started when women were allowed into the military, and now that they’re in there, likely looking for a hubby or an education, they’re getting pregnant and shipped home. Like one of the commenters to the article said, these women are getting high-dollar educations (i.e. nuclear engineering), then getting knocked up and sent home, only to make scads more money in the private sector, and all thanks to your tax dollars!
Sunburns, pregnancies, whatever... if you can’t do your job, you should be fired. Makes perfect sense to me. You’re not in the military to put your heels behind your ears, you’re there to protect the United States of America. Act like it!
In my ADA battery in '77, we had more than a few soldiers shave their heads. I told the men in my platoon that if they got sunburned and couldn't perform their duties, the BC had no problems with going the Article 15 route.
It was Germany...during the winter...LOL! The troops did take notice when we shipped a couple of problem children off to our sister battalion. This battalion was attached to the Big Red One, and averaged 6-8 months per year in the field.
My unit was air base defense, and housed on an air force base, and all the comfort that implied.
That got their attention much more than the threat of an Article 15.
There should be no difference if it is a sunburn or a pregnancy to me. Both are preventable.
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One more motivation for the young woman to get an abortion. Great rule. Maybe they can have it performed by military docs too. (not currently)
The simple fact is, and always has been, like it or not, when you are in the military you are effectively the property of the US Government. Sounds harsh, but as far as practicle application its pretty true.