The rules are already in place for such a situation and they should not be broken or changed for:

A. Willful ignorance about not knowing how to get out of duty when pregnant.

B. Willful ignorance in getting pregnant.

C. Purposeful ignorance in getting pregnant to avoid being deployed.

I agree, rules are rules. Maybe the US Military now needs to start considering set ups for single parents to set their children in Foster Care Families, on Base, local.

It's an idea.

If you are committing yourself to a job that you KNOW requires you to tour, what the hell makes you have a kid? Married or not. What makes you have a kid? It's totally a insubordination of the job.

Sussman said Hutchinson is no longer in a relationship with her son's father.

Regardless of her relationship with the man there is still a father. What about him being responsible for his son for a year or a relative of his?

Wow...way to have some compassion for a single mother who has no one to care for her child.

Perhaps she should have shown some compassion for her child by not getting pregnant while enlisted during wartime.

You are no better than she is.

Who on here claimed to be?

Did you serve our Country??

Not in the military; I support our country in other ways.

Did you?

I agree with txmom. The father is not dead, and responsibility should fall to him to care for his child.

The article explains that the army wouldn't have deployed her if it turned out that no one could keep her child, yet she decided to just not show up and pretend like it was ok. I don't understand why she couldn't have just explained her situation with her superior officer to try to figure something out. Or to at least find out what options she had.

I have, and am, serving my country - for 21 years now. And have dealt with single parents and the deployment responsibilities of all members of the armed services. Looks to me as if there is much more behind this story than what was written. Not saying the reporter did not report it, but he/she may not have been given the entire story. Single parents are a part of the military - regardless of whether or not they became pregnant while married or not, and regardless of whether or not they became pregnant during their serivce or not. All military members who are parents have the responsibility to their unit as well as to their children to have a plan for when they deploy. It's not just a "nice to have" but a requirement. If this member's plan fell apart at the last minute (which is could have), there were MUCH better ways to handle the situation than to just not show up for movement. When a member misses movement they put everyone in their unit, as well as those they are replacing, in jeapordy. Granted, article says she's a "cook", but she has a job she volunteered for and with that has responsibilities that she must meet.

We are not saying to just put the children wherever we can - it is also the military's responsibility to take care of their members and their families - but the parents must take primary responsibility for their children. I believe there is more to this story, or the military would not have taken this to court martial. We do not have the full story and should not be making assumptions about the decisions made, or the people involved.

99:1 hmmm

Awh shucks, Enron got mad. Seems it's okay to take on a commitment and walk away when you want. Hey Enron, are you the father?

I feel for her, but when you sign up for the military and get that check and benefits, you know what you are getting into. You can't just decide on your own what and where you will do or go.

It's about time. I am sick and tired of paying taxes and getting nothing in return.

I am not paying taxes to help you out lady. You have (had) a job to do. DO IT.

Wow...way to have some compassion for a single mother who has no one to care for her child. Yeah..just throw him in Foster Care.

Enron

To let you know, I periodically write to my state legislators. I am tired of paying for single mothers. How am I paying for them? I pay tax and they get services.

Instead of buying milk and pampers, I'd like to widen the 101 and 405 freeways so that I can drive 10 miles in 10 minutes instead of 40 minutes.

I advocate that we should bring back the orphanages of yesteryear. Maybe if single mothers don't get a free ride and the only option is an orphanage, then maybe the fools won't get pregnant.

Do not get me started. I could go on all day.

Karen in Los AngelesIt's about time. I am sick and tired of paying taxes and getting nothing in return.I am not paying taxes to help you out lady. You have (had) a job to do. DO IT.

She pays taxes also, so now what do you have to say? and what do you expect to "Get in return"? The Military isn't going to imprison her or give her a DD. The most that will happen is that she gets a Other than Honorable discharge and thats about it. This isn't the first time this has happened and it won't be the last.

Karen in Los Angeles

Hasn't the 101 and 405 been under-construction for forever. Every time I hit the 405-110 interchange there is always work being done. Also, hasn't there been work just pass the 101-110 interchange too. They need to fix the 710 that freeway is HORRIBLE. Sorry side-tracked by the evil freeways.

Joe Veteran

I always thought it funny that military personnel have to pay taxes on their pay checks which came from civilian tax dollars.

IN ww2 This was treason ,Man how times have have changed,I say Let her go and fine her: nice post endpcnow

She pays taxes also, so now what do you have to say

Joe veteran more likely than not she doesnt actually pay any taxes. The system is set up with a single mother and a child very rarely have to pay taxes unless they are in an extremely high tax bracket. So try again.

What the military should do is give a dishonorable discharge and make her serve time, you just dont sign up for a job and then decide you dont like the rules.

She enlisted and had no problem taking the checks or the benefits. She knew that she would be deployed when she enlisted. Now she wants to change the rules just for her and still keep the checks and benefits coming her way. She had plenty of time to address HER problem and instead waited until the last minute to address it. She had a commitment for those benefits and checks NOW is her time to earn them.

Give her a dishonorable discharge and make her play back the expenses for any that occurred for her not fulfilling her obligation to the Army.

So Karen in Los Angeles, you would put road work ahead of the needs of this little baby? You think your inconveniences on the road are more important than the life of this child? Really? He is worth nothing to you?

This woman is being a responsible citizen by living up to the promise she made to this child by giving birth to him. The military will have to come up with some way to look after their soldier families when the child care falls apart. All of you assume a lot by thinking that she got pregnant to avoid deployment. No where in this article does it state that.

I think some people on here could learn a lesson in compassion.

From someone that DID serve this country (in two theaters)

No one here seems to read entire articles or research facts. She was afraid to show up because a superior convinced her her child would be taken and put in the state foster care system. Why is there no discipline against this officer? Why has this not been taken into account and the "full weight of the law" charges brought against her?

If this is what we (as a country) have become, what the hell are we fighting for? Certainly not justice or freedom.....maybe just the oil or revenge.

This woman got pregnant with a man she wasn't married to while in the Army, knowing that she might have deploy, that's pretty much their job. She obviously decided that she would either not do her job for the Army, or not do her job at raising her child, she can't do both. I don't see that it would be productive for her to go to jail, but she should be tossed out of the Army, and do her job at raising her child.......hopefully not on my dime.

i must agree on 1 thing, just because "SHE" has no use for the father, does not mean he can't care for him. i think that is the matter they need to look into, and if it's a personal choice of her's, with no merit, for the child not to be with the father, give her that one option, or face charges. it is far more than what the father of a child who did the same thing, would get a chance to do. mother or father alike, the rules allpy to everyone the same. "uniform code of military justice". key word...."uniform".

I don't know what the big deal is here. A child that size can easily fit in the top of her duffel bag. Bring the rug rat with her.

Or else have the military give her the boot, and sue her for the cost of all her training, and all the income that the military gave her before she decided to cut and run when it was her turn to show up for what they trained her for.

Did you people not read this article?. She HAD childcare lined up for this kid. Her own mother..., who backed out two weeks before her daughter's deployment.

I agree with Sherri. There wasn't much else this woman could have done.

That said, and as an veteran, I also agree with many of the other comments. Personally, I don't think the DoD needs to do anything here. The rules work, exactly as intended. Most single parents report for duty as required. This woman didn't. She should be convicted of all applicable charges, and sentenced. All incarceration penalties should be excused, and the woman should be dishonorably discharged. Case closed.

Enron -

I DID serve my country and in fact was in the Military Police and I can tell you to a certainty that I saw cases like this over and over and without failure after all the details were hashed out before, during and after the military judicial process, that in the end the facts of the matter were that there was an intent to miss deployment thus a dereliction of duty by the soldier in question. Normally there is collusion by family members to aid in the process of the missing of the deployment but you would be much safer betting on the fact that the soldier in question just doesn't want to deploy due to the hazards of the region the soldier would deploy to. You have people out there who join the military for a job thinking they can slick the system when it comes to deployment and this is more prevalent in females due to the built in deployment delaying apparatus they enjoy on their bodies and for those of you thinking that the idea of a female "Intentionally getting pregnant to avoid deployment" sounds crazy ..... it's not. It is not uncommon to see cases like this. These type people dont mind collecting that govt paycheck when their job is stateside seeming like all the world to be like a civilian job to them but you let them deployment orders come along and some trip out and go into motion trying to beat the system. Some males do it as well but use different excuses of course. Don't think for a second that all the people weariong uniforms for this country's military are the "True blood American Patriot" types who are proud to be serving our country .... you have some real losers mixed amoung the masses and just as you wouldn't besmirch the entire military in a negetive light for the improper actions of a few soldiers on the same token you cannot just blanket the entire military in a positive light either .... especially when you know the inside details of how these proceedings usually work out. If I had to put money on this particular case, my gut tells me that this soldier knew this deployment was coming sooner or later and that more than likely the pregnancy itself was a tactic used in hopes that she could get out of the deployment (not all soldiers study up on their regs or research an issue like you would think they would do) and had probably thought she had gotten away with something after the child was born and no orders came down for almost a year. You can bet your bottom dollar that the mother "Giving the child back" to the mother thing was a planned tactic either by the mother herself or in collusion with the soldier in a last ditch effort to avoid deployment. Hate it but thats normally how it goes. A few bad apples ......... if that isnt the case .... great .... but I wouldn't put money on it.

Kudos to the mother for not abandoning her child.

Still, it brings into question the feminist agenda of equal employment in all areas, thus denying there are differences between genders, including reducing the physical requirements for firefighter applicants so that they would admit women. God help anyone who is overcome by smoke and needs to be carried down a ladder. That is sexism at its worst.

D Demilo, Are you kidding me? You are going to take the word of a coward who now faces the possibility of having her life ruined (remember that a court-martial conviction what awards a DD is the same as a 1st class felony conviction).

Of course her and her attorney are going to make statements blaming persons other then herself.

Prison and a DD for her.....that's what the coward deserves

Oh Come On,,,,,,,,,,,,,

The Army is not going to force her to deploy or throw her out of the Army,,,

There will be way too much publicity and attention and the legal issues will be stacked against the Armed services.

They will find another job for her some where with in the USA on a base some where

They'll most likely reasign her ,,,,let her hand out tooth brushes ,,,or scramble eggs,,,,or inventory truck tires,,,,,,

This will of course set some new policies with in the military services ..

The services today need all the able personnel they can muster ,,,They'll find job's individuals can do

I forgot to add,

The Army is going to continue to let her be a mother ,,,,,and this situation is bound to happen again with in the military services

The armed services of the USA are very big institutions ,,,this incident is only a trivial issue over the whole picture

These armed services of the USA are in the business of managing thousands of personnel , this mother is just one enlisted recruit ,,,,,,,

They'll find another "stateside " job for her

What a horrible situation, but certainly one that can be worked out to the satisfaction of the military and the mother as we don't have all of the information. (For the 'holier-than-thou' posts judging this young lady about her reasons for joining the military, becoming pregnant, quoting statutes, etc., why don't each one of you step up & take her place at the front of the line?) The article stated she set up a childcare plan with her mother, who backed out after two weeks of caring for her grandchild. What else could this young lady do? She took this course of action rather than abandoning her child. And, for that, she should be commended.

my son has to go where he's told, when he's told, it's part of the deal and he knew it going in, so did she. give her a dd and move on.

I'm disgusted ENRON got banned. The only one with any humanity on the board. Tyler you should be ashamed of yourself for stepping in.

Oh no, all that free medical, food at the px, education, and a MONTHLY check! Now she has to fullfill her contract....but she didnt know she might have to go to a war zone. CHARGE her. Too many have done what she did, the freebies, the checks, free services and then when its time to really serve, oh no I cant do that. She's a cook, dua, she wont have to fight. I dont feel a bit sorry for this MSNBC spotlighted story of a africian-american who has a kid and thinks she doesnt have to do what shes gave her word to do. How many have gone and not come back? Please MSNBC......bleeding heart news source that you are. Find a better story, say maybe about a family that has served and is doing what has to be done as far as taking care of family.

Bulls**t- these people know when they enlist there's a possibility of deployment. No one asked me about the status of my family when they sent me to Vietnam and Korea. Why should this woman be treated any differently than the men and women who have served, fought and died for this country?

She enlisted, THEN got pregnant. You cannot use pregnancy and your kids to get out of your obligations, ESPECIALLY if you do it carelessly or purposely after you sign up!

She should be punished, but her superiors should've given her more time to find alternate care. They should've had more concern for her situation before this happened.

People (like the kid's father) should be punished much more severely in this country for bailing on their obligations - family, financial, or whatever.

Ok, so grandma said she'd take care of the child if daughter, who enlisted in the military during wartime, got deployed. I think the odds of getting deployed are pretty darn great!! Ok, so grandma backs out after 2 weeks because she is overwhelmed. Let's see....grandma takes care of 14 kids during the day! Perhaps she should ask one of them to go away and help her daughter!!

I'm sorry for the entire situation, but this woman got pregnant knowing she might face deployment! This article states there are over 70,000 single parents. Not all of them are here!!!! I'm sure many have been deployed! It's part of the job! Mom knew the details of the job when she joined.

Prison will do no good. That's not a way to fix this. But a dishonorable discharge and no benefits is more than reasonable!

This is a quote from the book "The Missing Message"

This is God speaking directly to the parents in this last church age.

"Many are called to important tasks that appear to be of greater importance than raising the young in love. No government has My blessing to pull fathers and mothers from their greater roll as parent that I, the Lord God, have commissioned to them before any commission of man was given. This is like abandoning the greater post for a lesser. There are powers so large that they become the broad view and accepted at critical mass, but I shall pull down that curtain and burn it in hellfire says your Lord God. When that day comes, I will shake from that curtain all who were unaware of its influence over the minds on My sheep, then it will be tossed, with all of the fallen minions, like a tissue on a raging fire and it will be no more. When the world is in such a corrupt state, the greatest cure, next to My very Blood, is a child loved. Can one make any better contribution to a fallen race? Parents, this is your sacred entitlement and your greatest work under heaven. Do not abandon your post, but shape the world with it."

Did I read this story right? Is her mother running a daycare out of her house, looking after 14 kids and she doesn't have the time or ability to look after her own grandson???

Sounds to me like mother/daughter came up with this well-planned deployment diversion together!

I have no sympathy for this woman whatsoever. As other posters have said, when you sign up, you agree to certain obligations and responsibilities when you collect the benefits. You get paid whether you fight or march and now it's time to march!

Make her pay back everything the army has invested in her and then kick her sorry a** to the curb with a DD. She doesn't deserve to wear the uniform!

I don't think there would be any special considerations for a single-parent father. (other than the ones already in place)

I'm torn here.

Fact is, there are still family members who could care for the baby for a year.

I find it amazingly convenient that the grand-mother backed out and the father is "awol".

I think she's just scared, which is perfectly understandable.

But thems the rules.

When this article first appeared a couple of months ago, there was some discussion as to why she hadn't been given the opportunity to explore hardship discharge. She was threatened with the Army putting her child in foster care and the Army spokesman noted this case wasn't handled as well as it should have been.

As for the father taking the child, frankly, his absence from the child's life up to this point speaks volumes about his incapacity to be trusted with a 1-year old, who is utterly defenseless against abandonment and/or neglect. Had the father wanted to be in the child's life, he most certainly could have taken measures to get that done. He has not done so to date.

The posters above who talk about women's 'built-in' excuse (paraphrasing), or that the woman knew the rules when she signed up have conspicuously ignored the fact that the Army, too, knew it was hiring a female whose biology could come into play at any time. So that argument, to be valid, has to go both ways. On the equal employment comment, part of equal employment is to acknowledge the differences between biologies and make the necessary adjustments to allow equality in the workplace. Example: a law firm cannot ask a female of child bearing years what her child bearing plans are in an interview - even if they ask males. That quesiton is not allowed, but it was asked in at least one instance in 2009.

The Army (the CO involved) had at its disposal several remedies and solutions other than charging this woman and making her an 'example'. And the same people who are complaining about this woman being paid but not deploying would be the very same who would complain bitterly if this child ended up in the tax-payer-supported system of foster care. Frankly, the foster care system in this country leaves one he!! of a lot to be desired and everybody knows that.

If some CO had threatened me with taking my child and putting it in foster care, I probably wouldn't have shown up either. But you can bet there would have been a lawyer to answer to and some court dates on the calendar, not to mention some calls to my Congressman.

I find it very interesting that the Army has chosen to pile on this woman, but when it comes to prosecuting and eliminating sexual assault in the military overall, about 90% of cases are either not reported for fear of retaliation against the victim or the perpetrators are shielded to 'preserve' their careers. Justice certainly does not appear to be evenhanded in the military at all IMO.

I never implied that this enlisted recruits actions were the right thing to do given her circumstances,,,

I'm just stating what I would beleive the Army ( as a military institution ) will do .

The military ( in this case the US Army) will take the stance :

OK military ranking officers given the task of sorting this particular incident out ,,,Can we find a solution to this ??? can we find anther job for her to do??What will be the outcome if we give her a DD???? Will there be negitive publicity ( every ones already chatting this one up thanks to MSNBC!!!) Will 60 minuets want to chat with this enlisted recruit ??? What will other american parents think if we hang this girl out to dry ( even if she did shirk her duties as a soldier)???? Now's not the time to "not" support our military institutions

It really does not make our miltary institutions look very good if they "hang mothers out to dry because they became a mother !!!!!

I say find another job for her to do until her enlistment is up and not allow her to re-enlist ,,,,I'm sure she will not get such choice assignments from this point on any way ( I don't think she will be serving shrimp cocktails at an officers club on base!!!)

She'll probably be given a job in an institutional laundry or be opening big institutional cans of mixed vegetables in an Army mess hall or stacking food trays

I agree with many of the posters here , this recruit is clearly in quite a mess with her unit and her superior officers ,,,,,, but how are you going to convince mothers not to care their babies ????!!!

There is a lot to consider here , sure she made some bad decisions and is not able to fufill her contract with the Army,,,,I don't think she will be offered a slot at OCS during her enlistment from this point on .

I am truly amazed at how many people wish to push their moral opinions into this story. People are judging a woman on getting pregnant while not married. Seriously, in 2010, are we saying that a woman cannot have a baby if she is not married. Absurd. That point has nothing to do with the situation, and people who want to push their moral bias are ridiculous.

Having said that, I seem to remember a certain General who took some flack recently for suggesting that he does not want women in combat ready positions for this very reason. He was hit hard for his views, and everyone was up in arms about equality and blah blah blah. Seems he might have a little more support for his views.

It is a well know fact, that a lot of people join the military for the benefits. This woman wanted a better life, some stability, etc. She just picked the wrong branch and the wrong job. Seriously, did she think that the war zone would have no place for a cook. Kind of an essential job in the Army. She should have joined the Air Force, they are known for being the leaders in family preparedness and family compassion.

In my case, being against single parents isn't a moral issue, it's an issue of raising one's child. One person can't do as good a job as 2 parents can, and 2 parents are a lot less likely to be sucking up my tax dollars. Simple deal.

they should handle it by booting all single parents from the military

Common Man, unfortunately, the presence of 2 parents does not guarantee better parenting or better outcome for the child. Didn't the Columbine shooters come from 2-parent families? If single parents weren't discriminated against in the work place, earnings, and in housing, they would certainly be able to provide better financially. We need to fix the institutions that create the economic and social roadblocks. And remember that single parenthood is not always a choice of the single parent.

In the case of this story, those in authority had the means to help this soldier work out the problem, but failed to do so. She is now bearing the brunt. Part of that is rooted in gender issues which must be resolved if women are going to be in the military.

I have no sympathy for the mother in this case. She had a plan in place, which is required, but she found out two weeks before her deployment that her mother wouldn't be able to care for her child (which I think is crap since she runs a daycare). She had time to find another situation for her child.

To me, it just seems like a really bad idea to only have one plan in case of deployment. That's like having only one plan in your will... you need to have multiple options, so if situations change, your child will still be provided for.

If the mother didn't prepare for this, then she didn't think enough about what going into the military means. I considered going into the Air Force after high school (my uncle was in the Air Force), but when I sat down and REALLY discussed it with my family, I realized how much I would have to sacrifice in order to do it. Which just makes me appreciate our soldiers much more. My nephew is in the Marines, and he's being deployed to Afghanistan in the next month. He's nervous about it, but he knew what he was getting into by joining the armed forces during wartime. He's just proud to be doing his part.

I say dishonorably discharge her and move on. If 70,000 other single parents in the military can do it, she should get no special treatment just because she can't.

As an Army brat, my first thought is that there is such a thing as birth control. And, the military DOES have clinics as well as doctors.

Perhaps having a child was a way to boost her income by adding a dependent. Or did "mom" back out so daughter would not be deployed to a danger zone?

She should be court martialed for dereliction of duty, or fraudulent enlistment. She MUST have known the ramifications of committing to military service.

Gross stupidity on her part, and trying to make the government take the onus for her idiocy.

She should have never joined if she isnt able or willing to do what is required of a soldier. My husband has been deployed twice and getting ready for a 3rd. That's military life. Throw her out of the service. There is no excuse for it. I could never leave my child but I'm not the military member in my family. When you join you know what is required.

Just like those women that get pregnant when deployed. It's bull$hit, and they should be discharged right away.

This is a problem with the military. They let women in and let them get by things because they are women. I was with one unit with ten women. Six of them had problems with the family plan or pregnancy. Are they worth the problems they caused. You can not have a discission about it. Without people calling you names.

A dishonerable discharge seems appropriate.

I have my son and his wife in the military. And recently his wife was deployed for 8 months and in a couple of weeks my son will be deployed for 8 months. We are taking care of the baby. It is a blessing that we and her parents can help in their time of serving our country. What a sacrifice our kids are doing for us. I salute all those who have sacrificed their life and their children's to fulfill the commitment of dying to their self for their country. We reminded our children that they knew when they went in that this could happen and they made their choices. they chose to marry and then to have a child. So, I am tired of hearing how bad the military is when our kids make these choices when they chose to go in. No one twisted their arms. It is hard but they are not themselves anymore, they are the military for 8 years. Thank you for all of you who are serving and sacrificing.

The military rules are fair and straight forward for single parents. They forsee circumstances of deployment by requiring the individual to have a care plan in place. In this case, her care plan broke down at the last minute and could easily have been handled by allowing her 2 to 4 weeks to get someone else to help out. That is unless not all of the story is being told. The motivations of her immediate superiors come into play here because for some reeason they chose not to help her and enforced rules to the letter. If her superiors suspected this as a ploy by the soldier or care provider to get out of deployment and have evidence of this, then they acted correctly. If this is a misunderstanding then it will probably be cleared up and a solution found. In either case the military is acting correctly with its treatment of the case and it will be interesting to find out the rest of the facts missing from the article. This is unfortunately a case where turning the military into a federal jobs program becomes a problem. Out of the 4 million soldiers that have deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan I'm sure this isn't a solitary case. If it is then whatever the military has been doing all along has worked amazingly well for this type of instance.

Guess what, service to your country trumps the needs of any single family. You singed up, you got the benefits. Now serve.

If you are committing yourself to a job that you KNOW requires you to tour, what the hell makes you have a kid?

Let's have a little lesson on the facts of life. She may not have intended to get pregnant, but it happens even when you're not trying. Women who are on birth control can still get pregnant - I was on two different types of birth control (having gone back on the pill after a year of being off it, and feeling that a backup method would be a good idea) when I got pregnant with my son. I think that if nothing else, the army should have postponed her deployment to give her time to find another caregiver for her son. It's easy to say "let the father take care of him" - but what if she doesn't know where the father is? Even if she does know - two weeks isn't enough to get a care plan set up with him. The Army needs to show some compassion here.

It's a shame but she knew she could be deployed. I suspect she took her pay and came up with excuse to not fulfill her obligation. The whole "mother backed out" thing seems suspicious to me but I don't have all the facts.

IN ww2 This was treason

Uh, no - because in WW2, women weren't being sent into combat.

If you volunteer to be in the reserve or guard you should know that's what may happen. It is not up to the military to provide for the military member's child care, if you don't want to or cannot deploy then you should not be in the military, especially the guard or reserve. I am a 20-year Air Force Reserve member, all we do is train and prepare to deploy. When you swear in, you swear to "support and defend", there is no clause in there for only when it's convenient.

It's nice to see this soldiers mother doing her patriotic duty,

Excuse me? If you read the article, you would have seen that Spc. Hutchinson's mother is already taking care of her own mother and sister, both of who are in poor health, AND a daughter with special needs. Are you saying that she's unpatriotic because she doesn't feel capable of handling a 10-month-old baby FULL TIME on top of that?

A dishonerable discharge seems appropriate.

C'mon Roy, we all know that would be too obvious and simple.

Hell, we're looking at a book deal, made for TV "Movie of the Week", and a full docket of interviews with every network. (different angles of course)

As for the father taking the child, frankly, his absence from the child's life up to this point speaks volumes about his incapacity to be trusted with a 1-year old,

Perhaps he doesn't know he has a son..........

Excuse me? If you read the article, you would have seen that Spc. Hutchinson's mother is already taking care of her own mother and sister, both of who are in poor health, AND a daughter with special needs. Are you saying that she's unpatriotic because she doesn't feel capable of handling a 10-month-old baby FULL TIME on top of that?

BUT, she runs a daycare of 14 kids!!!!!!! Perhaps she could stop that to take care of her infant grandson!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pregnancies are not always planned. Birth control fails a young woman finds herself pregnant. This young lady is trying to be responsible. DON'T punish her for this. HELP HER. You can not tell me the Armed Forces of This United States cant bring something to bear in this situation... This isn't your grandfathers military. Get with the times already

rules are rules:: I have no problem with woman serving but if they do they must remain unfettered or find a way to care for their mistakes or in some cases pregnancy for discharge, seems some are getting pregnant just to get sent home the military needs to address this problem

Vicki-427762 "care" yes thats a cop out: your whole argument sucks lika a 4 th grader that forgot his or her homework it appears you were never in the military. other people depend on each other in a unit, unit means unit when one or 2 persons are missing that breaks up the unit and things are in disarray. If you hired a babysitter to take care of your children while you worked you would expect that person to show up every day wouldn't you? so about once or twice a week he or she calls and announces Im going to get pregnant today I wont be babysitting today that would work for you right? when you hire someone for a position you expect then to provide the service they contracted for your best employee is no good to you when they are not at their station. USN 58 65

The Military should hand down an extremely long sentence in a military prison,sell every asset the deserter owns and put the proceeds towards training ,housing,clothing and feeding the soldier.After serving no less than ten years in prison, she should be assigned to a V>A hospital to work off the debt of her prison stay,then be kicked to the street.

This was the real issue behind the military not wanting women to join. It was not patriarchy or chauvinism but this. Because of feminism women wanting privilege and NOT equality. They want to have their cake and eat it too and that is not equality but privilege. If they want to join then they can not have kids period. It is unfair for the men serving with you to not be able to count on you if you decide you don't want to participate at the last minute. Men in the military are not given this choice. I'm sure we will see Oprah, Tyra and all the other feminazis saying how the military is picking on this poor single mom etc., etc., etc. How they infringe on a woman's right to choose blah,blah,blah. Well ladies if you want to be treated as equals then it is time to own up, be adults and make the same sacrifices that your male counterparts have done for centuries. Men are fathers and they go off to fight when they enlist...you want equality? Then prepare to share the risk!!!! Over 57,000 young men died in Vietnam some not wanting to join but forced to participate in the war. It is for reasons like this one stated above that I have never bought into feminism because if women really wanted equality they would fight as passionately to see live combat duty as men have seen in previous history, they would share the risk if they also want to share in the rewards. How about tackling this difference instead of complaining about the supposed .20 cents less on the dollar that you do not earn, that would gain you my respect and support.

Oh and just to add, no I'm not a conservative. I am a proponent of equality that is equal share in the risks and the spoils.

Black Knight first off you can try to have a conversation without resorting to name calling, we can agree to disagree but still exercise respect. Secondly what I am discussing is a relevant part of the issue. I'm using a wide angle lens to the issue while you are discussing in a case by case basis I'm not saying that this is wrong but it does not deal with the issue collectively either it is a limited argument that you are making.

She signed up. Nobody forced her. Did she benfit from the educational perks, insurance etc., offered?

She should be held accountable.

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY.

I remember being told when went in to BOOT camp during Pease time that if was not in the seabag issued too you.The Navy don't Care and if that major problem and you can apply(and prove) to an Hardship discharge.I had seen couple cases like that after boot camp when things change either with parents/children heath or needs for care.

Lets remember it in the US you choose too join and if you can't do the job don't join or get out after your CONTRACT YOU SIGNED or follow the proper chain of command as you swore to do.If you didn't swear in you void your contract.

NOW the action that I read Is fair , and with the military code its easy.did she with free will refuse to show where ordered to of her own free will? Yes Guilty of missing troop movement!Award Dishonable discharge and kick her out.Don't need service of somebody that can't follow orders IT GETS TROOPS KILLED.

Did she apply for Hardship and if turned down did she seek help from her congressman? Don't know the answer but if she didn't then again her problem and she should pay for it. COME ON PEOPLE if you been in combat do you want somebody too be saying "oh I don't think i like your orders I might get shot "so you get yourself killed along with others with you.

If you can't live up to your deal once again DON'T serve

WHY should she get special treatment because she a mom and the main point CAN'T live up to the contract she signed of her own free will, what about all the brothers, sisters ,sons daughters ,and fathers that would prefer too stay home then deploy should have not showed up too?I bet she has little problem showing up for pay and benifits.

now the main thing with the Military (unless different than NAVY or has changed)when a single woman get pregnant they have the right and normally was given a General discharge before the child is born.

how many want this lady protecting your back in combat?she may or may not choose too follow orders.

vICKIE needs to get a clue!

BUT, she runs a daycare of 14 kids!!!!!!! Perhaps she could stop that to take care of her infant grandson!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Frankly, I'd have a real problem choosing to leave my child at a daycare that has 14 kids, run by a woman that has a ailing parent, and special needs sister. How many employees are on site with those 14 kids? Is it a actual facililitated Daycare Center? The article did not say.

There is a system! It is called, "Dependent Care Plan." Requires soldier (or soldiers if both military) to prove with powers of attorney or other appropriate documents, that, if deployed, responsible individuals will care for the dependents. Failure to do so can result in discharge: I know - I initiated seperation procedings against three soldiers. This is more likely someone who wants the pay, the housing, the free education benefts, ... but NOT the responsibility of her end of the contract! BS!!! My wife & I were career soldiers with a child and neither whined or violated our contracts in 21 years as Army medics. She makes me sick.

Brian

I think I know what you're trying to say..............but you're not making it "to" easy.

While I want to feel sympathy for this mother I have to ask where is the father in all this? Is he a drug kingpin,bank robber or some other sort of creep that has no business in this child's life? If the answer is no then he needs to be held accountable. He should have been the fall back plan. If he wasn't willing to take the child and is in the Army then he should be charged,along with the mother for failing to provide for this child during her deployment. Too many people (mostly men but I've seen women abandon children as well) have children and fail to take the responsibility for raising them. That shouldn't result in a unit being shorthanded in combat but sometimes does.

Give her a couple of Article 15's Then UCMJ and a DD. I have had females under my charge prior to going into Iraq and then redeploying back into Iraq, purposly get knocked up so they would'nt have to go. Which is very harmful to moral and if this person is vital to the operation then it is hard to find a good fit for the team inwhich the individual was apart of. But this is something the military has been dealing with for a long time nothing new here. But she should be treated just like a male soldier who purposely injires himself to get out of duty. GET RID OF THEM and ensure they CAN'T GET any good job with the knowledge the ARMY has given them and the taxpayers have bought.

shoot'm - bury'm on the spot - end of problem.

I'd bet Mom agreed to take the kid and they figured it was a formality to sign on and she wouldn't get deployed,but when she did mom said she can't watch the child. They want the benefits the army brings but don't play by the rules.

I hope she can make plans for the kid before she goes to the brig!!!

stupid is as stupid does

I doubt that she will spend any jail time, the military normally does not use people like her just to set an example. The most she could get is a discharge under other than honorable conditions. And possible have to pay back any enlistment bonus that she may have obtained.

There is a responsibility. One must fulfill their responsibility or face the consequence. In civilian life, we allow privilege and remove this accountability for those we deem as "victims," even if it is of themselves. The military has no gender-privilege policy. All human beings are treated equally.

Whatever sentence is appropriate will be carried out. SHE is responsible for her actions and SHE is the one who is taking herself from her child if she goes to jail. It is not up to the military to give her a discount because her procreative organs work. If there is any detriment to the child because of this, it is her responsibility alone to bear. She had many choices to protect her child and chose not to use any of them. SHE is accountable.

Oh Tyler...relax. It looks to me that Enron was only reacting to others racist comments.

Read Enron's collapsed comment #1.9, then tell me he was simply reacting to racist comments.

and make her pay back all the free services she and her son recieved while she was in the service.

If her mother was ill and it turned out that she tried but couldn't care for her grandson, i would have bought this story. Her mother runs a daycare center for 14 kids. This was an obvious ploy to get out of serving. She needs to suffer the consequences of her actions and get dishonorably DC'd. I can't believe her mother would refuse to take care of her own grandchild when she is fully capable of doing so.

The childs grandmother runs a day-care in her home...Hire another helper to come work and take some of the load off while you take care of your grandson and your other relatives. And since she got pregnant after she'd been in the military for two years, she should have been well aware of the sorts of rules and protocols any personal life-situation in place and how they would affect her. Wondering where the child's father is and why he can't step up to take care of his son.

Please go back and read what endpcnow wrote!

This is along the lines of why I hate wealfare mothers the keep having kids my several fathers just to get a free check!

Sad, but she knew the rules both when she joined AND when she got knocked up (I say "Knocked Up" because she was not married when she got pregnant, therefore she did no planning!)And as stated, she had 30 days to leave the Military Honorable and see reap the medical benefits!

she don't look the type not to come from a helping, loving family. one of those who's grandarent's would love to have their daughter and grandson who look so good together would do anything dishonest do you think?

i served in the military. seen people do some funny stuff to get a discharge after 1-3 yrs..medical type ones. i only seen one guy that they actually commited while serving tho. he was actually nuts. i at first thought he was one of those kidder type people...say wierd stuff, like "god told me last night in my dream..." kinda stuff. was in basic at ft dix, and ait at ft gordon with this guy...i think just before he finished ait, instructors got the hint he didn't anything close to a full deck....

Dont be too terribly surprised to find out that the father is some dumb smuck who was either A.) Unknowingly used in an intentional pregnancy plot (and may not even know about the existance of the child) or B.) is a knowing participant in an intentional pregnancy plot who wants nothing to do with the responsibilities normally associated with fathers. Nothing would surprise me after seeing how some of the cases turned out in the past.

I'm not sure of this, but doesn't the military give benefits and even pay to care for a child while the parent is deployed? I really don't know, but I thought I heard something along those lines once. So couldn't grandma get benefits for taking care of this infant??? She needs to drop some of those that aren't related to her and take care of her grandchild!!

But mom never should have joined either!

Thanks, Tom. I thought they did or might.

Even so, Mom will get combat pay and not have a lot to spend it on. She can send it home to help granny care for this child! Granny needs to step up and boot some of these daycare kids and help her daughter and grandson!

tom

Actually while there isn't a specific child care benefit, the soldier already recieves a hike in benefits because she is a parent. Further in deployment, there are several "combat benefits" that kick in potentially making the financial burden on the caregiver minute. I don't think from the tone and substance of the article that monetary reasons were the main concern.

and make her pay back all the free services

I'm curious... exactly just what FREE services is it you think military personnal receive?

Please, please...don't let us think you're like those politicians that go on and on about thanking our military, being proud of our military, etc. etc., and then voting 5 or 6 times against additional benefits, or voting for cutting benefits already calculated as part of pay for those same soldiers.

The military is no different than civilian employment when it comes to pay... all benefits are calculated into the package. None of it is free...

The mother would have received combat pay and with nothing to spend it on would have been able to accrue approx $20k which could have been sent home to pay for her child, i know my husband before i met him saved over $10k for a 6 month tour. her child would also have received full medical care. this woman is disgustingly lazy to not join her unit - sorry but if pour husbands have to go and leave their kids then so should she - and also shes a cook! she wouldnt have been at risk of being killed so she cant say she was to scared to go.

I'm curious... exactly just what FREE services is it you think military personnal receive?

The military is no different than civilian employment when it comes to pay... all benefits are calculated into the package. None of it is free...

My benefits package at my "civilian" job does not cover the full cost of my healthcare, does not cover meals, does not compensate me for my mortgage, does not allow me cheaper prices on groceries...

While I have no problem with military members/dependents receiving these benefits in addition to their pay (which is definitely on the low end for enlisted), please don't pretend that everyone else gets the same perks.

Noth9ing wromg with that, if you are willing to go to jail.

put her in jail and remand custody of the child to the father.

I am not one to say that americans have to go to war, but if you enlist you have to understand that that is the status quo. No president in american history has ever served a term without having sent americans into a combat situation. If you join, there will be fighting.

i guess the military pay is better than welfare.

And what if the Dad's a homeless wino? A drug addict living in a crackhouse? Or better yet, living in jail? How do we know he's not sick with cancer, in a hospital somewhere? We don't know anything about that situation!

Hey CalMilitia .... its called the "Military Industrial Complex" ...... Eisenhower warned Americans about them in his farewell address to the nation. Nasty bunch there. They are behind the military endeavors of this nation ... always have been. Our Blood and Guts for their profit. Reality bites sometimes :(

And what if the Dad's a homeless wino? A drug addict living in a crackhouse? Or better yet, living in jail?

then you would have to wonder about her judgment....dating a homeless wino.

but if it were me and it came between put the child in foster care/with an adult incapable of proper care or don't go, I wouldn't go either.

Foof, then why did she join the Army? We went to 'war' in 2002. She was 13 then. She would have been aware of the situation!! She also knew when she joined that we are at war and deployment was imminent! She chose to get pregnant and be a single mom!

FOOF,Well then you would get DD too!

I am apalled at some of the posts that I have read on this article. Too many have jumped to conclusions not supported by given facts, but are seemingly based on opinions. If she intentionally is doing this to get out of deployment then a dishonorable discharge and whatever other penalties assigned to the charges are proper. If this is simply a case of a care giver going back on their promise, let her find another person to watch her child and then deploy her as planned. To look further into the situation, without full information, is doing a disservice to the soldier and the military. The fact she is no longer in a relationship with the father, or that she had the child has no bearing in this case with the facts presented. I am for two parent families but understand that sometimes circumstances alter intended outcomes. The question of being a single parent has more to do with what is accepted by society. In many cases, the military becomes a convienient way to provide a decent home for a single parent family. She should be applauded that at least through her service, she is willing to work to raise her child rather then becoming another welfare statistic. Let the facts will out, and let this case follow the channels set up to handle it. We are talking about the lives of two of our fellow citizens and they have the right to present their evidence and refute the accusations of their accusers.

For those who replied to my post, first of all I can't see myself personally being in this situation as I would have made different choices about family planning while I was in active duty, but I have to ask, aren't any of you parents? If I were in her situation I would assume that I would be well aware of the risks but if it came down to the well being/safety of my child, I would risk death let alone jail if I had to.

Now that being said, and BTW, may I remind some of you that I too, as I mentioned in my first post, question this woman's degree of responsibility in the matter, but we can't undo the fact that she had a baby. Did she get pregnant on purpose or by being irresponsible and is using it as an excuse? Quite possibly. Is she a danger to society that requires jail? I don't think so. I don't think she should be rewarded for getting herself into a difficult situation but I don't think we need to punish the child by putting it in foster care or the mother in jail. There's got to be a medium somewhere. Isn't a dishonorable discharge pretty much the same as being fired from the military? (I really don't know so nobody freak out and rake me across the coals here if I am wrong) That's what would happen at a regular job if you couldn't fulfill your duties due to being unable to find suitable child care.

Foof, yes a DD is like being fired only it's much worse. It haunts you for the rest of your life! That's why it's called dishonorable.

I'm a mom! I too put my kids before everything. But I also have not joined the military during a war! She knew when she signed up that deployment was a real possibility and yet got pregnant anyway.

I don't just blame her. She made the arrangements to have her son cared for, but her mother backed out. That's where the problems started. Her mother said I just can't do this. And now she's claiming there is no one else. That's possible. I don't know. But, I also have to wonder how much of this has been contrived. Why can mom have a daycare of 14, but can't take her own grandson?

She's made a commitment to the US and must fulfill it! War won't wait for her to get her ducks in a row!

Jail is not the answer. I agree with that. But I also don't think she needs to be in the military. A DD is deserved.

Thank you for the clarification on DD LS-415070.

A dishonourable is definately deserved, she has abandoned her unit, now they are serving without her, she mostly deserves it for simply not turning up for her deployment, commanders are more than happy to work with people in difficult situations but she simply abandoned the chain of command and didnt turn up, discharge her now, she is useless and a dishonour to all the soldiers overseas

LoL, awesome.

perhaps the key is to simply not allow women who are capable of giving birth into the military. make them get their tubes tied.

and then they wonder why they dont get equal pay in the job market.

I'm very confused by this. When I was young I never went into the military because I thought it was a committment I didn't want to commit to. I thought if I did I would have to wait to have children until after my enlistment and the service would basically own me for 2-4 yrs being able to dictate all my lifestyle decisions. So, I never joined them. Do they give different (possibly misleading) information now when they recruit? Or was I mistaken, and could've had all those benefits?

seriously Enron. Are you over the age of twelve?

Oh, to the contrary. I have given birth (for whatever reason that is relevant). My daughter is a Doctor of Pharmacy. I never said I am perfect. I just don't care what you think of me.

Welcome to America- whose Military protects your right to be ignorant.

I think the military establishment is desparate for recruits and is giving misleading information. Also more young women than ever before are enlisting. However, to tell the women that they cannot have children over their prime childbearing years would also mean that you would have to tell the men the same thing, after all it does take a man and a woman...

Trueblue, read the story again. This woman got pregnant without being married, while being in the Army, which is a bit different than other jobs. She knew there was a good chance of being deployed. She chose to either not do her job in the Army, or not do her job raising her child. Simple deal. I'm tired of people making stupid choices and then expecting sympathy and support. Toss her out of the Army and let her do the job of raising her child, hopefully without any of my tax dollars.

California Militia - your sexist, hateful comments denigrate the honorable service of the overwhelming majority of female veterans everywhere, all of whom enlist during their childbearing years. We haven't had an involuntary draft of men in 30 years thanks to all of those who volunteer for service, 1/3 of whom are women. Your comments, and indeed, the hateful comments on this site, take no account of females who, during the course of their honorable military careers, get married and have kids, as civilian females do. This woman is a rare, bad apple. As a veteran married to a veteran, I remember the difficulty of "family plans" and other hardships endured when my husband and I deployed at the same time. Shame on this woman's mother for backing out at the last minute, but this woman should have reported to duty with her kid in tow. They would not have deployed her like that, but at least she wouldn't have disobeyed orders. Call a spade a spade -- but shame on you for your disparaging comments about honorable female veterans everywhere.

Done that - you hit the nail on the head, and I believe that most here would agree with you. I don't see them putting down all female soldiers, just the one's like the woman in this article. I commend you for your service, and also for making sure your children were taken care of during your service. This is exactly what this woman is lacking. From what I can tell, she's just another "I joined for the benefits, not to be deployed". Am definitely not saying every soldier is like this, but unfortunately I have seen a few. I come from a military family, and my ex is also military. Even though we are no longer together, I still support him and help with anything I can in times of deployment.

Although I'll fully admit I wasn't Army I (10 years AF actually), but all through basic training, tech training, unit training, pre-deployment training, post-deployment training, training for the sake of training (by the way had we not had to do so much of it we probably could have gotten a little work done).. it was always preached much like gospel, "IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM, GO TO THE FIRST SERGEANT" Mostly just known as the "Shirt". And I know in my personal experience I have always had phenominal personnel in that role. That is the sole purpose of that persons existence. To aid the enlisted corps in the time of need. And if need be, to run interference to buy a little time. I highly doubt there was a single person that was unable to help this lady. She chose not to utilize the tools that were available. Kinda like digging a DFP (foxhole for all my more aged brethern in arms) with your hands when an entrenching tool is just next to you. Reap what you sow!

Your a sick f#@K!

Iwas thinking the same thing, she probably was offered NJP aand thought she could raise enough smell to get away with it.

What is a BCD? I know what NJP is but not BCD.

Bad Conduct Discharge

Bad Conduct Discharge

Thank you both!!

Also called the "Big Chicken Dinner"

Perhaps this law should be revised- single parents who do not have a care plan set up - or if it falls through at the last minute- should not have to deploy

if this happens then they should be immediately discharged from the service, why should they get special treatment, they join the MILITARY, #1 job objective in their contract is to fight for our country, can't do that then out you go without any benefits!

From the article:

A spokesman for Hunter Army Airfield, Kevin Larson, said the Army would not deploy a single parent with no one to care for her child.

It seems that the framework for working around cases like this are in place, but this woman simply didn't show up when she was supposed to. I bet that if she told someone that she needed more time to revise her plan or that she had no other options, then she would have gotten more leniency. Instead, it seems like when plan A didn't work, she just stopped trying to solve the problem.

She should be treated the same as if she were a man. I am sure there are men who did not want to go and leave their families. The military is a job unlike in the private sector. This lady knew about the possibility of deployment when she joined and accepted her paychecks. If she cannot fulfill her obligations, she should be discharged without all the benefits. Then, she could find her a job in the private sector and take care of her child and not be a problem for the military. They have enough to worry about.

From amswink

It seems that the framework for working around cases like this are in place, but this woman simply didn't show up when she was supposed to. I bet that if she told someone that she needed more time to revise her plan or that she had no other options, then she would have gotten more leniency. Instead, it seems like when plan A didn't work, she just stopped trying to solve the problem.

Reading the article she DID tell someone she needed more time as her plan she filed fell apart. “Hughes said she returned Kamani to his mother in Georgia a few days before her November deployment.

Difficulties in finding care
She said they told her daughter's commanders they needed more time to find another family member or close friend to help Hughes care for the boy, but Hutchinson was ordered to deploy on schedule.”

That does not mean the request went further up the chain. There ARE Commanders who feel that they know how to run their people better than the pencil pushers making policy at the top. Yes, I have seen that in real life. I know of a base commander that gave an order that anyone going over 1 mile an hour over the speed limit shall be given a ticket even though the fact is that the warmer your tires get after airing them up (supposed to be aired cold) can swell the tires and increase your actual speed over what your speedometer says you are doing, then you add in that the speedometer in fact is not made to precision survey equipment standards.

She was told to have a plan in place. It's not the problem of the military if it "falls through". It should be stable enough not to fall through. And frankly, with grandparents, you would think it shouldn't! Granny is quite the bitch here too! Perhaps she needs to dump some of her daycare kiddo's to care for her own family!

I agree with my 2 cents, if it falls through last minute, then discharge immediately, no benefits! Somehow I feel this woman is just trying to get out of deployment and that just burns my butt! She signed up knowing the consequences!! And now she doesn't want to face them!! Tough cookies!

Mom of 2,How can you "break up a family" when the dead beat dad is no where to be found,Charge her! By the way I make these comments as a father,husband,brother,son,this "dad"should be hung up by his...

David, thanks for the clarification. I obviously missed that. But I still don't feel like this woman is the victim here.

MOM

That would open the door on abuse of the system and tie up even more money in administrative costs to prosecute the abusers. Not to mention it would give further incentive for women to have children out of wedlock creating a larger burden on the tax payers when they are booted out and end up on welfare.

As for the military giving misinformation to gain recruits, it may happen but it is not a general practice. The military recruitment process is stricter today then it ever has been in regard to eligibility for new recruits, even with two shooting wars in progress. The bonuses and benefits offered on the various GI bills in use today are designed to attract the better and brighter candidates and then retain them after their initial enlistment. Our volunteer army is working amazingly well and has provided this country with a group of young people that are committed to their nation, families, and friends. I speak of this as the parent of a soldier whose deployment in Iraq is just ending. He will be home today in fact. In our area, allot of young adults have opted for military service as a means to continue education, and get a leg up starting out. If you ask them, as I did my son and his friends after his graduation from boot and AIT about the possibility of deploying, the answer you'll receive will astound you. "I'll go if I have to, but it's not for the army, not because I have to, it will be for you, my aunts and uncles, friends, and our community so that we can be safe." This is a sentiment that died during the end of the Viet Nam years to most of the public. Only a volunteer could come up with this sort of sentiment especially when he knows that it is almost certain he will deploy and see fighting. My son is infantry and I am proud of him and all that volunteer for service to our country. It is through their sacrifice that we can waste time on these blogs speculating about the motivations of a young woman who is in a jam over deployment.

why should a single women not have to deploy, the men do, thats absolutely not fair, your all the same, no one should be given special circumstances, sorry but single parents keep using this excuse to much, not being able to find anyone is usually a lie, they know if they tell their parents to refuse to care for their child they be able to avoid deployment, sorry but the paycheck, full benefits etc is not deserved if you arent prepared to serve. also the grandmother runs daycare so its absolute bull she cant care for another child, shes just trying to help her lazy daughter avoid deployment

Family care plans are the law within the military. Single parents or Military married to military with dependents (whom are in a deployable status) are required to have a family care plan. Period dot. In the VERY odd chance this was not discussed with this person, then the higher ups have the blame although I highly doubt that. It's a cop out. She's a coward.

Wonder how many fathers can get out of deployment if they just toss their girlfriend out of the house? Seriously? Equality means you have a responsibility to fulfill your commitment, not only when you want to...asking for the benefit and fulfilling the responsibility ONLY when it benefits yourself is what feminism means now...and marriage as well, come to think of it...but this political BS has no place in the military.

Which father? Doesn't it say she also has a daughter (with speical needs)? Or is that the mother? Gramma runs a day care but can't squeeze in her own grandkid? Kick someone else out! Maybe the kid doesn't follow instructions- like his mother.

You are not fit for combat duty if you are pregnant. Why do they let these women get away with this? I thought that someone in the Military can be charged for not being being fit to serve.

She seems like just another benefit sucker. Go into the Military, use the benefits and then come up with a reason why you can't be deployed. Nice. I wouldn't want her to be in charge of watching my back. What about the promise you made? Or the contract you signed? She obviously doesn't do the whole "commitment" thing. Throw her out with the rest of the garbage. She's a cook so chances are she is of a low pay grade/skill level and not be able to find a job once she is separated. So she can move on to the next system that she can suck dry. Do separations count towards the unemployement rate? If so, be prepared for another weepy article about high black unemployment.

Tired.... (post #9 below) I agree completely! Be well.

Racist? Are you being sarcastic?!? Or just blatantly throwing out words to slander posters comments?

My mistake in post 8.1. It is the mother who has a special needs daughter.

Contract? Why should she obey the contract when the government doesn't obey the contract (i.e. stop loss).

Then they wonder why no one wants to joinup anymore.

Military runson it's people. If they start treating everyone as robots then no one will join. It shouldnt be about stop loss but more about increasing ranks.

How is it racist? Did you not see the article recently about black unemployment rates being so high? If she gets kicked out of the Military for disobediance/insubordination, she will probably try to collect unemployment benefits. Then come the food stamps, medical card, etc. If she is on unemployment, she will drive the numbers for black unemployed up higher. What's true is true. It's not racist to point it out.

Apparently Enron was eavesdropping on Mom and the other adults and learned a new word.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I admit it. It was me! I made up all the statistics on:

75% illegitimate births among blacks.

Higher unemployment rates than whites (despite fewer people)

Higher incarceration rates than whites (despite fewer people)

Black on black, or black on white crime.

Enron, your word of the day for tomorrow is TRUTH. See what you can learn about it.

Contract? Why should she obey the contract when the government doesn't obey the contract (i.e. stop loss).

That's part of the contract.

Then they wonder why no one wants to joinup anymore

Enlistment is actually up.

Military runson it's people. If they start treating everyone as robots then no one will join. It shouldnt be about stop loss but more about increasing ranks.

The military has always treated its people as robots, to a certain extent. They can't afford to, nor should they have to, give special treatment to those who can't (or won't) live within the confines of military life.

You must not have read much on newsvine or you'd know that I can't be offended. I have the right to my opinion. Too bad if you don't agree. See, our Military continues to fight for the rights of a$$holes like you and me. And along comes this skanky little broad and tries to get out of her obligation. And before you ask, NO, I have not served, much to my disappointment. My father, husband, and all male relatives in the past 100 years have served.

I stand by my previous words. And I was just fooling about making up all those stats. I read that info on MSNBC.

ENRON---- People like you are responsible for losing the use of an excellent word.

At one time "racist" was a powerful word, now, no one believes you when you say it.

Cool. I forgot about that. Thanks Jan!

Enron, quit being a troll and stirring up everyone in here, by lying.

Linny never said anything racist, even after you called them on it.

=================================

A.-661334,

That is not racist, it would be a report. Just because someone types a sentence with the word "black" in it, doesn't automatically make it racist.

Quit being do damn sensitive.

It's not a matter of truth Linny...it's a matter of GENERALIZING! It's people like YOU that put us in the situation we are in right now! No wonder every other fu*king country hates us and we're at war!!
Your word of the day? A$$HOLE!

======================================

Enron, wake up on the wrong side of the bed, or is it that time of the month?

Exactly. It's not like the military told her she was going to be deployed tomorrow. She had time to find someone to watch her child, there are programs in place that would have cared for her child while she was gone, and she chose to just not get on a plane because she didn't want to go. I say fine her, hand her a dishonorable discharge and say good day to the whole matter. If she didn't want to go anywhere why did she join the military during a time of war?

As a mother her first responsibility is to her son. The military should wait until she has a new child care plan in place.

No, the military should toss her out. She chose to get pregnant while in the Army. Her choice, her bad. I'd agree that her first responsibility is to her son. She probably should have thought of that before getting pregnant while not being married.

As a mother her first responsibility is to her son. The military should wait until she has a new child care plan in place.

When she joined the military, during wartime, she KNEW that she'd be deployed! Or at least the possibility was there. She chose to get pregnant. Her problem. Not the Army's! If she didn't have proper care, the Army would not have deployed her.

So, let's see, lets say you have a huge presentation at work. But your babysitter falls through, not the morning of, but 2 weeks in advance. You have no one else, so you decide not to show up. Guess what? Your boss would fire you for insubordination! But I guess you'd just tell you boss to wait!

The military waits for no one!

Trueblue1106671... Remember that fact if a terrorist ever comes knocking on YOUR front door again! You would be the first one yelling for us,our answer to your call...We're WAITING for the women to get their child care in order. I'm glad we don't allow people like you to be in charge!

You have no idea how disruptive this is, losing someone just prior to deploying. You train, delegate and plan how your unit is going to operate during a deployment and then just before going overseas someone says no I don't want to or can't go. This throws an additional burden on all the others in the unit. It is terrible for moral and unit cohesion. I don't remember how many times I've seen this happen, but I do remember the sailor I had who showed up with a gun in his seabag the morning of deployment and might have tried to kill someone if it wasn't found, all because he didn't want to deploy. USN; 26.5 years served; deployed 85, 87, 90, 92, 95, 98, 01, 05, 08

Silly Jason. They "no longer have a relationship". Baby daddies don't babysit.

Then "baby-daddies" should learn how to use condoms and avoid the inconvenience entirely. (thus making the baby-daddy status void, yes, i know...it's called common sense, people...make sure you're going to stay together before you disregard any problems that may come up from having sex and resulting in procreation...)

catastic, I agree with you 100% Excellent post.

The one problem I see with catastic's post is what if the mother and father are Catholic and don't belive in birth control? It is against their religion ya know.

what if the mother and father are Catholic and don't belive in birth control? It is against their religion ya know.

I'm pretty sure if they were that devout they wouldn't be having sex outside of marriage either.

Then "baby-daddies" should learn how to use condoms and avoid the inconvenience entirely. (thus making the baby-daddy status void, yes, i know...it's called common sense, people...make sure you're going to stay together before you disregard any problems that may come up from having sex and resulting in procreation...)

That makes sense, unless you know that the government will pay for your screwups. As long as we pay for bad behavior, we should probably expect more of it.

The one problem I see with catastic's post is what if the mother and father are Catholic and don't belive in birth control? It is against their religion ya know.

Then they wouldn't be having sex outside of marriage! Catholics tend to frown on such things!!

But that be the double standard of religion, pick what suits ya, and leave the rest for someone else. Catholic priests are also supposed to be celibate, however some of them are having sex. Oh don't get me started on that.

No kidding,Steam Roller,I'm with you!

And there you have it, folks. Thanks tom.

I just feel sorry for the poor sod that's going to have to go in her place. Now they have to make arrangements for their family so they can go and actually serve.

yep i only feel bad for the person who now has to go in her place, maybe to leave their family and kids behind, maybe another single parent with the decency to fulfill their obligation, or maybe they will have to make some poor soldier go on his 3rd or 4th tour to make up for her laziness

HGT510510

There is the problem, her req will not usually pop for a month or 2 and then the fill date is scheduled for 9 months out (depends on how quickly the manning personnel in the unit handle this). If this is a critical billet (doesn't sound like a cook is critical but who knows), then the detailer may hot fill it but it, may take up to 3 months or the detailer could snatch someone already under orders and in the pipeline to another unit with the same quals to fill this billet, thereby screwing up that units manning. Whenever something like this happens, it has a cascading effect and has consequences.

One problem with that. When you are finished with your childbearing years (35) the military says you are too old. many people might consider the military as a second career but they don't afford the opportunity.

One problem with that. When you are finished with your childbearing years (35) the military says you are too old. many people might consider the military as a second career but they don't afford the opportunity.

Two options:

Enlist before having children, and serve your time, or

Join the reserves after you're done. Depending on the branch, you can still enlist in the Army (active duty) up to age 42, and for reserves, all except Marines will take anywhere from 34-42 year olds.

BTW, 35 is not exactly "past childbearing years" (try around 45-ish)

I agree Richard. I served 10 years and was deployed 6 months out of every year of my first seven years I served. I chose not to have children because of this. I served 4 years in Germany and it was then I decided to choose motherhood over military and had my son. I got out to commit full time as a mother. Did I like it? NO. I loved my career and I love the military BUT I run for the old school of thinking and believe that you can be a soldier or a mother but not both. There has got to be one person at home to care for a child at all times. Harsh as it may seem to some, she signed a contract and broke it and now her child will suffer the consequences.

Hi Richard!

Good post. I'm a retired veteran and I think there are a lot of safeguards, set up by the military to make sure situations like this can be avoided. I have served and deployed with many women who put those safeguards in place as they were ordered to do and served honorably.She opted not to use any of them and now looks of sympathy. There has to be some consequences for her. Unfortunately the child will probably suffer as well but who should take responsibility for that?

Michelle, well said and thanks for your service.

Thanks Tim! I'm tired of people bashing female veterans in general, especially those who get pregnant. Most soldiers - men and women - don't think about the military as a career when they first enlist. Those who make it a career - staying many years as Michelle did - eventually have kids. You can't ban everyone who might have kids. The inconvience of a soldier's pregnancy is a matter of months in a potential 20 year career. I've seen many men get long term illnesses during their careers and no one suggests they should quit; the few months of inconvenience is balanced by the potential of a long career and the benefit of an experienced officer or NCO.

Richard, Michelle, and Tim

Congratulations, your the only people I've seen here who stuck solely to the issue at hand. You get it. The tragedy here is that the media will blow this way out of proportion and justice will not be served. Another family will suffer because of a perceived injustice. I've never been in favor of women in forward deployed situations, but if they are willing to make the sacrifice and follow the rules then they should be allowed. It will be interesting to get the rest of the facts of this case and see what the outcome will be. Michelle thank you for your sacrifice and service, you should take pride in it because you put our nation in front of your personal desires. That is Patriotism at its finest.

i dont think banning women from getting pregant is the answer, women must make an informed choice - know that if you get pregnant the military will support you, you and your child will have full medical care, you will get extra pay, however you are still military and if you choose to have a child you must still accept you may get deployed. the only time pregnancy should be banned is whilst deployed to a war zone, thats not fair on your unit.

I'm curious what the fathers opinion is on the whole mess.

The problem appears to be single parenthood. The problems are the same for single father's as single mother's. When child care falls through there needs to be some time alotted to resolve the issue without the threat of jail or courtmarshall.

Thank you parkerjoe for your service. When I went to basic training, there was a male there who'd been in reception for weeks. He had four children and right before he went to basic training, his wife died. He did not tell the Army and showed up to basic anyway. His kids were with his parents, but after his wife died, he could not enlist with so many kids because he wasn't going to be paid enough money to support them all. They were trying to kick him out, he wanted to stay. While his situation was deplorable, he should have been honest and reported his wife's death before reporting for duty. They probably would have given him enough time to allow his parents to temporarily adopt some of his kids until he made enough money to support them all.

You're saying the Vietnam generation "Did their duty"...yeah, they participated in the only war America has lost. That's why we don't draft soldiers anymore, a lot of drafted soldiers don't have the mental aptitude to be soldiers.

Hang on Mark,we're not out of this mess yet! TRUEBLUE you have no clue what the military is about!

Question regarding the p/w: Does the person noted as the care-giver in situations of deployment have to sign and are they contracted for this position?

If that is the case or would be implemented, situations like these would be avoided.

Yes, the person(s) designated sign the paperwork, so they know what is expected and they agree.

You'd think, but apparently not.

Thanks MaryAnn-Tampa

Well, that's just dumb. So the woman should be punished for not deploying, but the mother should be punished for causing the whole situation.

I don't know about 'dishonorable' but it does really tick me off when some people join the military as if it were a sorority or fraternity. Then when they are expected to do their job, the make a fuss.

People, the military is unlike any, any, civilian job. If you join ignoring the possibility that you might deploy, you are a fool.

She has to, at the very least, get an Article 15.

MaryAnn-Tampa

I agree. But again, this must be tough. It's not the ARMY'S problem, it's her problem.

She broke a promise. She broke a contract. She can't follow directions, and she has no respect for the Military. I say that is dishonorable.

I say throw her out.

I really think this is a cold slap in the face of all the female warriors we have in the military that do the right thing and realize that they are in the military and are not civilians.

Now I'm not saying that females should not have children in the military, but if you back yourself into a corner like this lady did, don't blame the military.

Again, it's her problem. Like I said before dis-honorable and wipe the hands clean of it....

I guess thats why they have the court marshall thing, to find an equitable solution

KAOS---- Lol yeah think I heard a DI or two say that.

It's right back to "taking care of business" you sign on the line you do the job.

BCD and out.

Jerry-352313

Were you a Hollywood or PI Marine?

Unfortunatley I went through PI.....

Enron

Now that was a cold shot...

I'm still laughing my ass off.....

tom-combs

Actually Tom, PI is in one of the most beautiful parts of the country. Most people don't realize how beautiful the southern part of the east coast really is.

And the people get a bad rap, as well. I'd rather talk with a decent rural southern than a citified idiot....

This woman is a coward, plain and simple....she got pregnant with the hope of avoiding possible deployment.

Dishonorable Discharge and prison time is EXACTLY what she deserves, oh, wait, this is the Obama military....women who fail to deploy get a General or Undesireable Discharge, only men get the Dishonorable.

Before you ask, YES, I'm a Vet and damn proud of it...USMC 69-75

Yeah, Just like you!! I like all your expletives!! Very nice!!

No, They military shouldn't have to change for one person, hundreds of thousands of other service members have made this situation work. This woman thought she could coast by at our military's expense and never have to actually serve her country. She knew that deployment was always a possibility, she should get the full prison sentence and a slap in the face to seal the deal.

Foster care is not the answer. the military can't just dump children into the foster care system at will. There must be compelling reason why a child must be reared by strangers and there are whole courts of law that deal with this situation and you know how fast a court of law moves...

I'm pretty sure that the military is in the business of killing people. Expecting warm fuzzy compassion is probably silly. She chose to not be ready to do her job, fire her. Simple deal. Hopefully she won't be living off my tax dollars.

The military is not and should not be in the day care business. Plenty of available military prison cells to house her in. The baby should be adopted by RESPONSIBLE adults This reject soldier should do hard time

trueblue... you DO NOT understand the US Military!How much more tax dollars do you want to spend on these stupid ideas of long term child care. No body cares when men go to war of how his child will be taken care of,DD her!

Don't worry common man you won't have to, cool deal said he/she would proudly pay for the woman with her taxes. So problem solved. lol. Wink wink nudge nudge..... Thanks cool deal! Cool Deal is gonna pay for the woman and her kid. You read it here!

Jan231

You "think" citing and following the Constitution of the United States (The Law of the Land), is comical and that I am an idiot for urging this line of defense?

Would you please respond to this defense with an opinion that has some substance to sustain it in a Courts Marshall, before the appropriate U.S. Federal Court of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court, rather than your opinion driven beliefs absent any cogent or logical knowledge?

Robert, all that forbids is funding for more than two years at a time. The military budget is funded at most one year, and quite often throughout the year as needed. Your defense wouldn't work.

Robert: At the time of the signing of the COnstitution, the only military threat to us was via sea, hence the provisions for a navy. Are yu stating that you think we should go back to only being defended by sea? Let;s see how long the Constitution stands under that form of defense.

Also, should we all demand our money back that she has been paid while serving (half-heartedly) in this illegal army?

Funny how so many idiots in here are pointing out details in the story to bash this poor girl up side the head but no one mentions how another soldier WITH A HUSBAND pranced in and said her husband's travel plans were more important than taking care of their children and was allowed to waltz out with no charges.

That is actually the case that should have been prosecuted over this one. Oh, and did she not have other family members who could have taken care of her kids? I bet she did but she was judged and treated completely different. Gee bet I could guess why?

If she were judged by the same standard when she showed up the kids should have been thrown into foster care and she should have been forced to deploy or charged. If the military is not going to enforce the rules equally then they should not enforce them at all. By the way I would never want to see either of these women face such harsh penalties because their are plenty of fair alternatives to resolve these matters.

Fortunately I am not one of the loud mouth phonies who's main satisfaction comes from spewing hatred and seeing a vulnerable young American thrown in jail when others were not. I also don't have an obsession with shouting about how much I pay in taxes and worrying about the few who don't. The overwhelming majority of Americans pay taxes so get over yourself. For those of you who have the audacity to wish this young woman jail time it reveals your wicked need to post judgemental crap to feed your hollow souls.

Real Americanforever, You have no idea just what you're talking about. Have you ever been in the military ? NO,you haven't. Do you know this yellow bellied woman ? NO. If you can't answer yes to any of those questions then SHUT UP. I bet you're a war protester too and a liberal.

O GREAT now we have a jail house lawyer on the case...LOL!!!

Any time I see/hear somebody call themselves a REAL American, or a good christian, I back away quickly and never bend over.

David you proved you have no legitimate response and that phony served in the military crap just won't fly anymore than the I bet you're a liberal because you just can't deal with the facts. And the ridiculous shut up response is just priceless.

Real American

but no one mentions how another soldier WITH A HUSBAND pranced in and said her husband's travel plans were more important than taking care of their children and was allowed to waltz out with no charges.

The MAJOR differences between the two are extremely easy to point out.

FIRST(and MOST important) is the FACT that she showed up when and where she was supposed to. Thereby NOT "missing a movement" or "going AWOL".

SECOND the mother in question had ALREADY completed her enlistment and was being recalled as part of the "Ready Reserve", which is something that I guess you along with many others DO NOT realize is part of enlisting. You are committed for 10 years no matter what the terms of your enlistment are. You serve your active duty time and the rest of that 10 years is spent in the "Ready Reserve" for which you ARE NOT paid, and DO NOT go to any type of meetings or assemblies.

So BEFORE you slam someone over their service history(of which it appears YOU have NONE) it would help to get your facts straight.

SECOND the mother in question had ALREADY completed her enlistment and was being recalled as part of the "Ready Reserve", which is something that I guess you along with many others DO NOT realize is part of enlisting. You are committed for 10 years no matter what

You contradict yourself. The ready reserve is part of your enlistment period. The enlistment is for 10 years in total.

What I don't understand is if you volunteer you're stuck after active duty. Seems like a punishment to me. Those that don't volunteer go about their merry way.

http://www.army.com/enlist/step2.html

Active Duty - Serving Full Time
Active Duty is similar to working at a full-time, civilian job. There are hours when Soldiers must be training or performing their jobs and then there are off-hours when Soldiers can do what they like. For an Active Duty Soldier, length of service can range from two to six years.

You contradict yourself. The ready reserve is part of your enlistment period.

To be honest with you there have been several changes to this since I last had to worry about it.

When I had first enlisted you were committed for 6 years total between active duty and reserve time.

By the time I got out it had changed to 8 years, with a break down along the lines of 6 years "active"( either active duty or "active" reserve time) and 2 years "inactive"(as a member of the INACTIVE or "ready" reserve).

I believe it is now a total of 10 years, I am not sure what the breakdown between "active"(wearing a uniform or doing "active" reserve time(meeting on 1 weekend a month)) and "inactive"(ready reserve, NO monthly meetings, but still carried on the books) time is currently.

mattwm, you're an ignorant person if you think that way.

I think women in the Military should have jobs away from the action. I do not think that they should ever see combat. Although I am skilled with firearms, I'd hate to hold up the war because I was crampy.

Although I am skilled with firearms, I'd hate to hold up the war because I was crampy.

I don't know...PMS and a fully automatic weapon could make for one dangerous soldier!

Amen. My gun stays locked away when I'm in that mood.

Enron, I have never seen so many personal attack messages on newsvine before. You really need to get a hold of yourself. You stated mattwm was the reason for abortion. It really looks to me and I would believe most of the newsvine posters that you may have been an abortion that acutally lived and instead of having half a brain that you pointed out as others having, that your brain did not develp at all before the abortion.

If you want to be in the mickey mouse club wear the ears or get the hell out.

If I were her commander she be gone. This the kind of crape, we women in the military have been fighting for years. ( LINNY 63 women in the military don't want jobs behind the lines wake up this is 2010)

Women who join up( VOLUNTEER SERVICE) know the drill and rules better then ALL YOU civilian cry-babies. She should be court- martialed. What dummy quoted the Constitution, she follows military rules not civilian rules .... get a life

The military requires a guardian for minors;I don't care who the father is: this isn't jerry springer.

Did you really just right that? In this day and age when females fly attack helicopters? Or didn't you know that they let us "ladies" do such things?

Maybe mandatory B-control shots or other reliable BC should be mandatory during active duty. The father needs to step up. One of the many ills of society - esp. in this race. Men fatherinjg children and taking no responsibility financially or morally. Her mother is able to keep 14 children each day and can not care for her own grandchild? What's up with that?

As a patriotic American citizen I presume that you adhere to the Constitution of the United States of America as the law of the land.

With all due respect, fabricated threats manufactured by members of any administration or think tanks, lobbyists and the their military industrial establishment fuding machine, carefully crafted to violate that document by conning the masses into believing our national security is at stake are classic historical smokescreens conjured up by tyrants to generate fear among the masses. That successful, the masses ignorant of history and our Constitution surrender their rights and permit the government to violate the law of the land.

You may recall there were no Iraqi landing craft loaded with troops off any of our beaches in March 2003 when Bush launched a Constitutionally illegal war against Iraq.

I urge you to reflect on the following comment by James Madison:

"As the greatest danger to liberty is from large standing armies, it is best to prevent them by an effectual provision for a good militia." (notes of debates in the 1787 Federal Convention)

Then read the words of former President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1961:

"Our military organization today bears little relation to that known by any of my predecessors in peacetime, or indeed by the fighting men of World War II or Korea.

This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence -- economic, political, even spiritual -- is felt in every city, every State house, every office of the Federal government. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society.

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist."

Finally we have the words for former U.S. Marine Corps Major General Smedley Butler, a Marine who twice received the Congressional Medal of Honor, who in 1933, stated both in a public speech and book.

I question your service!! You DISGRACE the uniform my father wore.....Semper Fi,,,DOES NOT describe you