Army discharging single mom who refused deployment (More Political Correctness)

AP ^ | 12 Feb 10 | RUSS BYNUM

[SkyPilot]

A single-mom soldier who says she refused to deploy to Afghanistan because she had no family able to care for her young son will be discharged from the military instead of facing a court-martial, the Army said Thursday.

Spc. Alexis Hutchinson, an Army cook stationed at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, was arrested in November after skipping her unit's deployment flight. Hutchinson, 21, said she couldn't leave her son because her mother had backed out of plans to keep the child a few days before the soldier's scheduled departure.

[SkyPilot]

They should have prosecuted her, but there is no way in today's PC Army that they would press charges against a single black female. Remember the aftermath of Ft. Hood, where we learned from Gen. Casey that the name of the game is: "Diversity" über alles".

The article say:

According to the Defense Department, there are more than 70,500 single parents on active duty in the U.S. military — about 5 percent of all service members. Nearly half of military single parents are in the Army.

An unfortunate trend that reflect society, but more importantly, this is not the same Army that won WW II. We have pregnant women phoning it in to their superiors that they won't be getting on that aircraft, I have to look after my kid - thank you very much.

I knew many single moms and dads in the military, and they made their own arrangements. This woman punted, and she is allowed to get away with it. She not only disobeyed direct orders, the Army says they have evidence that she had no intention of deploying, ever and was using her mother not taking the boy as an excuse.

It is disgusting, and a barometer of how bad things are.

The military needs to get tough, and drop the PC garbage. "Diversity" has to be exposed for what it is: a wedge that has no place in the military. We have honorable men, women, and people of all ethnic backgrounds serving with honor and distinction. This woman is a disgrace, and she should have been severely punished.

Those who have pick up the slack have to pay the price of those who won't do their duty, but still want benefits allocated to veterans. Their families also pay that price.

It is criminal, and it has to stop.

[green iguana]

I’m curious - would you have her son go into an orphanage, or let her bring him with her?

[VaRepublican]

Dude she was busted and and suffered the penalty.

[RC2]

She should be Court Martialed and given an Undesireable Discharge with no benefits.

[slumber1]

Single moms have no business being in the armed forces period

[EDINVA]

She will figure out how to transition from military/vet benes to “entitlement” programs. This is a win-win to her.

[Sacajaweau]

Who’s your daddy?? Total PC....People like her use the system the same way they use welfare.

[tgusa]

Not to worry. This will become less of a problem once the CJCS gets rid of DADT. /sarc

[edcoil]

Any news on who/where the father is?

[PzLdr]

She’d better get a less than honorable out of this - and lose any shot she had at benefits, etc.

[PapaBear3625]

I’m curious - would you have her son go into an orphanage, or let her bring him with her?

What generally happens to kids when their moms go to jail?

This chick was content to get all the benefits of being in the military, and then when it was time to deliver what the Army was paying her, she didn't feel like going. I don't buy the crap about "her mom backed out".

[SkyPilot]

I’m curious - would you have her son go into an orphanage, or let her bring him with her?

Oh, I would have the mother and child stoned to death.

SARCASM.

How about choice "C" - what do the thousands of single parents (both men and women) who are deployed do right now? They work with their commanders, their units, and their service to grant extensions, they are honest about it, and they find solutions.

It is clear from the article that the Army knew she was lying, and that she had no intention to deploy, ever.

The military has always had its share of (as Stephen Ambrose called them) "Sad sacks, jerks, and loafers."

This woman was clearly in those categories.

[thefactor]

Well we were paying her salary when she was in the Army and now we’ll pay for her welfare. What a great country. I say she has 2 more kids in the next 5 years by 2 different men.

[SkyPilot]

Dude she was busted and and suffered the penalty.

No - she was discharged. That is what she wanted.

She was not prosecuted under the UCMJ, and she was not punished.

She not only disobeyed direct orders, she was AWOL when she didn't show up for that aircraft. There are probably about 5 or 6 other offenses she committed as well that go along with that.

[chuck_the_tv_out]

#12 & #13 have it right.

[SkyPilot]

Any news on who/where the father is?

Yes.

"Hutchinson, who's assigned to the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade of the Army's 3rd Infantry Division, joined the Army in 2007 and had no previous deployments. She is no longer in a relationship with the father of her 13-month-old son, Kamani."

[Eyes Unclouded]

Mothers do not belong in the army. What kind of a military can take itself seriously with such conduct as this?

[green iguana]

Stoning the mother to death would be fine.

I know many don’t believe that the Mom’s mom backed out at last minute. Maybe, maybe not. I sure don’t believe Larson - “commanders decided a court-martial would be too disruptive to the Army” lacks credibility to me.