US Soldier Mom refuses deployment

What exactly is she supposed to do? Leave them on the street and say have fun! Be back in 6 months! (maybe)

As long as this is legit, and she actually let them know prior to their deployment and as long as this is not a ploy to get out of going, I support her decision.

Let's play Devil's Advocate, and say she isn't able to find suitable child care? She signed a contract stating that she had said child care and obviously didn't. Should she be jailed? Discharged? Honorably? Dishonorably? If she is allowed to stay in the Army and reassigned, what sort of precedence does this set? It's not like she signed up during peace time and "oh crap!" we went to war. She signed up during an ongoing war, fully knowing that she would most likely get deployed.

Ben Grimm wrote:  That goes both ways.  The Army allowed her to enlist, knowing that she had a child (or might have a child), and put her on the deployment list knowing that she had primary care of a child.  What kind of foolish employer puts themselves in that position?

So you are saying that single parents should be excluded from active deployment options? Wouldn't that effectively make it pointless to even enlist them? Taking it maybe a bit far, but what would keep someone with second thoughts about deploying from arranging their childs spouse to take a powder and leave them as sole caretaker? Seems like a bit of a loophole.

By regulations a single parent MUST have a valid Child Care Plan for the event of deployment. Opening up enlistment to single parents was hailed as a victory for females and created a Equal Opertunity Enviornment as stated by the usual suspects.

Upon her enlistment and at regular intervals single parents must update thier Child Care Plan, and document any changes in status ASAP.

The female single parent had no problem collecting her paycheck, any bonuses, and all benifits provided by the military. It was HER responsibility to keep the Child Care Plan current (part of the Deployment Packet) for all change of station/deployment orders are based on review of all critical personnel issues.

I see this as a UCMJ issue, she defrauded the US Government by signing up for a job she could not do (possibly know at time of enlistment). Minimal action should be a General Discharge, forfieture of all pay and allowances on unit deployment (if she has not seperated by deployment date)and a RE-4 re-enlistment code (can not re-enlist even if personal circumstances change).

Many single parents serve and do so without problem, the system works, if the soldier in question follows regulations. This one individual can not and did not provide the required Child Care Plan, under regulations, so it is on her not the military.

The soon to be pity party will not be told how she did not follow regulations, only how harsh the military is to single parents, which is not the case in 99.9% of single parent servicemembers,

Edited by oldsoldier - 17 November 2009 at 12:49pm

Somewhat in her defense, the child is 10 months old and she joined in 2007, so she actually became pregnant while on active duty. But this raises interesting questions as well.

oldpbnoob wrote: Somewhat in her defense, the child is 10 months old and she joined in 2007, so she actually became pregnant while on active duty. But this raises interesting questions as well.

Like what?

Should stupid people reproduce?

Actually single females by regulation and UCMJ can not get pregnant during a term of voluntary service (subject to a Chaptered Discharge and loss of pay and allowances), and males can also be charged if they father a child (creating a dependant) also during a term of voluntary service. The old Ask Your Commander for Permission still is on the books, that pertains to marriage as well.

The regulations and UCMJ on the issue are quite clear, and she should have consulted the JAG office on all these Change of Status issues long prior to any deployment orders.

Yes, she should be charged, and chaptered out, if not it will set back womans rights issues in the military so many have upheld only to have this one individual turn it into a I told you so exercise for those who do not want singel parents in the military.

Her behavior while in service has consequences, and as in the outside world, ignorance of the law is no excuse. She was well aware of what the single parent status is, and had to be counciled by the Chain OF Command on her new duties and resonsibilities upon child birth (as a singler parent). To the Army under regulations (which she had to be made aware of) it was her responsibility to have a valid Child Care Plan or ask for an immediate Chaptered Discharge upon the birth of the child.

Edited by oldsoldier - 17 November 2009 at 1:14pm

OS just brought up the poitn I wanted to comment on.  I don't know how I feel about this particular issue, but what does this say about women being sent to frontlines, deployed, etc.  What happens when a woman finds out she's pregnant a month or two into a deployment?  I feel like there are so many side issues to this that it's a HUGE can of worms that no one is going to want to discuss publicly.  

Fuzzey5-0 wrote: oldpbnoob wrote: Somewhat in her defense, the child is 10 months old and she joined in 2007, so she actually became pregnant while on active duty. But this raises interesting questions as well. Like what? Should stupid people reproduce?

I'm fully against stupid people reproducing......

Edited by oldpbnoob - 17 November 2009 at 1:32pm