As a mom, what is your opinion on this? (Update in replies)
Mom not using baby to skip duty, lawyer says
Posted : Wednesday Nov 18, 2009 19:13:21 EST
An Army mother who refused to go to Afghanistan because she failed to get someone to care for her son wants the military to discharge her rather than enforce a policy that thousands of single mothers have abided by.
Spc. Alexis Hutchinson, 21, was to depart Nov. 5 with her unit of the 3rd Infantry Division from Fort Stewart, Ga. She refused after her mother declined to care for Hutchinson's 10-month-old son, Kamani.
Her lawyer insists that Hutchinson is genuinely stuck and not using her child to get out of duty.
Under Army policy, soldiers who cannot find a suitable caregiver may be disciplined or honorably discharged.
"These women are given a choice which is a very bad one to face: deploying and abandoning your children, or refusing your orders and facing charges," says Hutchinson's civilian lawyer, Rai Sue Sussman. "I think (the Army has) shown ... a lack of understanding for a young soldier, a young mother, in a difficult situation."
The Army says Hutchinson may have acted improperly in her handling of the situation and is not entitled to be treated differently from other women.
"There are thousands of soldiers that have similar circumstances," Fort Stewart spokesman Kevin Larson said. "They're single parents. They do the right thing. They prepare for their deployment. They fulfill their sworn duty."
More than 30,000 single mothers have deployed to the two most recent wars, according to a study by Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.
An Army cook, Hutchinson turned herself in to military police the day after she was supposed to deploy.
Hutchinson was ordered held, and her son was placed in a protective service until Hutchinson's mother could fly from Oakland the next day to care for him.
Hutchinson is confined to the base, awaiting the result of an Army investigation.
Larson said Hutchinson was detained because her command "became aware of additional information" and concluded that there may have been "alleged misconduct" on her part. He would not elaborate.
The Army generally gives mothers enough time to formulate a written plan for care of the children before a deployment, Army spokesman Wayne Hall said.
Sussman says Hutchinson has done all she can to find a caregiver and wants a discharge.
While not speaking directly about Hutchinson's case, Hall said a unit's commanding officer generally oversees a court-martial. Hutchinson's unit is now in Afghanistan, which means she could end up there after all.
What do you think?
What do you think of Hutchinson’s case? Should she face consequences? What outcome would be fair?
http://www.militarytimes.com/news/2009/11/gns_mom_not_deploying_111809/
I heard of this and something sounds reallllllly fishy. Either they are lying (her and her mom) about telling the CoC or the CoC is failing her and not doing their jobs. I did hear somewhere that if she would've brought her son to the airport with her the day she shipped out, they would not have deployed her. I mean, some parts of me, I think she should face the consequences b/c I'm sure there is more she could've done to ensure that she would not deploy other than sham out of the flight by not showing up. But then again, I really don't know all the details concerning what she told her CoC and all that.
My response is very conflicted! As an Army wife whose hubby deploys (for years at a time) quite often I am quite angry at her. When you get orders they are months in advance so you can make plans for your kids. I know plenty of single soldiers who have to leave their child with a close family friend. And their kids do just fine! There are other options than just saying sorry I'm not going! If months ago her mom said sorry I can't watch your kiddo then she should have started looking for other options!
But as a mom I do sympathize with her. That is her baby and to be taken away from your child is the most heart wrenching thing in the world! I can't imagine the pain she was feeling!
But again this is her job...you do what your job requires!
I agree. Is she an only child? Does she have cousins, aunts, etc.? I wonder who watches her child when she's at work?
Quoting mrslizstephen:
My response is very conflicted! As an Army wife whose hubby deploys (for years at a time) quite often I am quite angry at her. When you get orders they are months in advance so you can make plans for your kids. I know plenty of single soldiers who have to leave their child with a close family friend. And their kids do just fine! There are other options than just saying sorry I'm not going! If months ago her mom said sorry I can't watch your kiddo then she should have started looking for other options!
But as a mom I do sympathize with her. That is her baby and to be taken away from your child is the most heart wrenching thing in the world! I can't imagine the pain she was feeling!
But again this is her job...you do what your job requires!
Ft.Hood 11.05.09*May they Rest in Peace*
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If the mother was willing to come for the time while she is jailed, I am sure the mother was willing to watch the kid for the deployment. I mean think about it, she blew all that money on a plane ticket for such a short time bc she was concerned with the care of the child, but wouldn't just have the child sent to her? Sounds weird to me.
I think she should be deployed. Thousands of women are fighting to gain equal righst to serve in all areas of the military. Those askling for special treatment enforce the idea that women are not in combat and not ready to be giving the duty that men have in the military.
She had more then enough time provided to find care for the child. She signed a contract and now needs to complete it.
I think she just either is scared to deploy or does not want to leave the child. I don't blame her, but she knew when she signed the dotted line..
I feel like the story has holes in it. I'm sorry that the child would be separated from his mom, but I feel like she should have had a backup plan, if something either happened to her mom, where she couldn't watch the baby, or for whatever reason. Isn't it required as well for her to have two people on the care plan for this reason in the first place? If she didn't then wouldn't her paperwork for deployment be incomplete, thus making her ineligable to deploy until it was ready? I may be wrong on that, and if I am I apologize. I just know as a mother myself, if I knew there was the possibility of me leaving my children for a long period of time, I would have a backup person to watch them, just in case.
Her mom returned her son 3 days before she was due to deploy so she was kind of in a pickle. But she could have handled the situation better than just not showing up.
Quoting mrslizstephen:My response is very conflicted! As an Army wife whose hubby deploys (for years at a time) quite often I am quite angry at her. When you get orders they are months in advance so you can make plans for your kids. I know plenty of single soldiers who have to leave their child with a close family friend. And their kids do just fine! There are other options than just saying sorry I'm not going! If months ago her mom said sorry I can't watch your kiddo then she should have started looking for other options!
But as a mom I do sympathize with her. That is her baby and to be taken away from your child is the most heart wrenching thing in the world! I can't imagine the pain she was feeling!
But again this is her job...you do what your job requires!
Idk I am kinda on the fence about it. I get both sides of the story but heres what I dont get.Her mom KNEW she was deploying yet randomly decided 3 days before she was to leave that she couldnt handle the child? How long did she have him before she decided this? That is whats weird to me, Her mother had to know that she was going to get in trouble or that something was going to happen, I dont believe that she was that ignorant! IDK JMO
IMO, this is why the military is not a good career for ANY single custodial parent. There are just sooooooo many demands and we are isolated from our families. It seems like there needs to be one parent who can be the constant.
Marianna
Wife to Adam, Mom to Aiden
Anyone can give up; it's the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that's true strength.
-Unknown
She was given 30 days to find another caregiver.
Had she shown up, without someone to care for her child, they wouldn't have deployed her.
She deserves to be discharged. She definitely makes all single parents look bad.
There's a lot more to the story then what is told and the Military can not force you to put your child in foster care, they would discharge you before that happened.
As a soldier this all falls back on her. She had 1 person named under the family care plan, most single soldiers have 2 and are required to have 2. At least the ones I know.
I believe she's using her child. She was given the opportunity to leave the military when she got pregnant, and she stayed in KNOWING in the event of a deployment she would need to have suitable care.
yes it sucks that her child would be sperated from her but you know what so are the married parents children but they still go. Im sorry for comeing of as a un caring jerk but you know what my husband saw his daughter 25 days of the first year of her life serving over seas while she was home fighting to be alive so i have no simplaty for her. She knowingly stayed in after she had her child un married so it is on her. who cares for the child when she is serving here daily duty. There i am sure other friends family or army wifes she knows that would keep her child. I know married couples that both are in teh army and where deplyed at the same time to two places and the had to both go to. So she should have told them what was going on and asked for help to find some one to care for her child but sorry she went awol there is no excuse the army may agervating but the arnt heartless ok
Seriously...They're called clothes, you might want to buy some.
- myfoursonsks
on Nov. 19, 2009 at 8:53 AM