I completely understand how you would be offended by this decision, but you have to remember that as a member of the military you have duties to uphold.

I was in the Navy from 2000-2004, and when you enlist you agree to forgo your constitutional rights and live by the Uniformed Code of Military Justice. The UCMJ as it is called basically allows the military to dictate your rights based on any situation.

In this situation, where the military is completely stretched out by two very long and arduous wars, it is necessary that they take precautions that they have enough soldiers to complete the job. Also if you read the article it only applies to soldiers that are in the war zone. Obviously they would never ban pregnancy when they are back home, but it's perfectily reasonable to ban it when they are in the war zone.

Pregnancies can be planned over there because the policy to begin with is that sex between Soldiers is banned in theater, except for married couples. Been the policy since the beginning. Married Soldiers have the responsibility to take their jobs seriously and do the best they can to prevent a pregnancy. Now just because the General's policy is that it's banned, it does not mean that someone will get punished. If the parties involved are married and took every precaution there is (birth control, condoms, etc.) they will more than likely get a slap on the wrist and the woman will go home to a safe environment.

Obama needs to butt out because this is the Army's business.

Women want to be treated equally in the military and this needs to apply to the subject of procreation. We are a nation at war in two different countries. If a male soldier's wife is pregnant, they do not allow him to leave his military post to share in the birth of his child. He has made a commitment to his fellow soldiers to remain by their side, especially in battle. If a woman chooses to enlist in the military, it is her responsibility to prevent conception. Should she conceive, she should receive a dishonorable discharge, because she can no longer serve in her full capacity as a soldier.

And for the record, I am a professional woman, so please do not think this is a comment from a discriminatory male. The only way women can be taken seriously in the workplace is if we are treated equally...same demands, same responsibilities, no exceptions. To do otherwise, puts women at an advantage over men.

You for real? Don't you think a war zone is a bad place to set up a nursery? Ever heard of birth control, I'm with this general 1000%, anyone who has ever been in the military understand that their are constitutional rights while in the military are somewhat restricted. If you wanna me a momma, I strongly recommend against joining the military duh duh duh duh!

You obviously didn't serve with women in the service in some crappy places. They would purposely get pregnant to get out of their situation and a man would have to take up their slack. The Gen. knows this too.

Branton -

Want to re-think this? I'm progressive, but when you join the military you have availed yourself of valuable training, pay, etc. - and in return you have an absolute obligation to be ready to fight, if needed. By getting pregnant you are dismissing that obligation.

Soldiers need to do some family planning before they join the military. Either don't join, or postpone the baby making. And the penalty for a male soldier who gets a fellow soldier pregnant is right on, too.

I replied to you Branton.

In a combat zone, with replacements hard to come by, he has not only the right but the responsibility to prohibit voluntary actions which result in losing personnel.

If you are in the military, a part of your obligation is to keep yourself fit for duty. While pregnancy is not usually a problem in the military, a unit downrange is a completely different situation. I was Air Force from 1968 to 1995, and remember when women were being integrated into the military in large numbers. One of the prime arguments against it was that women have the option of becoming pregnant and being reassigned even in the worst duty locations. This not only puts their duties squarely on the shoulders of others, but it's an option which is not available to most military personnel.

It is not unlawful for unmarried soldiers to have sex. It's only unlawful for married soldiers to commit adultry. Unmarried soldiers can get it on as much as their work and base restrictions allow. All women are given birth control before they deploy to prevent pregnancies, and if they were really going to plan the pregnancy they would do so before they left the states. This is just another stupid extension of the already ridiculous "General Order 1b" Never mind that there are prisoners in the US who have more freedom than those soldiers, like myself, who have to deploy numerous times to locations so far away from our families. I'm a proud member of the military and proud to have served in Iraq, but always thought that the military did wrong by their soldiers on occasion and took that whole "You volunteered for it, so just deal with it" a bit too far.

They are in a war zone in a war, and they are in the military voluntarily. They have a duty to perform. Getting pregnant or worried about getting her or yourself pregnant is very distracting and could cost lives.

It should be noted that the female who becomes pregnant is not the only person subject to punishment. The rule specifically states that the male who gets her pregnant is subject to punishment. There is no double standard here, and women are not being singled out. The fact is, there is supposed to be NO SEX while in a theater of war. In the past, units would determine punishments on a case-by-case basis. A 19 year old female who became pregnant by a married NCO was quietly sent home in the middle of our deployment. No punishment, except maybe a medical discharge. I never found out what happened to the SFC who got her pregnant, but technically, he could have gotten a field-grade Article 15, and gotten significant rank and pay taken. Some people may think that these rules are contrary to human nature, or too harsh, or unconstitutional. Our oath of enlistment states that, "[we must] obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice". Always remember that military service is voluntary, and that includes sacrifice.

Heck, we had one of our female crewchiefs that got pregnant about once year for over 4 years straight in the early 1990's. That way she didn't have to deploy and she didn't have to pass the PT test we had at the time. She got out after her 6 year enlistment was up. But, she spent pretty much all of her enlistment doing office work instead of the job she trained to do and never once had to deploy. Not exactly fair to the other people in the unit that had to leave their families for 4-6 months at a time. And this wasn't the only woman I've seen pull that trick either. The other women in the unit hate them just as much as the guys do.

Our troops are in the Middle East to make war, not love . . .

And especially at this time of year, our troops need to be in the mood for Christmas, not in the mood for love, which is fabulous . . .

http://www.raemultimedia.com/Im_In_The_Mood_For_Christmas_12-17-2009-3.mov

Fabulous!

I'm female and I've served and managed to not get pregnant when my unit needed me. Near my ETS, my husband and I planned my pregnancy. When you enlist you are choosing to give up some of your "rights' (personally I prefer the word priveldges). You choose to sacrifice what's in your personal best interests to what is in the greater good. Putting off pregnancy for one year is not a big thing. With contraceptives, you don't even have to put off sex. I have no problem with this order. It's common sense. There is a term for soldiers who create medical conditions to avoid duty; it's malingering. When a female soldier gets pregnant to get out of duty, it besmirches every other female soldier and makes their job 10 times harder. It's an insult to every female soldier who toes the line and does what needs to be done. I say hu-ahh to General Cucolo.

You really don't know much about the military do you? When you enlist you agree to the dictatorship of the military. You forgo your constitutional rights and agree to the UCMJ. without this the military wuld not be able to function. Grownup lady....

ALL choices have consequences: enlist? you'll be taking orders get pregnant/impregnate? face a court martial. If anyone violates this order, they should lose all military benefits.

"Not all pregnancies are planned" Is there a hall of shame for whiners and dumb comments? Only in the case of forcible rape does this excuse work.

Eff you, if you have signed up for military service (remember, this is voluntary) and you're IN A WAR ZONE, you sure as hell have to follow orders.

Plus, the added burden of movement or health concerns surrounding a woman who is pregnant, etc...all the more reason an order should be made to tell people to not conceive while on active duty in a WAR. Duh.

If women can choose to scrape their uteruses out of convenience in the US, they sure as hell can follow a mandate in the military in a time of war to keep their legs closed.

Any person who disagrees with this policy has obviously never spent any time in a combat zone. Women serve only as distraction to the mission at hand in the first place. With people becoming pregnant on top of that is absurd. Also, for people that have no idea what army life is like, a lot of women get pregnant on purpose just to dodge deployments. So much for morals and values.

It is true: when in the military, you are subject to its law first and the law of the land second. When you sign up, you are made aware of this very acutely over and over before you sign on the dotted line. When women get pregnant in the military, it upsets long-range deployment plans and others lives. People are slated to go months out, and when someone is supposed to come home (say, after a 15-month tour), they may get held-over when another is unable to come and replace him/her. Or, if a woman gets pregnant downrange, she causes someone to have to be deployed unexpectedly and usually quickly. My husband was held over on his last tour because the woman who was to relieve him in Iraq purposely got pregnant to avoid having to do so. She even went around admitting it to others. I, as a military wife, applaud this general for making this a punishable action. If a woman signs up for duty, she should have to serve the military in the capacity to which she agreed--my husband certainly cannot get out of his obligation because of this sort of situation. Nor would he want to--he signed up as a person who wants to serve his country, not just get paid. Being a woman, I do understand the desire for children, but morals dictate that you do what you say you will--why be a parent if you cannot follow through on something much simpler?

If you want to be a parent then get out of the military! I commend this General for banning this.

There is no democracy in the military. You sign a contact to comply with regulations. Before the co-ed military existed, this issue did not exist. A free pass to get out of a combat zone by getting knocked up is b.s. and a waste of manpower.

Allowing women in the military seems to have unintended consequences. Who'da known?

I agree with those who support the general's decision. Women wanted to be in combat roles and ,now that they are, they're finding a way (only available to them) to get out of it. They knew what they were getting into when they volunteered for the military. And they did volunteer as there is no draft.

The Iraqi general, in his most likely uneducated mind, reasons the best he can. War is not for pregnant women. Men do not get pregnant, so they do not endanger children in their wombs [bellies]. Women should be baking cookies for their fighting men. They should do it in the safety of their homes. Women were pushed into combat roles by the radical feminists. The latter wanted total equality. But total equality between men and women is an utopia, radical feminist utopia! Women should have equal rights, but their roles ought to be separate from men's. I grant that there may be some exceptions. There are women who do not want children. Such could join the army in combat positions, provided they don't get pregnant in the army. There are many non-combat positions for women in the army. They can get pregnant there.

Did the article say Obama? Don' recall reading that.

As he has said...the female members of his command are very important to the mission. I applaud this general in his forethought...if only the members of his command would give the same forethought to their actions.

I am a woman who joined in 1976 and throughout my career worked in “non-traditional” jobs till I retired. My first impression of this policy is it makes sense and I am glad it applies to both men and women since it take two. When I was stationed in the Philippines, pre AIDS, there was a policy that sent you stateside with a reprimand if you got VD more than 3 times, so I think it’s about the same. Except I can’t recall anyone being accused of getting VD so they could go home early though.

Women should expect to serve the same as men if they want to be given the same treatment and opportunities. Unfortunately not all people are willing to play by the rules but when a woman breaks them it is still held against all women as a reason to not allow their service, as many of these comments illustrate. The point of this policy is because women make a valuable irreplaceable contribution to the war effort is obvious. Service men lose more time to alcohol related incidents than women lose due to pregnancy by half. We do not have enough boots on the ground without eliminating these volunteers, the all volunteer force depends on using everyone in any position they are capable of filling.

Accusing women of getting pregnant to get out of serving in a war zone or some other duty has been a service legend going back to Viet Nam and probably before. Bringing a child into the world and the responsibilities associated with it as a way to avoid service, well it just doesn’t pass the BS test. It needs to be eliminated with the other legend that every woman who makes rank did it on her knees or on her back…

PS The military woman can’t choose to get an abortion while overseas BECAUSE no federal funds can be spent on abortion!

Banning pregnancies has always been the norm in any combat situation. However, there are some females who use pregnancy as an excuse to avoid duty, field or combat. I knew plenty of gals, when I was active duty, who purposely got pregnant to avoid going to the field or getting deployed.

Female soldiers are just as valuable as the males are in any career field, however, if a troop has a bun in the oven they become a liability to the unit as they are no longer combat ready. They can't carry a combat load, wear body armor, or do their job without harming their unborn child.

It isn't like AAFES has an entire section of their stores dedicated to birth-control in Iraq or Afghanistan.

This is in a COMBAT zone. You are a soldier first. the medics have plenty of condoms and birthcontroll is free. As a retired female NCO this is the most egregious offense a female soldier can commit in the combat zone. It sets women back. You are there as a soldier and as the Commander said, you are NEEDED for the DURATION. I absolutely support this ban.

MAC

SFC, (RET) USA

Never once in my entire career do I personally know any woman who said they set out to get pregnant only because they wanted to “get out” of some situation. Beyond the military ramifications what kind of person becomes a parent in that way?

sea2see, it's not a legend. My friend was in the army and knew this happened. Some women heard 'deployment' and they get pregnant to avoid it. It's just like shooting yourself in the foot. I believe it's called 'playing the system.'

Hell, I know people who purposely get pregnant just so the government/welfare can give them more food stamps, etc. If they don't work and the husband does, amazing how he is suddenly 'fired' from his job when they realize that they are making enough money and that will make the amount of food stamps they receive go down.

Good Lord people!!! Get a hold of yourself and stop acting like many of our Senators have acted in legislation this week! War is War! "Controls" are set to manage situations. Do you want pregnantwomen in a combat zone? Ok, so the woman gets pregnant, which means we need to remove them for their safety and the child. Does this figure fall into the attritions of war now? Having to make even more adjustments, before we get back to the business of why we are there? What if the female that is pregnant, has to be removed from her duty position that she was extremely good at? How has this served the mission or her fellow service members depending on her? To the person that says remove the General because they thought he was an idiot? I would be VERY SURPRISED to hear that YOU HAVE SERVED!!!

Steve Mays, 9 Year Veteran USAF

It's a war zone. A minimal degree of discipline is common sense. Getting pregnant in such an environment is just plain stupid.

I know what I am saying, not what someone told me but my own experience my throughout my career. I heard the rumors too but knew no one who actually did this. I am not lying! I also don't know of anyone shooting themselves in the foot!

If you say you have friends who do/did such things, unless you knew someone pretty well how else would you know their motivations, I’ll take your word for it.

These men and women are in a war zone, they have no business getting pregnant or impregnating fellow soldiers. Its irresponsible to carry another life into this world when you can't be sure about your own life on a daily basis.

he's not banning women in the military from getting pregnant. he's banning it from women at war! I'm a woman in the military and I think this should have been done a long a time ago. When our unit was in iraq, we had THREE girls go home because they got pregnant. Its RIDICULOUS and it makes the lives of your fellow Soldiers harder all because A. they could not just wait a few months to have sex and B. they weren't even responsible enough to take the precautions to not get pregnant. so you tell me, are YOU going to replace the work load of the woman who got sent home because she was irresponible and screwed over her unit and her mission?

You want Obama to get involved!!!!!????

You moron, this president is in over his head now. The last thing he needs to do is get involved in one more thing. He is already "involved" in too many other things.

Getting preganant maybe a calculated response to avoid serving.

It's the military you do what you are told. These commanders don't issue orders for the hell of it. There is a reason behind it all, and subordinates aren't permitted to question or defy them.

Don't get your panties in a bunch branton, they are in the military...take orders...or be shot. You would last 6 hours in the military you HOMO.

Have you ever served? I would say probably not. Oughta get you head on straight and shut your pie hole.

Apparantly the obvious escapes you. Pregnant women dropping out of combat leaves the rest of the unit vulnerable because they are not up to full capacity. It's a real simple formula go back to your 3rd grade math and figure it out. BTW military personnel willing give up their constitutional rights when they join the military.

I know some find it hard to believe, but, yes some females do get pregnant on purpose to avoid duty, especially combat duty. Here's something else to mull over; some female servicemembers take advantage of the sex situation to score a few extra bucks, too. When I was deployed to Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, two female Army officers were caught with FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS CASH stashed in their quarters. It was all over the media. You think female troops getting preggars in the battle field is bad? Female troops prostituting themselves to other service members is worse.

As for servicemembers giving up their constitutional rights as U.S. citizens, we don't lose all our rights. Yes, for a few years we become second-class citizens, and if that were on a recruiting poster, it would not fare well for the recruiting numbers, now, would it?

Portland,

Do you really believe that "the Army's business" is not Obama's concern. Is he not the commander in chief of the army? This policy is ridiculous on it's face. Consider the fact that the military wants to control pregancies which apparently it believes to be planned and consentual, however it turns a blind eye to crimes like rape that happen to women all the time over there. How is a man supposed to know whether a woman is using birth control or not? How does one determine whether a condom is going to be effective. It is unrealistic to believe that they will remain celibate while they are deployed. People take precautions all the time to prevent pregancies and they fail sometimes. How will the military decide if the pregancy was the result of planning, carelessness, or defective birth control. How does one prove that the pregnancy is the result of one soldier's sperm over another? Jerry Springer made a whole career out of women who didn't really know who their babies' fathers were. The whole thing indicates a desire to control the uncontrollable and to try to punish people for being human. Good luck with that.

Yeah well it's not fair for women to have to carry to gestation and then give birth, but we do it anyway. What's next, a ban on getting sick? Cancer? I realize you have the "code", but there are lots of things that are not fair in this world. Women should not be held hostage by this. And really, are the men who HELP CREATE this situation as much at fault or does the woman take the full brunt for that too?

Some people do bad things - many more paid those 2 women although maybe not so many $5,000 isn't really so much money.

My experience is that women deliberately getting pregnant to get out of duty doesn't happen. If you say you have friends who do/did such things and unless you knew someone pretty well how else would you know their motivations, I’ll take your word for it.

ORDERS are ORDERS. As a taxpayer I am sick and tired of paying to train people only to have them think they are above the rule of law. How do you fight a war with your pants down around your legs?

....no Obama needs to remove himself for trying to make our country a laughing stock....we need a real MAN as President

Women fought for the right to be a part of the military, they know the rules going in and being pregnant while in an active war zone is breaking the rules. The women and the men are both being punished for it. The military gives birth control prior to deployment and during and women have no excuse with all the birth control products we have on the market. I understand they are in a high stress job no one is said "no sex" they're saying no pregance. I heard some of the women get prego in the hopes of not going, what was the point in signing up? I think the General has the right to order this ban his people know the rules...

Branton Plaster You are and idiot yourself for thinking that way...

How on earth can you say this ban is ridiculous. I am a woman. My husband is in the Military. I worked for the Department of Navy.

There is a saying "War is HELL!" These women are in a war zone, they joined the Military whose main priority is to defened their country and our constitutional rights. That's it. They want long hair, they want to wear jewlery, hell, they want to wear skirts, carry purses and wear heals. They have it all as part of their uniform.

But being pregnant while in a combat zone or while going out to sea is ridiculous and selfish. This is one area where you cannot have it all. You are there, in a dangerous situation and you get pregnant. Now you are placing your unborn child in a dangerous situation.

The same when these women are deployed. It is not safe. You work long hours under stressfull and unsafe conditions. On surface ships there are times when the majority of women who are getting ready to deploy with their ship are pregnant. Nice way to be a team player. You joined the Navy (Marines, Air Force, etc.) give me a break. No one forced you, you made a choice to serve your country.

People need to remember this... It was a choice for them to join, It was a choice to have sex and with that choice comes the chance of pregnancy. Do your jobs, quit whining and be responsible.

I am so sick of hearing about this. Whether it be in Iraq, surface or the possibility of women on subs (which is dangerous look at the data pertaining to carbon monoxide levels, and watch a medavac, not only dangerous for the sailor and the fetus but endangers everyone on the sub). Grow up! Take responsibility for YOUR Choices. Stop trying to pass it off to everyone else.

Where do you draw the line? Things happen. People get sick. People get pregnant, even while using birth control, and I highly doubt anyone is going to try to ban heterosexual sex.

But then again, that's the answer: Have an all gay military.

"Do Ask, Do Tell, and Do Join."

In all seriousness, make female soldiers get a Depo Provera shot every three months while on active duty. This will alleviate the problem. We force soldiers to get certain vaccinations even tho they are high risk in order to protect their health and keep units at their optimum number of people, this would be no different. Women want equality? Then be more like a man and make sure you CAN'T get pregnant while in the military. Don't like it? Don't enlist.

Oh, and I'm female as well.

Why sign up if your going to get pregnant...how much more stupid can women get? You want to be in the military then be there...don't go there and get pregnant...my personal belief is woman shouldn't be in the armed forces anyway...and yes I am a woman

I make perfect sense. The battlefield is not the place for pregnant womem. I think they should be able to use birthcontrol or abstanance while deployed.

These women sign up voluntarily knowing full well they are not supposed to be having sex while at war. They volunteered to wait to get pregnant and then broke the rules and left their fellow troops high and dry. How fair is that?

@ sea2sea:

First let me say that I do not agree with some of your previous assessments but I do appreciate your service to your country.

I do not think the Senior Commander in Iraq was attempting to belittle or "short-change" the female military service personnel serving in harms way. But the idea that this is a "legend" brought on by the past conflicts is incorrect. I served with a unit that deployed since 9/11. We deployed none-stop and had several years of "stop-loss" status placed on us and prevented many male Soldiers from leaving the Army or getting reassigned to another unit.

I personally know of over a dozen cases where female Soldiers or junior NCOs would get pregnant to avoid a combat deployment or a year long deployment to Iraq or Afghanistan. New or soon to be fathers would still be sent forward with little to no time to see their new child but the female service member would automatically be sent home or prevented from deploying forward. Do mistakes happen or un-planned parenthood moments occur? Of course, but it is extremely "strange" how a large portion of Soldiers who are female suddenly become "pregnant" overnight after the warning orders for deployment have been published.

Those now pregnant female Soldiers create a hole in the deployment roster and thus create additional shortages of qualified personnel. So units must search for Soldiers to replaces those Soldiers who decided to take a different route to skip a deployment then serve and deal with it like the rest of us. It is not fair and it has been a problem since I have been serving in the military since 1990. Take birth control measures or whatever, but don't get pregnant to avoid a rotation, that is a cop-out and not only does a disservice to that person's unit, but it gives a bad impression for their fellow female Soldiers who are pulling their weight and doing what they signed up to do. It is about commitment and maintaining some common sense and doing what is asked of you. I totally applaud this Commanding General and all of those who want to bash this person must have never had to tell a service member who has just recently returned from overseas that they are going back over because someone got pregnant prior to deployment.

In 2004 I was stationed at Camp Victory-Iraq, Baghdad. We were having a relief in place with the new unit commander coming in. Our detachment was on special orders and we were on specific mission. The new Officer in Charge was a brand new female Captain. This was her first assignment overseas and she was checking out the living conditions. It was very Spartan like and we made do with very little. So she was shocked at the tents, the distance from the showers, bathrooms, chow hall, and etc. Several weeks passed and we waited for her to show up. Then we received word that she was not going to be assigned to our section because she had just found out that she was now pregnant and would be unable to deploy. So they had to assign and deploy another Officer who had only recently returned from Afghanistan to serve as our Officer in Charge (OIC). It was wrong then and it is wrong now. Congrats to this General Officer for making a stand and issue that has been a problem for a number of years. You can't have it both ways and say that is not fair.

You can receive UCMJ for acquiring a STD if it causes problems at your job. I know you can receive counseling from your first line supervisor as well as Commanding Officer if you show up with something like that.

it is completely reasonable. if you're in the military you've given an obligation to serve your country, not sleep with your comrades and get knocked up. being pregnant is hard enough without being in a war zone or worrying who the father is. use common sense people.

bro-1525386, you are completely correct. Why should other soldiers, airmen, seamen take up the slack for someone that either intentionally or unintentionally does this? I am in full support of courts martial in this situation. I'm sick of hearing equal rights for women only when it's convenient for them. But in the same breath, men should also take equal responsiblity for their "actions"

I served 2 combat tours in Iraq (that's 26 months, not some Air Force 4-timer who served a total of 12 months). This has nothing to do with "the military" as a whole. It has everything to do with "a war zone". And, even though most FOBs have the amenities of home, we are still talking about arid climate, diseases and pests that aren't found stateside, and all-together conditions that aren't hospitable to the care a mother-to-be needs. Now, all "caretaking" issues aside, the Soldier deploys with a mission and a timeframe. A Soldier who gets pregnant OR impregnates in the war zone is a) degrading unit readiness b) making the mission that much harder for their Battle c) SHOULD receive a "No" mark on their NCOER/OER for "Selfless Service" because it is completely selfish, whether intended or unintended.

Unlike a WIA/KIA, a pregnancy is a PREVENTABLE loss to the unit, and that is all this GO is trying to get across. But, in the end, Soldiers are just like the general population of civilians, in that a small percentage are going to do whatever they can to get out of work, or just selfishly do their own thing. Bottom Line: Soldiers don't have a job. They have a mission within a profession. Be a professional!

as long as getting raped by one of her fellow soldiers is a punishable act.....

remember this, women in war zones have more to fear than just the enemy

Shut up. They signed up to do a job, and pregnancy gets in the way of them doing their job. What, we have to use MORE money to fly them home so they can take a break from doing their jobs, while still reaping the benefits of being employeed by the military? Give me a break.

This isn't just about the women!!!

Never once in my entire career do I personally know any woman who said they set out to get pregnant only because they wanted to “get out” of some situation. If you have friends who do/did such things and unless you knew someone pretty well how else would you know their motivations, I’ll take your word for it.

Offer abortions to these accidentally pregnant women bet some will take it.

I am SO tired of these stories about women not doing their duty not pulling their weight, like men never do that! Women are under a microscope and the tall tales get repeated ad nauseam. All soldiers should be held to the same standards. Military men lose more days to alcohol abuse than women do to pregnancy.

No one should volunteer for a combat job if they don’t want to do it. No one should be trained for a job they can’t do. No one should decide these things for other people based solely on sex. Patriots do their duty.

Branton -

While you are trying to advocate "rights" in your statement, in this case you are the idiot not the General - when entering into the military you understand deployment may happen at any time. If deployed to the middle east, you are aware that you can not take your family...to include your spouses, children, or pets. It's not like being stateside or on a base that is safe for your kin.

You are there to focus on a mission not there to get laid or pregnant, a mission by the way that ensures your freedom here. Ask yourself, are you wanting to sleep safely or would you like someone to miss a watch and your life be the expense paid because they chose to not be smart, get pregnant and cause the team effort of guarding your freedom to crumble? Think about these things before you shoot your mouth off about idiots and use it in conjunction with rights, confusing the concept and logic of the big picture is unbecoming.

Military is a way of life, it is a choice, and there are times when you are expected to be responsible and uphold those choices as well as your job - which by the way is working to maintain your freedom for you. There's a time and place to have and raise children. The desert is not one of those times nor places.

Let me preface this by saying I had 15 years of service -- I'm female. My mother served, my grandmother served. We would ALL agree with this policy!

I would agree with the person who suggested the depo shot. I've often proposed a Norplant (sp?) would be appropriate. This would also prevent pregnancy should a woman be captured and raped.

The thing that I really like about this policy is that BOTH parties are punished. While perhaps a court martial might be TOO far, an Article 15 would definitely be appropriate! For officers, letters of reprimand!

As the bouncer in Knocked Up said "Can't have a bunch of old, pregnant bitches running around. That's crazy."

It sure would be nice if the Hyde Amendment was retracted so these service women could correct the problem while deployed without being court martialed though. Ladies, if you're going overseas be sure to have some Plan B and get a RU-486 prescription if you can, and use proper contraception.

wake up ! The military is an organization in which you the person ask to become part of . Along with that are rules and standards,There are certain individual rights in which a person gives up. That is what makes us (US Armed Forces ) professionals. fOR EVERY NEGATIVE ACTION THERE IS A PRICE TO PAY FOR THAT . Hell it is too bad theSOME PEOPLE IN society today whether military or civilian world has forgotten this !!! The creed a US soldier lives by is WE WILL ALWAYS PLACE THE MISSION FIRST. !!!!! WE WILL NEVER QUIT . WE WILL NEVER ACCEPT DEFEAT WE WILL NEVER LEAVE A FALLEN COMRADE !!!!!

Branton, you are absolutely dead-on correct and Josh-427366, you got seriously bad counseling during your stint in the Navy. As a retired Army officer, I am outraged by this General's attitude and comments.

All military law is derived from the Uniform Code of Military Justice, better known by its acronym, the UCMJ or simply "the Code." The Code was crerated by the Congress under the powers granted to the Legislative Branch under the Constitution. It is part of the larger U.S. Code of laws, not a separate entity that deny's any service member any constitutional rights or access to other due process of law.

Not only is there no ground under the Code for a Court Marshal or non-judicla punishment, all of the armed services modified their policies toward retention of pregnat female servicemembers back in the early 1970's. Prior to that time, it was standard practice to administratively discharge prenant female service members. The policy was then changed to permit females the option to decide whether they wanted to be retained, and later changed to reqire pregnant females to have to show cause as to why they should not be retained.

The General and Josh need to move into the new century in their thinking.

Why sign up if you're going to get pregnant...how much more stupid can women get? You want to be in the military then be there...don't go there and get pregnant...my personal belief is woman shouldn't be in the armed forces anyway...and yes I am a woman.

I can tell you this; I know of a few females who joined the military to find a husband, using the oldest ruse in the book to get their hooks in a man, even if he is someone else's husband: They get pregnant. However, I also know a few times when it backfired and the women in question wound up being a single parent in a never-ending court fight for child support while trying to prove paternity. Yes, it gets ugly sometimes and you get single female service members with five or six children by three or four different guys, and no child care plan in place to boot. Yes, it does make all female service members look very bad, however, not all of us are in that "I need to get a husband" mindset.

Yes, I make jokes about escaping the old 'ball and chain', but, in all seriousness, sometimes you just know you were not meant to be tied to one man or have any children. ;-)

I disagree totally and that's because they KNOW that they will be sent back home and frankly, that's what they're wanting. The guy that gets her pregnant can look forward to staying where he is while she gets out of being there. OH and as an added bonue, the guy may end up being forced into paying child support.

I'm not sure what the best solution is but letting the woman escape the war zone while forcing the "father" to stay behind isn't one of them.

Just tell 'em that they'll be jailed... that might buy you a little time.

I think the fear of dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of pay, reduction in rank, extra duty are easy to enforce. This is the military, not mom and dad's house where you don't get to play xbox for an hour as punishment.

I wonder how the right feels about this one, on the one hand they whole-heartedly support the military in any endeavor and on the other they are against any form of birth control (other than the method). Of course, I'm sure most of them would say they are just against women in the military and leave it at that. Since you can't mandate women taking the pill (or men for that matter if the US ever gets that pill) - the right would never allow that, and women's rights groups would want to guarantee that women can enter combat roles (even though there are a few women that enter those roles to prove a point, then decide the don't like it and become a driver for a Superior or just get pregnant then exit the military and become a dependant), this will now always be an issue.

Female. Desert Storm veteran. Served 9 years. Never saw a woman intentionally get pregnant to get out of anything. The General is correct in my opinion, although he was a bit rough in his delivery on the subject. Im pretty sure he would word it differently if given the opportunity. Oh, and Im a republican to the person that is wondering how the "right" feels (wtf does that have to do with anything?). To be honest, my first thought was "how are all of these people having all of this sex?" lol....give em hell ladies, you are doing a fine job and your contribution and service is very much admired and appreciated.

No birth control is 100%, period, not even tubal ligation or vasectomy. I have two friends who had their tubes tied and both have children after the procedure. Abstinence is the only way to prevent it for sure. You going to tell these men in the military they can't have sex either? I'm thinking that would go over like a lead balloon.

So Tommy Vaughn, you weren't able to get married, whoopdy doo. Tell me with a straight face you didn't have sex during the time it took for you to be an NCO. Having sex means you can get pregnant! Only abstinence works! I'm thinking rape in the military would skyrocket if a ban to abstain from sex were put forth, what do you think?

Becky,

Self control with sex for men? Are you SERIOUS?????????????? That's a funny one.

The answer is so simple: have an all-gay military.

Problem solved.

Stop it Greg. It's not gonna happen.

Women are volunteering to enlist in the military, they are not being drafted. With their enlistment, comes responsibility. If they don't want to live up to the demands and expectations, then let them choose another occupation. Get real! There's no room for morning sickness in a war zone !!!

Obviously, Nana has not served in the military. When I was in the Marines, I was not allowed to marry until I was a NCO. Being a Soldier, Marine, Airman, or Sailor in a combat zone is not at all like working at Wal-Mart, and the system of justice (the UCMJ) is quite different. The ACLU has no jurisdiction, and the military can, and does, tell one how to conduct his/her private life. Officers and enlisted men and women have, for example, been court marshaled for committing adultery. The General is on firm legal ground. I suspect that some women are getting prego to avoid rather unpleasant duty. Notice that the men who impregnate also face court martial. Finally, as a yahoo veteran who is still carrying shrapnel received in service to my country, I personally find your comments offensive.

Semper Fi. When one joins the military they aren't issued a baby. One becomes government property when in the military. I've seen a guy get written up for destruction of government property because he got a sunburn! The general is absolutely correct. No pregos in the combat zone. That should be understood considering the circumstances. Guys should just self indulge anyway and save themselves the hassel w/ the aftermath.

Women have no place in the military if they're going to allow themselves to get pregnant....and neither do irresponsible men. American soldiers need to step up to the plate and show a little self control.

Hello, ACLU doesn't have jurisdiction.

Wake up before you speak. UCMJ allows many restrictions that you accept in the military. Civilian life you cant do your job you get fired ( except for pregnancy leave). Military says you get prego you cant do your job- no babies in combat. ACLU is a pinko outfit anyway.

And I bet you are really happy that you get to live in a country where all the freedoms you enjoy are protected by someone else. I hope you at least get out and vote. I'm happy and proud to have served. I feel like I won the crap-shoot of life just by virtue of being born here. I'm a dyed-in-the-wool, bleeding-heart liberal who has pretty much always voted Democrat. But I think one of the greatest things I ever did was doing an enlistment in the US Army (being a mother is the only thing greater). When you believe in the experiment that we call the USA, when you love and venerate the Constitution and when you know that while the USA may not be perfect, but we try harder than anyone else in the world; then serving is one way you can put-up or shut-up. I feel lucky that I got the opportunity to be one of the millions who have stood up to serve this country. It's a damn shame you feel your personal desires are more important than this country.

What a pretty little speech... have you considered that I may, in fact, be a veteran myself?? Gulf War veteran in fact... If you had such a wonderful experience, why are you on this board posting instead of serving right now overseas? Put-up or shut-up.

Moe, I'm a Gulf War Vet too. And I'm not serving now because a) I'm 50 years old. I enlisted after I had my degrees. I was almost 30 years old. And b) because I'm a single mom. I got pregnant with my husband just before I ETSed. However, I have a neice who is about to deploy in March and I hope someday to watch my daughter take the oath. So, I assume you aren't in right now either because you wouldn't be posting ans serving would you?

Nope... because my priories are (in this order) my family, my family, and my family. Very selfish, I know.

Moe, you didn't happen to join out of highschool did you?

No... actually was a Junior in college. I was looking for something 'different'. LOL.

I asked because I don't understand why a veteran would try to use this as a tool to make a case for not joining the military.

Agreed.

Then you must support a total ban on sex, period. It's the only way to prevent this for sure. Let's not forget that men are half the problem here. I'm thinking, if put to a vote, such ban would NEVER take place, do you agree?

Lemon... you have absolutely no clue.

The ban on sex in theater was originally put in place in 2003 and remained in place until 2005, when it was loosened to allow couples to cohabitate, if approved by their chain of command, if they were both deployed to the same FOB.

Lemon appears to be pouting that if a baby is not going to be the product of this activity, then what is the point?

Lemon misses the antecedent to this ruling. Getting a woman pregnant creates culpability for violating a direct order. This makes men think twice about taking part in the activity without protection.

It is not about sex it is about integrity and responsibility. Sadly Lemon is not alone. Many Christian Conservatives simply don't understand the distinction either.

Women don't get pregnant alone. It takes two people to make a pregnancy. If both are in the military, the responsibility falls squarely on both of them. The male who got the female pregnant had just as much duty to show some restraint. It's a heck of an arguement for men to learn to where their "raincoats."

but the male doesn't carry the pregnancy.....women should not be on the front line to begin with....

No, male and female soldiers shouldn't be having sex or unprotected sex or vaginal intercourse in a War Zone. That's the take away here. You are just using this as an excuse to try to carry out your misogynistic agenda. Female soldiers should serve in any job they can physically handle AND that the military decides they need them to do.

lol....different, i'm a girl!!!! a pragmatic girl.....

Uh... women can be misongynistic too. Check a dictionary if you can't figure it out on your own.

wow, you're angry! personally, its just a debate to me....but i do agree with the general.

It's just a debat to me too but, geesh, you don't even know what the word misognynist means. How am I supposed to debate with somene who doesn't know a high school level word?

Occurs to me also sheplover, that as a civilian spouse that you might have a vested interest in believing the worst about female servicemembers. I've seen this before. You were/are probably worried that the female servicemembers are too much of a temptation for your husband. You won't admit it out-loud, but you resent them being around your spouse and being treated as peers. Perhaps you should check your own animosity towards women in the service. It's typical among civilian spouses.

i don't hate women, i thought the prostitution gig was a good idea........and i never was a military wife.....you're very condescending as well as angry.

Yes, civilian spouses have problems with the little peppertail female soldiers, if we've been spouses to military men for ANY period of time. I have been for 20 years, defend and stand behind him 100%. Since he became an officer with some ability to help or hinder climbing in the ranks, pootang springs from all directions. Sad, but true. So resent a civilian spouse all you want. But if it didn't hit so close to home with you, you wouldn't be so angry! AND IF they want to be treated like "peers" then start with meeting the same exact physical requirements. If I were inclined to wear combat boots, it would piss me off to be held to a lower standard. That'd be a start!

Since he became an officer with some ability to help or hinder climbing in the ranks, pootang springs from all directions.

LOL, I seriously doubt it....that sounds pretty delusional....nobody wants used goods........sheesh

my you certainly are an angrybeaver......I used to wear combat boots so I resemble your remark..........when I was serving my time in the military, the ratio of men to women was about 500 to 1.....yeah, some of your scumbaggy husbands hit on me, but, unlike some women, I have no inclination to try to steal someone else's man, if they are married/cohabitating, or even just dating someone else, I don't want nothing to do with them (there are plenty of single guys out there)............I never could understand why the wife/husband of a cheater doesn't just blame their wife/husband....after all, THEY ARE THE ONES THAT SHOULD KNOW THEY ARE MARRIED

fyi, I did meet the exact same physical requirements as the men in my platoon, just can't pee standin up without it runnin down my leg ;)

Becoming pregnant is the result of your actions or lack thereof. If you're worried about bc failing, you can either take extra measure or abstain. I'm sure your superior officer could offer you suggestions if you need them.

No, she should simply receive a dishonorable discharge and get sent home, WITHOUT military benefits. She has failed to live up to her responsibilities as a soldier.

The female and the male soldier will have plenty of opportunity to show that the birth control failed. First, if they aren't married, they shouldn't be having sex in a war zone. Seconde, if they are using multiple forms of birth control (the pill and a condom) those are mighty small odds. And if they really want to be sure, through in a little spermicide. You want sex that much, then take the necessary precautions. Moreover, there are a lot of other ways of having sex that do not require a sperm to enter a woman's vagina. All the military is telling soldiers is to take the necessary precautions or find another way of enjoying themselves. Why do you think God invented oral sex?

God invented oral sex to prevent court-martials?

Who knew?

And you know what, women are raped everyday, everywhere in the world. The correlation between rape and service is no higher than rape and the rest of the world. Being female means that you are in a war zone every day of your life. Especially between the ages of 14 to 30 (most women serving in the US military are between 18 and 30). And you are a liar about the drug addiction. There are certain things the US military does that makes addiction a near impossibility. Heck, even casual drug use is caught. You obviously know nothing about the US military other than the crap you would like to believe.

thats why women should not be on the front line and only in limited roles back at the base.....its a shame, but human nature will take over......

sheplover.. Check it out. THERE IS NO FREAKING FRONT LINE ANYMORE. And you know what. We women want to serve. You don't have the right to decide for us anymore. We are quite capable of deciding for ourselves. Why don't we say that men shouldn't be on the "front line" if they get female soldiers pregnat.

ok, then have all female platoons and all male platoons. military men used to just go to hookers in the area where they are stationed.

there isn't a frontline? really? do they fight in the kitchen, mess hall, hospital, admin, etc. call it what you want; frontline, on patrol, rescue mission, clearing an area etc.

FYI..during the first gulf war, the gov. had to stop giving the soldiers cash for their pay..why? because the women were prostituting themselves...women must be responsible for themselves, war is hell..if my future depended on whether or not i became pregnant, it would be my responsibility only.

sheplover... Yeah, they actually do this thing called mortars and rockets, that they shoot into the bases. And hun, I prosecuted more males for paying for prostitution with CIVILIANS during the Gulf War than we ever prosecuted female soldiers. By the way, I know the statitics, I helped prosecute. You are confabulating a less than handful of incidents. By the way, the US military NEVER stopped anyone's pay. That's illegal. Pay got messed up a lot. Boy, just make up crap when you can't defend your point of view. Geesh!

not making anything up...just spoke to alot of slodiers that served and i couldn't believe my ears, women were coming home with tons of cash....didn't say they stopped pay, it went to something like direct deposit.

why would you prosecute for prostitution, sounds like a waste of money to me...jmo. my hubby was a marine..there is so much bs that goes on in the military its a joke.

thanks for your sevice, but you may want to lighten up.

Yeah, right and I bet you believe EVERYTHING you read on the internet too. Hearsay is not the same as facts. My service during the Gulf War and my buddies who are still in now and my nephew and my neice who are both serving now, repudiate what you are saying. Maybe it's a problem with the Marines though. I bet that could be the difference. My family is Army all the way.

Like I said above. It occurs to me as a civilian spouse you might now women to serve because you think it might make your spouse cheat.

lmao!

Never have I heard more reasons to re-inforce my belief that women should be banned from most military billets than the opinions of the female GIs in this forum.

tom...i think differnet may have been drinking....lol! there are many duties where women can excel in the military, but not at the front.

Sheeplover, facts are not stories you heard!

Hey Sheplover, you wouldn't know because you've NEVER served. I did my duty and I know lots of other women who did theirs. And considering that two women have already won the Silver Star and dozens upon dozens have won the Bronze Star, they all prove you wrong.

sea2sea..."sheeplover".....typical.

hey differnet...still at it, eh?

you two really didn't like the cash/prostitution thing did you, i think you know more about it than you're willing to admit?...sorry, you put males and females together, they will be doing it like rabbits in no time. Why not make money at it?

Not to mention the military wives, once their man ships out, they slip into another bed. not all wives/husbands...but enough. i wouldn't marry a military man until after he was discharged or retired......as i did.

so you want pregnant women waddling around in battle?

I'm eagerly awaiting your insulting reply........

You know darn right well if volunteers don't live up to military laws to continue the support of the military industrial complex" then there will be a draft. It is all about the money for certainly Afhganistan wasn't about Bin Laden or Iraq about WMD.

I have to agree it is imcomprehensible that the senate approved 636 billion. Only goes to show where their heads are at eh. But there is no corruption in the USA just in all the rest of the world. It is beyond sad, it is a sickness.

The only way to be sure to avoid pregnancy is complete abstinence. ALL methods of contraception fail at some point. A significant percentage of pregnancies are the result of failed birth control. And good luck trying to get anyone, of whatever age, to completely abstain!

Actually, you are wrong ladyprof. the only wayt to avoid pregancy is to avoid introducing sperm to the female reproductive organs. There are lots of ways to have sex that take that into account. I kind of doubt that prof stands for professor, since you don't seem to know the basics of human sexuality.

I was under the impression that surroundings would inhibit the desire for gettin it on. Who wants to romance in a place where IEDs and explosions can spoil the mood? Wait till you get home.

It's not all bombs and shootouts 24/7.

This has nothing to do with the government. Your post is quite possibly the worst I've read so far. This is a case of a General enforcing General Order #1 to the extreme. I'm sure you have no clue what I'm talking about, but just know that it covers not having sex while you're deployed, amongst other issues.

wow, what a moron.

truen8veblood come on! really, you had to blame our government this, and call it communist. We are talking about the military during a war time in the war zone!!! They are rules and orders that have to be followed in military in such conditions.

I agree with the general about pregnancy, as long as contraceptions are readily available to the soldiers.