Should soldier Moms be deployed away from babies?
U.S. Army Spc. Alexis Hutchinson was supposed to deploy to Afghanistan as a cook but she had no one to care for her infant son. She was told to her 10-month-old would go to foster care!!! So she refused to deploy as scheduled. Here’s the full story from The Associated Press.
Single parents must file a child care plan with the Army and Hutchinson had one. Her mother was supposed to care for her infant when she deployed. However, her mother was caring for three other family members and didn’t feel she was up to caring for the baby. (As mothers, we can relate to how difficult and time consuming caring for a 10-month old is!)
Angelique Hughes, the soldier’s mother, 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.
Kevin Larson, a spokesman for Hunter Army Airfield, said he didn’t know what Hutchinson was told by her commanders, but he said the Army would not deploy a single parent who had nobody to care for his or her child.
He said officials planned to keep Hutchinson in Georgia as investigators gathered facts about the case.
“Spc. Hutchinson’s deployment is halted,” Larson said. “There will be no deployment while this situation is ongoing.”
I hope that common sense will prevail in this case. This mother needs to be allowed to serve here in the States until she can find appropriate care for her child that doesn’t involves relinquishing her baby to foster care!
I’m not sure how feasible it is, but I personally don’t think mothers with small children should be separated at all from their babies and should be allowed to serve domestically. I believe irreparable harm can be caused by a long-term separation from the child’s mother.
I absolutely would not leave my child for even a day with someone I didn’t completely know or trust much less hand your baby over to strangers for a year!
Was Hutchinson right to refuse to deploy until she can find appropriate child care? Should mothers be deployed abroad when they have small children at home? At what age would it be appropriate to send a mother away from her child?
Should Dads have different rules? Is it any easier for a father to separate from his child? Are they needed less by the child than the mother?
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253 comments Add your comment
Reader
November 16th, 2009
8:55 pm
Ummm…where’s the baby daddy?
nita
November 16th, 2009
8:56 pm
If you join, you know the risks, having a baby does not exempt men. Women wanted equal rights, women have to pay the cost.
Trey
November 16th, 2009
9:00 pm
If she joined the military she should have to deploy if they tell her to. It does not matter if she wants to deploy or not. It is the military not just a job as some people who join seem to think. No one should be exempt from deployments, that is the military. I am currently deployed as we speak.
Jason
November 16th, 2009
9:04 pm
Agreed! As bad as I hate it, that is what she signed up to do.
TnGelding
November 16th, 2009
9:05 pm
She was right. She thought she had someone, but that turned out not to be the case. She should be given leave to find someone and if unable to should be discharged. Traditionally it has been the mother’s role to stay home and care for a child, but if a single father had the same problem it should be handled the same way. This is only one of the problems created by the all-volunteer force. Married people with children used to be shunned by the armed forces because of this and the extra expenses of a family man, and the added grief when they don’t come home alive.
Hi Hoe, hi Hoe, it's off to war you go!
November 16th, 2009
9:07 pm
Who WOULDNT join the military if they knew they wouldn’t get deployed… It’s the easiest job in the world when you’re in the US. If she doesn’t want to go to war, she needs to return every cent the military has spent on her training and every cent of pay and benefits she has received. Good luck!
Rita
November 16th, 2009
9:13 pm
Very scary to think that our military is so weak and politically correct it allows situations like the terrorist attack at Fort Hood and unmarried women soldiers to make their rules.
truth
November 16th, 2009
9:15 pm
This country is backwards! They’ll lock this woman up for wanting to take care her kid, but they won’t do anything to those who get an abortion.
truth
November 16th, 2009
9:16 pm
I wouldn’t want to fight in a unjust war!
Jay
November 16th, 2009
9:22 pm
Ship her off on the next plane… Can you seen a male soldier saying hey im gona have a baby I can’t go. If her plan was to have her mom take the baby and she can’t, Then make a new plan, and maybe that plan is Kid goes to foster care.
mmm, mmm, mmm, Barack the LIAR Obama
November 16th, 2009
9:25 pm
If you going to let females enlist, then treat them the same.
mmm, mmm, mmm, Barack the LIAR Obama
November 16th, 2009
9:28 pm
Remember this from the LIAR in Chief? – Quote: “I will promise you this, that if we have not gotten our troops out by the time I am president, it is the first thing I will do. I will get our troops home. We will bring an end to this war….You can take that to the bank!”
Patti
November 16th, 2009
9:28 pm
This is the problem with being a “Single” parent. Where is the baby’s Daddy? This type of behavior just perpetuates itself. This is probably the first of many children she will have out of wedlock.
OldCorps
November 16th, 2009
9:28 pm
Of course they should. What is the point in joining otherwise? It’s commendable that she wants to serve her country, but if she’s undeployable, she should seek a discharge so that her billet can be filled with someone who is able to deploy. It also is questionable that she waited until it was time to deploy to let it be known. This is a constant, major issue with the military that is not addressed, for fear of labeling and career-ending inquiries. It’s particularly difficult for sailors to get a shore detail for a year or so to save a marriage or take care of other family issues, because they are mostly filled with single and/or expectant mothers. Technically, she should be subjected to a court martial for missing a movement, but she’ll likely have some elected official step in and help her with a discharge, thus perpetuating the incidence.
Theresa
November 16th, 2009
9:29 pm
She joined the military, this is what she was trained for.
Mark
November 16th, 2009
9:30 pm
She is showing cowardice in the face of the enemy. She enlisted, She swore an oath to protect and defend this country against all enemies foreign and domestic. This oath means you put your country first, even before your family. Anything less constitutes dereliction of duty and treason and in earlier times you would be brought before a court-martial and possibly face a dishonorable discharge during peace time, or straight to the firing squad in times of war which if you have not forgotten, presently exists.
Dick Chaney
November 16th, 2009
9:35 pm
At lease she’s not a CHICKEN HAWK like me.
Liz
November 16th, 2009
9:37 pm
She has an obligation to the Army. She had the option of getting discharged if she had the baby while in the Army, she should have exercised it.
Gail
November 16th, 2009
9:40 pm
There should not be different rules for men and women. I am sure they are all told they may be deployed when they sign up for service. I also agree with “Reader.” Where is the baby’s father, and why can’t he take care of his child? While I do agree that I wouldn’t want to be away from my 10 mo old for such a long time, I wouldn’t have a job where that was a possibility. Once I had kids I changed jobs so I didn’t have to travel, although my husband traveled quite a bit.
Bawney Fwank
November 16th, 2009
9:40 pm
To be fair and equal – YES!
The babydaddy should take care of the baby while the solder goes to fulfill her sworn duty or she should be courtmartialed, serve time at Ft. Levenworth and dishonorably discharged!
mitzymy
November 16th, 2009
9:43 pm
When I was 18, and a recent grad from high school, I wanted to join the army. I had a son, and they told me I could still go in, but I had to sign him off to someone because if anything happened to him, I would not be able to just leave and come home. It was like letting someone else adopt him, cutting my ties. I could not do that so I didn’t join, and I am glad. That was a long time ago, and the rule should still stand. You take on this risk. And why is she having children if she is not married?
Warrior Knowledge
November 16th, 2009
9:47 pm
She signed the contract. She took the oath. She knows the rules. She goes, or she faces court martial under the appropriate charges.
If single parents in the military are common then the programs set up for families should be set up to help with this too. I know for a fact that they do have programs set up for the families of the deployed.
Jarhead
November 16th, 2009
9:51 pm
I thought it was “An Army of One” not “Two” ??
James
November 16th, 2009
9:52 pm
I sympethize with all single parents. However, if you are going to cash that check from the tax payers twice a month, you must fullfill you obligations. Put her out with a general discharge without criminal prosecution. Anything else is a further waste of money.
thetruthalwayswins
November 16th, 2009
9:55 pm
she did not get drafted, she enlisted willingly. and she also got pregnant willingly knowing that she was serving in wartime. there are assuredly other family members who can take care of the baby…but to ask them to do it would ruin the game she is playing with the US Army. this looks like a last ditch effort to avoid deployment, and unfortunately this soldier is using her own baby and mother as pawns. ship her out.
Rasheed Willis
November 16th, 2009
9:57 pm
All you white folk need to leave this sista alone. We just keep on keepin on. We Praise Obama!
Obama is my black president who is saving the world!!!
David C
November 16th, 2009
10:00 pm
Hey Rasheed..you got that mortgage paid yet?
Rasheed Willis
November 16th, 2009
10:03 pm
David you a racist. Obama helps me with my rent. We didn’t get the head start the whities got.
Rasheed Willis
November 16th, 2009
10:04 pm
Obama will rule da world for the 1-0.
ms obvious
November 16th, 2009
10:07 pm
heck yes she was right in not going! Some feminist my hate me for saying this, but I really don’t think mothers, especially single mothers should even be allowed in the military. If you want to serve your country as a woman, that is all well and good, but not as a mama. If your a mom, your number one priority is your children, not fighting (or serving in anyway) in a foreign war. The same goes for single dad’s too. Someone has to take care of the kids! I’ve actually heard of both parents being enlisted and both being deployed at the same time. People need to think these things through! I’m glad she didn’t go!
WM
November 16th, 2009
10:09 pm
She could’ve chosen what many women who serve and get pregnant choose – to get out. You can get a medical discharge for pregnancy.
Mag
November 16th, 2009
10:15 pm
Ummm…last time I checked military was voluntary, so if she did not want to be deployed she should not have signed up. It’s sad and my heart goes out to her being a single mom, but you sign up for a job you do what your boss says…It’s life!! I agree people need to think things through, but you need to think things through beforehand…..At this point though honestly it is probably not best to send her because she won’t be focused and would probably do a terrible job. If I was deployed and this women was deployed to my area screaming, kicking, and fighting the military, I would not want her watcing my back!
chip
November 16th, 2009
10:16 pm
There are days I don’t want to go to work…my boss isn’t willing to let me decide when and where I want to work…if she did I would work from home in my pj’s….my taxes help pay for this girl’s salary and benefits…and while I am glad I am not in her place…if she isn’t going she needs to find a good job and pay back the taxpayers for all the benefits she has recieved as a solider….
Lilathe
November 16th, 2009
10:23 pm
Ship her out. She enlisted. She wants/wanted equal rights. Ship her or court martial her. That is from a mother about another mother. What causes pregnancy isn’t rocket science. Single? In the military? Likely to be shipped out? Then big DUH ….. don’t be doing that which causes the babies…… >>>>>DUH>>>>>
I so understand
November 16th, 2009
10:29 pm
Attention everyone…it’s not that she doesn’t want to go, she doesn’t want to leave her infant in the care of someone she doesn’t know. She had her mother as a backup plan but it didn’t work out. For all the ppl who are trash talking, let this happen to you. No one wants their child in foster care. Are you ppl for real??? I like it how ppl are bold in blogs but would dare not say this in her face. @Patti he that has not sinned cast the first stone. You can’t throw rocks living in a glass house!!!!!
Terrell
November 16th, 2009
10:34 pm
She should be able to stay until she can find the necessary care for the child. Oh Trey, with all due respect, the military is a job and should be treated as such. It’s easy to say country first but when you’re faced with putting your country first or your family it’s a lot tougher than what you may want to admit.
What’s really sad here RITA is that people like you are so quick to talk about you must do what the military tells you and if you do they will take care of you. This isn’t always the case. My fahter served this country and when he retired they renigged on his pension because after he received it he had a physical and they concluded he had an injury and was given a medical discharge.
For all you “MEN” if you dare call yourselves that have the audacity to say she should be deployed now and not ensuring the best care for her child, you are really full of it. The 1st relationship a child has is with their biological mother. Those 9 months aren’t easy.
It’s sad that the majority of you are just thinking about yourself. Chip, to compare how you feel to this situation is very sickening and sad on your part. Nobody say she won’t deploy it’s just isn’t until she can give her child proper care. I guess you would be ready to go off to war and leave your child unattended for am I right?
Mag, last time I checked having a job is voluntary. Too many men and women are dead because of this war and children are left parentless. Are any of you willing to take these kids in because a foster home shouldn’t be an option, and if it is you should be ashamed.
Lulu
November 16th, 2009
10:35 pm
Give her the option of repaying the money she has drawn from the taxpayers for her salary, clothing, medical care (and child’s), meals, transportation and other incidentals. Certainly a mother with no child care should NOT be forced to put it in foster care. Certainly taxpayers should be reimbursed for the money squandered on a job not done.
nita
November 16th, 2009
10:37 pm
Any single male of female should be put on notice, being a new mother/father does not exempt you from duty. It is what it is. Some people need to grow up and stop being rude. No one asked you to judge this girls character. In fact nobody on this blog knows this girl personally so comment about the situation and not morality because most of us are guilty of being immoral at some point in our lives. Just because your immoral act is your secret does not give you the right to throw stones. She should be deployed because she signed on the dotted line and took the oath.
Terrell
November 16th, 2009
10:38 pm
Patti you are so hillarious and it’s sad you would even say that. So go ahead and enlist…oh what’s that?… You don’t want too?…Then shut up!
Terrell
November 16th, 2009
10:40 pm
I want people on here to realize that she didn’t say she wouldn’t deploy she just won’t deploy until proper care is given to her child.
Terrell
November 16th, 2009
10:42 pm
After reading some of the comments I am just wondering are these the same “Americans” I’m helping to protect? Are the hours I’m putting in for TACOM to help the warfighter to protect you in vain? I hope not.
JG
November 16th, 2009
11:14 pm
Your first obligation is ALWAYS to your children! Your obligation to your country comes second! Give her chance to provide care for her child, then she can serve without regret or losing her child to Child Protective Services. Her job is to 1st protect her child and then protect the country.
JG
November 16th, 2009
11:16 pm
Oh….Amen Terrell!!! You said it!
Halsey
November 16th, 2009
11:20 pm
Why is it ok to deploy fathers, but not mothers? Equality of the sexes, right? A person should not take on a military job that carries the possibility of deployment if they aren’t going to accept the responsibility.
SEK
November 16th, 2009
11:25 pm
I wish that we could go back to when MEN COULD BE MEN and fight our wars, and WOMEN COULD BE WOMEN and stay home. Women’s lib ruined this country. This young lady had no business enlisting in the first place. Women who enlist aren’t looking for equal rights or adventure–they’re looking for lots of available sex. And the wussification of America (ie: emasculated, lets-cater-to women’s rights- men) have allowed this to happen. And yes I am a woman. Under 30.
Randy
November 16th, 2009
11:26 pm
This is a classic example of someone who does not want to go there.I cannot blame her for that, however while in you have to go where they send you.I think they ought to give her an honorable discharge since she has been in since 2007.I do think she should be immediately discharged since she cannot fullfill her contract.
Randy
November 16th, 2009
11:27 pm
Retired ARMY
DJC
November 16th, 2009
11:30 pm
Enter your comments here JG your are wrong. when you join the milatary you take an oath to support and defend this country. anyway…. since the fed. gov. in their infinite wisdom allowed females into the armed services .They should have a program where in a case like this the parent could put the in Child Care Program while the parent is deployed .they could deduct part of their pay to pay for this program
Halsey
November 16th, 2009
11:31 pm
Yeah, back when WOMEN COULD BE WOMEN! and not vote, or work, or hold leadership positions, or do anything about an abusive husband, and so on. Back in the good ole days that get romanticized by people who want to de-evolve society.
Amy
November 16th, 2009
11:34 pm
I’m sure she didn’t refuse the paychecks that the tax payers have been sending to her. So much for Obama’s campaign rhetoric to bring the troops home. I’m sure that’s what she was counting on.
Lilith
November 16th, 2009
11:47 pm
I agree the Draft is terrible. Why can’t we have a volunteer force? I mean especially after 9/11 – at least than one would at least assume that deployment would be a possibility. Burn your Draft cards!
cita
November 16th, 2009
11:50 pm
are you people kidding me?!?!? you truly believe that a innocent child should be put into foster care so that their mother can go cook in another country?? you are talking about altering the life of a child FOREVER as if his mother actually committed a crime that she is to pay for! you should all be ashamed of yourselves and i hope that you never have someone to take care of who is innocently relying on you to put their interests first. you clearly don’t know what it means to love someone and that is just sad.
tina
November 16th, 2009
11:52 pm
I was a single mother in the Marine Corps, i enlisted shotly before 9/11. I too was a single parent at the time my unit first started deployments overseas. I did not deploy because I didn’t have anyone to take care of my son while I was gone! Please stop downing this girl and questing about where her baby daddy is. it’s not your business and circumstances happen. Non the less, I was not court marshalled or anything like that they simply gave me the option to find someone to take care of my son in the event that we deploy or take the chance of being processed out of the military prior to my discharge date. This is what happened to me!!! And I still have an Honorable discharge. I think if she does not have a family care plan in tact then they should simply process her out of the military!! Simple as that! But of course we are talking about the Army here not the Marine Corps!!
Tamra
November 16th, 2009
11:53 pm
She has been more than happy to draw her paychecks and receive her benefits, now she doesn’t want to do the job that the military was counting on her to do. It says she signed up in 2007, no secret what was going on in the world and continues to go on, she obviously does not make good life choices. Living on a military installation myself, I can assure you, there are more than enough amazing human beings where she lives that would step up and help her out during this difficult time! She doesn’t want to go, kick her out, dishonorable discharge, make her pay back every single cent she has ever received from the Army. I hope she apologizes to the poor soldier that has to go now, unexpectedly, in her place!~~Another woman making military women look bad!
Sikara
November 16th, 2009
11:55 pm
@Those of you who demand that she pay back all the money she has gotten in pay…the suggestion is completely ludicrous. How many employers do you know that have to pay-back an employee who underperforms or doesn’t do their job? Give me a break. Fire them, yes. But have them repay all their wages? That is completely LOL.
Lilith
November 16th, 2009
11:57 pm
Cita:
No, I’m not kidding – and no of course we don’t mean putting the kid in foster care, but come on, the Army ain’t gonna do that – they are provisions to have the mom-Soldier discharged – and most-likely under honorable conditions. The case sounds like the mom thought the G-ma would be the care-giver for deployments, but reality hit G-ma when mom got her deployment orders. I don’t think mom joined under any false pretense, and even if she did, there’s no way she would be made to pay back whatever pay & allowances she received – if she were court-martialed, which I doubt she will, she could have forfeitures or fines – but, like I said it won’t happen. She’s a prime candidate for administrative discharge – basically being unable to perform her military duties due to parenthood – i.e. taking care of her kid. Happens all the time. There’s more fodder to be had. Hoo ah!
Kay
November 16th, 2009
11:57 pm
There are a few problems with her story:
1. Her mother just started providing the care for other family members?
2. Her mother didn’t know how much work a baby could be (doesn’t she run a day care)??
3. She had the option of being discharged when she found out she was pregnant. She declined knowing she needed to complete an ADEQUATE family care plan.
4. Deployment is inevitable. I’ve deployed TWICE. I don’t care WHO she leaves that baby with…lack of planning on her part is NOT an emergency on the Army’s part. She either finds someone to care for the baby or has the State take over custody while she serves her prison term.
I have missed birthday, anniversaries, graduations, dance recitals, music lessons but I made a commitment and accept the good with the bad…
Who is the author of this article? She thinks she shouldn’t be separated from the baby?
THAT’S THE PROBLEM WITH AN ALL VOLUNTEER FORCE!!! WHY IS IT OK FOR THIS YOUNG WOMAN TO BOO-HOO AND GET TO STAY STATESIDE BUT SINGLE FATHER’S DO NOT GET THE SAME TREATMENT.
Bottom line? She needs to grab her duffels and head to the air field or accept an OTH discharge.
tina
November 16th, 2009
11:57 pm
for all of you saying she should have to deploy she signed a contract to be in the military blah blah blah…. I agree indeed but as a single mother in the military you can not MAKE the person deploy if they have no one to care for their child! she has an obligation to her child and in her case her child is her priority! the military is suppose to be family oriented but it simply is not. they do not care about you or your family all they care about if you doing what they tell you to do. All they have to do is just process her out of the military prior to her discharge date. there is no reason to NJP her or throw something on her record because she decided to take responsibility for her actions. in this case caring for her child!
tina
November 17th, 2009
12:00 am
@ KAY she will not recieve and OTH. If you read my comment you will see that i have an Honorable discharge from the Marine Corps for being processed out early due to lack of a family care plan! The state will not take her child!!! She is a Single parent and she feels she should be taking care of her child. whats wrong with that? Nothing!
Tamra
November 17th, 2009
12:01 am
You people in the civilian population have NO idea how often female military members openly discuss trying to get pregnant in the hopes of not deploying or delaying deployment!!! It is selfish and disgraceful!
cita
November 17th, 2009
12:02 am
oh and terrell, thank you for being the voice of reason.
halsey — no one is saying you should deploy fathers but not mothers. if a father is a single parent, unable to find childcare, they too should be able temporarily delay deployment until they are able (or better yet, raise their child — it is after all, the most important job one will EVER have).
lastly, amy — how old are you? i’m guessing you don’t have children…..your ignorance is glaring.
Lilith
November 17th, 2009
12:02 am
In all actuality, I find her actions commendable, single-parent, trying to do her best to support her child – and not on the Public’s Dime (read Welfare) – too bad she couldn’t find someone to take care of her kid. And I’m not blaming G-ma either. That’s life – like I said, happens all the time, who knows the future. She may even be allowed to deploy later – IF she can get a dependent care plan that will work. Heck there have been cases where folks are already deployed & have to return Stateside because of the plan falling apart – for whatever reason. If you thing a parent abandoning his/her kids while the other parent is deployed hasn’t happened – think again. It’s tough, and sometimes all our best laid plans come to ruin.
cita
November 17th, 2009
12:04 am
TAMRA – THAT DOESN’T CHANGE THE FACT THAT THESE ARE CHILDREN!!! AND THEY ARE THE INNOCENCE AND THE FUTURE THAT THE MILITARY IS SUPPOSEDLY TRYING TO PROTECT! WAKE UP AND THINK ABOUT SOMEONE OTHER THAN YOURSELF.
DF
November 17th, 2009
12:05 am
Give me a break. Things change. Put that baby back with his mother. Bet all you nay sayers wouldn’t be saying the same if YOU were put in a foster home because circumstances changed and all of the sudden there was no home for you to go to. Easy for all of you to say all this bunk but how many of you would really toss a baby to the wolves? Have you never had circumstances change? Are you all really so perfect? Not likely. Thank goodness you crazy people aren’t in charge of the military.
Old Vet
November 17th, 2009
12:06 am
Oh, I get it. Soldier MOMS stay home with the kids while Soldier DADS go fight. If you can’t deploy with the unit you have trained with, what’s the use of having you in the unit? Soldiers who can’t deploy because of their kids need to be removed from the military and forced to return to civillian life. It may sound harsh to some, but I want a better use of my taxpayer money.
sethook
November 17th, 2009
12:06 am
Why wasn’t serving her country an issue in the past? She knew deployment was a possibility so finding reliable child care should have been her first priority. Since she has been unable to do that, she should seek a discharge immediately and move on with life. Don’t play the victim card and try and hang on to the government checks.
DF
November 17th, 2009
12:06 am
Old vet – you don’t sound like a vet to me at all.
Lilith
November 17th, 2009
12:09 am
Tamra:
What you say is sadly true for some, but unfortunately there have been enough of the “stronger” sex coming up with all kinds of reasons for not deploying. Guys who used to run 2-miles in under 10-minutes in peacetime all of a sudden develop plantars fasciitis and now can only hobble around garrison awaiting separation with, yep, you guessed it – lifetime disability courtesy of Uncle Sam. And the “bun in the oven” technique was used by some even during straight peacetime when they got orders for Korea (make that South Korea) for 12-mos.
Oh well, enough on this – how’s Balloon Boy’s parents doing?
Tamra
November 17th, 2009
12:09 am
I beg your pardon??? I think of people other than myself every minute of every day!!! I am a nurse and my husband is in the military and we make sacrifices that you can not even begin to understand and we know MANY single soldiers that we would help out ANY TIME any DAY so that they can do the jobs that they signed up to do. She should have opted out when they gave her the opportunity in the first place, and certainly she needs to do that now!
cita
November 17th, 2009
12:12 am
Lilith — i think we’re on the same team (at least on a few points). honorable discharge is fine but her fear lies in the fact that someone told her that because she could not find childcare, she was to put her child in foster care (see Associated Press article) and deploy. she did not and was arrested. my writing is certainly not directed at you.
Old Vet
November 17th, 2009
12:15 am
DF- You sound like a civillian who doesn’t know squat to me.
Lilith
November 17th, 2009
12:16 am
Cita:
It may have happened as reported – you have to understand the Army is a huge bureaucracy – there very well may have been someone in her chain that made a not so great decision. Some of the leaders at the lower-rungs (pavement hits the road) sometimes have to use harsher tactics than those at the top can. I believe everything will work out for the young lady – it’s just too bad it had to be spotlighted so. Warm regards.
C. M. Thornton, III
November 17th, 2009
12:18 am
You know, back when women were integrated into the military, this very scenario was one of the arguments used to keep them out. Here you have a soldier who is part of a unit. That unit is now short because she is using her child as a shield from deployment. If she weren’t there in this first place, this wouldn’t be an issue.
Its a man’s world, especially in the Military. Ladies, if you want equality, and you want to live in it, then be prepared for equal treatment, no matter what that treatment is. If not, then you don’t really want equality; you only want it when it’s convenient for you.
She should be court-martiled and jailed. Unfortunately, her child would end up in foster care anyway. At least if she fulfills her obligation, she can return home and be reunited with her child.
Oh, and Lillith, I don’t know what country you live in, but the draft ended in 1973. Jimmy Carter (a Democrat, Obama’s party) initiated Selective Service Registration system in 1979 when the Soviets invaded Afghanastan. We do, in fact, have an all volounteer force.
Old Vet
November 17th, 2009
12:20 am
Cita- I think she will get a General Under Honorable Discharge.
Ann
November 17th, 2009
12:26 am
Tamra knows what she is talking about. You go girl!!! Ditto on everything she says.
Old Vet
November 17th, 2009
12:27 am
C.M. – I spent 18 months overseas in an all male military many years ago. Personally, I see nothing wrong with having women in combat arms as long as they can do the tasks. The problem is Joe wants to join the Army as a private, have a car, get married to his honey Jane who is also a private and double dip with Uncle Sam. It’s the military’s fault. If you have kids and you are the primary care provider you can’t serve. It’s that simple.
DF
November 17th, 2009
12:29 am
Wow, what a bunch of idiots. You’re making the military look bad. I know a military where family is right up there. Have fun trashing it.
Sunshine and Thunder
November 17th, 2009
12:43 am
So who’s dying in her place? I know, that’s a little harsh. But it certainly could be true. Why can’t people plan?
Sunshine and Thunder
November 17th, 2009
12:44 am
My first thought is that she is probably as good a parent as she is a soldier.
EX- Military Spouse
November 17th, 2009
12:57 am
Things happen. The situation with her mom seems plausible… she was not going to the front lines, the military should not expect her to place the child in foster care to go work in a mess hall overseas. There are a lot of judgemental folks commenting on here…sad.
MissingAyden
November 17th, 2009
12:57 am
I’m currently in Iraq right now away from my son and I’m just ashamed to be reading what most of you are writing. All of you seem to be more concerened with your “tax dollars” then with someone’s life….a childs life. My parents had to relocate their lives for me to watch my son because my husband works mid shifts and would not be able to care for him unless he quit his job. Granted, if my parents weren’t as supportive as they are, he would’ve quit. Life happens and situations come up, nobody knows what this mother’s whole situation is, but nobody is giving her the credit she deserves as being a mother in the military. If she can’t find a family care plan and ends up not deploying then I’m sure she’ll be discharged and if she does find a plan and deploys she’ll be overseas away from her son serving her country for you, just like she signed up to do…But there is no way in heck any mother would let her child go to foster care for a year- Show some respect. For all of you who haven’t been affiliated with the military I really don’t think you have the right to bash her, because you’re bashing a lot of us too when you do.
KF
November 17th, 2009
1:04 am
Despite the Army claiming they have programs for these situations, they do not and yes they will threaten to put your children in foster care if you are a single parent (man or woman) or if your spouse is deployed and you become ill, I know it happened to my family. I became seriously ill two months after my husband’s first deployment and had friends care for me and my children and the Army tried to state that I could only use people approved by my husband’s unit to help me out and if Idid not reveal who was helping me they would send the authorities to take my kids, all of this after refusing to send my husband home during the two life threatening surgeries I had. When this woman says they threatened her, I believe her. When she says they went back on giving her extra time, I believe her. Thankfully, my husband was medically discharged over a year ago, I will take him will all of his Army-imposed disabilities rather than living in the archaic and twisted Army system. They say “Family First” and this is a lie. I know male soldiers who have not seen their children in several years due to the Army refusing to allow their children to visit and because of back to back deployments. I know women who are homeless because the Army has allowed the soldiers to leave their families penniless or risk losing their careers. Defending this corrupt system is wrong.
EX- Military Spouse
November 17th, 2009
1:10 am
KF will you please tell them!! I met the man of my dreams, married him, thought we were living the American dream. During the short time we were married he was deployed THREE times!!! He became seriously ill (mentally) as a result and I was left holding frozen peas over my eye. Where are the programs to help these soldiers… I have yet to see any. :( Let’s talk about the battered women and men as well whom are suffering in the face of this war.
amy
November 17th, 2009
1:14 am
what some ppl arent getting is that hutchinson’s mother brought the baby back to her just a few days b4 deployment cuz the grandmother couldnt take care of the baby anymore. then when both told the commanders, she got time extension for ‘family care planning’ to find another caretaker – but that was revoked suddenly w/o warning b4 she could find somebody. the army then arrested her & put the baby into foster care. what she asked for was the reinvocation of the time extension to find another caretaker – she was WILLING to deploy, but needed a caretaker. ppl shouldnt be making creepy, inane comments if they dont know the whole story.
DF
November 17th, 2009
1:21 am
MissingAyden – Hang tough. You are loved…and respected. God bless you and keep you.
I’m at least glad to see a few rational people here now. I believe the Army will do the right thing. I believe she did the right thing too.
Good night.
amy_r
November 17th, 2009
1:25 am
i just posted a comment @ nov. 17th, 1:14am. i realized now there are two amys in the blog posts. i’m not the other amy, who is a bit coldhearted. i’m the amy that thinks the bureacracy went haywire and common sense was overruled. i dont believe the baby should be forced into foster care. i believe hutchinson did everything she could to make her scheduled deployment, but circumstances w/ the grandmother did not work out. i support hutchinson for her struggles and i do not believe she did this for any ulterior motives other than being in a desperate situation where she could not board that deployment plane to afghanistan by leaving her baby on the tarmac w/o anybody to watch him other than ‘foster care.’ – foster care… do some of you really think children should be forced into foster care for this reason? really? come on now. seriously?
i’m refering to myself as amy_r now.
itpdude
November 17th, 2009
1:29 am
I do not want to live in a country that sends mothers off to war with the only option for their children being foster care. I don’t care if she’s irresponsible or what. I don’t want to live in that kind of country.
Lulu
November 17th, 2009
1:55 am
Tina,
Surely you are not from this country and I hope we can and do deport you immediately. I am a mother. I am a grandmother and I have spent a bit of time on PI and other USMC Bases. You need a course in basic ethics. Money= service. That is not military, that is basic economics. You get the pay, you stay. You welch= We quelch! She doesn’t just walk away clean. The taxpayers have had enough of that. Repayment of every cent to the taxpayer is due here.
Armyvet
November 17th, 2009
2:00 am
I do not feel sorry for her at all. Been there, done that. I was in the military 10 years before I had my first child with my husband of 10 years. We were both active duty. My child was 6 months old and the husband was in Kosovo. I got orders to South Korea. I went, my job came first. Husband returned and picked up the baby from the parents. In comes year 14, my mom passed away and his mother is too ill to help us out. I had to end a 14 year military career.
I was not going to be a female whining about having kids and deployments. I did my Desert Storm, Somolia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Korea tours. It killed me to have to get out, but it is unfair to get a free ride when other soldiers in my unit would never have that option.
Now on to this soldier in peticular. I wish I had a penny for every time I have seen a female do this. I would be rich. It is the most efficient and most used excuse to get out of field duty, TDY, JRTC, overseas tours. Give kid to mom , and then a few days before you leave, mom suddenly cannot do it anymore.
Looks like most of you commentling have not served and seen for yourself how females continue to get over like this one. If you cannot do your job, like a man then get out.
Just a quick FYI. I was a medic with a combat support hospital for desert storm. 2 months out we knew we were deploying. 35 females ended up pregnant just a week before deployment. We lost 35 people out of our unit 7 days before we left. The Military cannot replace people on that short of notice. results? Because of those females less than honorable actions we worked 17 hour days in the combat zone and it took months to replace them. We came back to find 30 of them had an abortion and 5 kept their kids. Did I forget to mention not one of them were married? They really cared about the kids they aborted didnt they? Or was getting pregnant a good way to collect a paycheck and avoid deployment?
I am a mom and a female And I feel no sympathy at all, kick her out. CHapter 8 and good bye…..
Matt
November 17th, 2009
2:52 am
Are you kidding me with this article? Can I have the 2 min of my life back that I spent reading this? Of course she should deploy. In fact, she should now be arrested and have to pay back any and all pay received since her last deployment (if she had one). Sound too tough, then don’t join the military. Don’t be irresponsible in your personal life if you can’t handle the consequences. I honestly do appreciate her and every other soldier’s service, especially since it is voluntary, but give me a break!
On a side note, this is one of several logical, microeconomical, not sexist, reasons that women typically make less money than men in the same professions. There is honestly no shame in it, as childbirth and raising children is a beautiful thing, much moreso than any job. What is a shame is that there is no “baby-daddy” in the picture. That’s a whole other story…
Matt
November 17th, 2009
2:56 am
Armyvet, i just read your post. Thank you for your service and dedication. I wish you the best of luck now that you get to enjoy your family!
Old Glory
November 17th, 2009
3:09 am
The military is a debacle in itself now trying to mirror the sociopolitical views of a misconstrued society at the moment. The worst thing here is that our troops cannot adequately defend themselves after deployment with the new “Rowe” rules of engagement in effect. Just like in the Civil war we are just paying people to take our place in battle now so we can forget about it, and go on with our lives….
Slappy
November 17th, 2009
3:50 am
Stupidest question ever. Of course they should deploy. They signed up and knew the risks. SPC Hutchinson’s actions disgrace every other mother who deployed away from their families. What makes her so special? Not a damn thing.
former female soldier
November 17th, 2009
3:51 am
This is a sad situation. However when I was in the Army it was worse, if you had kids when you went in you had to sign over custody automatically “just in case” so many mothers got a bad deal if they got divorced….automatically they lost their kids.
The other wonderful option we had is if you got pregnant they threw you out of the Army if you were married, they pressured you into an abortion if you weren’t.
Bill Jones
November 17th, 2009
4:40 am
Just one more reason to not have women in the military. And if we just have to have them in the military, why can’t they just serve stateside?
11 MONTHS LEFT
November 17th, 2009
5:34 am
I think its really funny how you can go from Hero to Deadbeat overnight while serving your counry. I am currently Active with 13 years of service, and am appalled by some of the post on this fourm. I can tell alot of you have never served, and some of the others are what we call “Ate Up”. For all who don’t know military members pay taxes just like every other citizen(federal and state), and life is not always peachy serving stateside. We all have jobs(surprise) and there is no calling in sick, or overtime pay, or comp time. You work until the job is done, You train when told. Depending on your career it can downwright suck. I feel sorry for this kid, and I don’t mean the baby. she is 21 from Oakland (inner city), she had no idea what she was getting herself into, now it’s real! Today’s Military is so different, people who have served before don’t really understand the changes. They want to do more with less. Previous generations were bloated with personel, not any more! I am so disgusted with this. 11 Months and I will be one of the many leaving the armed forces.
firstborn40
November 17th, 2009
6:04 am
lol…if this was a white girl, we wouldn’t have a lot of these comments…remember they make babies out of wedlock too… there was no mention of the child’s father anywhere…let’s hope he isn’t military – but since she was impregnated while in the military…maybe he’s a military man that is married and can’t take the child because then he’d have to tell his wife that he fathered a child out of wedlock with a ten 19 or 20 year old….and for all you geniuses out there…a woman cannot father a baby out of wedlock without that father also being the father out of wedlock! it takes sex to make a child – not rocket science! stop blaming women for opening their legs to you when you beg and plead for it…then you kick dirt on her because she obliged you!
the military should have given her more time, how is she a disgrace…not one time did she say she didn’t want to deploy even in the face of loosing her child, so get off of jacking with her integrity as a soldier…the story says her commander’s felt she was using the baby as an excuse…she never said she was….
every mother, military or not, should have a problem with this…how in the hell does anyone expect for her to fight for a country that sends her to war and not give a damn about her baby!
in support of the commander in chief…did any of you that is pushing these unnecessary wars in both countries off on president obama ask bush why we where there in the first place and why wasn’t it his priority to get the troops out before he left office – especially since he was proven a liar by a committee investigating the reason for starting the war in iraq…why didn’t you call for him to get the troops out!
and for everyone in the military…i hope your pissed at bush for putting you in a situation where you’ve lost limbs, friends and fellow soldiers….without cause in a war that should not have been….you should be writing bush everyday because his two daughters are no where near the war…they are living the lives of rich girls without a care in the world…
Boot Her
November 17th, 2009
6:08 am
11 Months,
No, you don’t pay taxes. You “return” some of the taxes that were paid to you from MY taxes. The US Army is a government operation. It is funded by the private sector just like every other government operation. You saying you pay taxes too, is like people in the private sector saying the government “gave” them a refund (unless you’re a EIC collector). You return some of the money given to you, and in turn, some of the money I’ve given to fund YOU, is returned to me.
Hey, firstborn40...
November 17th, 2009
7:04 am
…we may be “pissed at Bush” for his lying, but now the American population is “pissed at Obama” for his lying rhetoric that millions of folks like you bought into, only to now find out that his “promise” to bring the troops home as a “first priority” was nothing more than a campaign lie. So, get off your high horse – you no longer have Bush to blame for NOT bringing the troops home – so get onto the “chosen one” and take him to task for continuing to lie to the American people about everything that he is promoting!
JATL
November 17th, 2009
7:26 am
In situations like this, the army should let her stay home but “lay her off” in so many words. I agree that she signed up and shouldn’t be having children, particularly out of wedlock, if there is no place for them to go. I don’t know why the grandmother is taking care of 3 other kids, but I guess that’s beside the point. Making a parent go overseas and throwing their kid into foster care helps no one! However, she shouldn’t get a free pass. If she were a business person who elected to have a child while being single, even though she knew she traveled for work 50% of the time, well, she would have to expect to be fired or find another job on her own.
The problem I have with military deployments is when you have a married couple with kids and the military insists on deploying BOTH parents at the same time. I’ve seen numerous news stories on this issue since the Iraq/Afghanistan debacle started, and I think it’s pretty sad on the military’s part.
@Armyvet-you did the right thing ending your military career, but be thankful you had parents to take the kid when they did. Your statement about going to South Korea because your job came first saddens me. I’m sure you were a great soldier, but not so sure you’re a great parent. So you think this women (no matter if you agree or disagree on the circumstances that lead to her becoming a mother), should just throw her kid into foster care so she can go cook in a mess hall?