Army discharging single mom who refused deployment

[cory777]

Source: AP

By RUSS BYNUM, AP Military Writer Russ Bynum, Ap Military Writer – 38 mins ago

SAVANNAH, Ga. – A single-mom soldier who says she refused to deploy to Afghanistan because she had no family able to care for her young son will be discharged from the military instead of facing a court-martial, the Army said Thursday.

Spc. Alexis Hutchinson, an Army cook stationed at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, was arrested in November after skipping her unit's deployment flight. Hutchinson, 21, said she couldn't leave her son because her mother had backed out of plans to keep the child a few days before the soldier's scheduled departure.

The Army filed criminal charges last month against Hutchinson of Oakland, Calif., but a general at neighboring Fort Stewart chose to settle the case by granting her an administrative discharge rather than try her in a military court.

"She's excited that she's no longer facing jail and can still be with her son, which is the most important thing," said Rai Sue Sussman, Hutchinson's civilian attorney. "We're very happy about it right now."

The decision still carries consequences for Hutchinson. She is being demoted in rank to private and will lose benefits afforded to military service members and veterans, Fort Stewart spokesman Kevin Larson

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100211/ap_on_re_us/us_soldier_mom_deployment;_ylt=AmR2fJsSVFwOPQusLekZQu.s0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTN0MW4za2tlBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwMjExL3VzX3NvbGRpZXJfbW9tX2RlcGxveW1lbnQEY2NvZGUDbW9zdHBvcHVsYXIEY3BvcwM1BHBvcwMyBHB0A2hvbWVfY29rZQRzZ

[Warpy]

1. The military used to bend over backwards

when dependents needed to be cared for.

This is unjust and unfair and sets a terrible precedent for parents who are both serving.

The foster care system is not a viable alternative for a child with a living custodial parent.

[Robb]

2. They still do, and it appears here did. nt

[rd_kent]

3. You need to look at what really happened here before jumping to conclusions. They DID bend over

backwards.

This lady deserves to be discharged, under Other Than Honorable conditions, without benefits of any kind.

[Warpy]

16. Uh,

"Base commanders said in a statement Thursday that "the investigation revealed evidence, from both other soldiers and from Pvt. Hutchinson herself, that she didn't intend to deploy to Afghanistan with her unit and deliberately sought ways out of the deployment."

"But Sussman said the Army had failed to follow its own regulations mandating steps it should take when soldiers' child-care plans fall through."

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/02/11/BAHD1C07EM.DTL&tsp=1#ixzz0fH4uSBWA

It sounds like there was gossip that the military preferred to believe rather than the fact of a dependent child with nowhere to go.

The fact that they suggested foster care as an alternative was unconscionable.

They should have just given her a hardship discharge and been done with it but they're making an example of her to other soldiers with children, something which will have enough of a chilling effect that some will undoubtedly leave.

It's a stupid decision for everyone involved.

[rd_kent]

18. No, the Army did exactly what it was supposed to do.

But Sussman said the Army had failed to follow its own regulations mandating steps it should take when soldiers' child-care plans fall through.

Sussman is the womans attorney, so I could care less what SHE says.

Military regs require single parents (or dual military parents) to have a family care plan in place. She did not.

[Mithreal]

24. Post the regs, I did previously. You don't care about the woman's lawyer

because you don't care about her defense.

[rd_kent]

31. You don't care about all the other soldiers and single parents that SHE created hardships for.

There is more going on here that just her.

[Mithreal]

35. Right. That's definitely it. You are so concerned about all the other soldiers.

[rd_kent]

39. I am, but its obvious you are not.

[Mithreal]

76. You can't care about soldiers without caring about their children

saying otherwise is a fraud.

Luckily the military sees things more compassionately and corrected this commander's foolish decision.

You think they caved because they were right?

When I see young people in ROTC uniform, I know they wear those uniforms with pride. This was one of those people. I stand with her. You go ahead and keep picking and choosing who meets your standards, not like you couldn't listen to her tell her own story in her own words.

Stop letting your heart be hardened to whatever prejudice you have against this person.

[WindRiverMan]

88. The fact that she got pregnant after enlisting

is a crock of shit! When you sign on the dotted line, that you are eligble for deployment , you are not suppossed to get pregnant in the first place!!! Your body now belongs to Uncle Sam. YOu are a not a private citizen, you are a soldier, and that means they get to do shit to you that they cannot do to the average citizen.

When you are a soldier, you are part of a team. The survival of your team depends upon every person doing their job, doing it well, and doing it when needed. This woman is a piece of shit, she put other soldiers' lives on the line (yes, being a solider is a life or death occupation) by getting pregnant in the first place, and then by refusing to deploy. She also put the mission in jeopardy by her actions.

When you become a solider, you give up some of your rights, we no longer have a draft, she VOLUNTEERED, then went back on her word. Personally, I think the precedent sucks, and I wish the Army had actaully followed protocol to the letter so they could court martial this poor excuse for a soldier. At the least, I hope she gets a dishonorable discharge, because she should. No way this taxpayer feels like ensuring she gets veteran benefits after pulling this stunt.

[jmowreader]

90. Defense to what? Violating two articles of the UCMJ?

The two specific articles she violated are 86 (absence without leave) and 87 (missing movement).

They could have easily used Article 85 (desertion) and then we would be screaming: desertion in time of war is punishable by hanging as Eddie Slovik will attest.

[Warpy]

33. What part of "fell through" didn't you (or the Army) understand?

Life circumstances change. People get sick, get tired, move, have to work more than one job to support themselves.

Like I said, this ruling is going to cost the military a lot of trained people.

[rd_kent]

37. She did not have a plan. For it to "fall through" there has to be a plan.

As stated before, she was required to have a primary, a secondary and an emergency family care plan. All she had was her mother (primary) and nothing else. The Army tried, even though it is not required to, to assist her in finding other arrangements, including (as a last resort) foster care. She failed to come up with any plan, even while she was pregnant.

[marshall]

67. She also did not inform the Army of the failure of her plan

She just didn't show up when she was assigned to be there ready to deploy.

[noamnety]

83. "Foster Care" ?!!!

In what world is an employer bending over backwards to "assist" a parent by threatening to court martial her if she doesn't hand over her child to complete strangers in the foster care system?

[Daemonaquila]

46. Can't handle life changes as required? Lose your job.

It's the same in the military as in the private sector. You only get so many breaks before you get fired. If this loses the military a lot more people like her? YAY!!!!

[rd_kent]

52. You obviously have no idea what went on here

[Warpy]

56. Say the words "hardship discharge"

often enough and you might even look them up.

The military overreacted and made an example of her. There was no need for a less than honorable discharge. They just got pissy.

They do that, you know.

[rd_kent]

57. Overreacted? Got Pissy? The woman FAILED to have a family care plan, as required.

She was required to have a Primary, a secondary and an emergency plan for childcare while deployed. She FAILED to do that, even after the Army offered assistance. She FAILED.

How did they make an example? How did they get pissy?

[24601]

82. Gossip isn't evidence. If I were innocent, there is no place I'd

choose over a military proceeding, either administrative or court martial. And if I were guilty, there is no place I'd more want to avoid.

[sarge43]

5. What is the alternative? n/t

[Mithreal]

8. +1 She was treated as an exception.

[rd_kent]

11. An exception to what?

[Mithreal]

13. Exception to military standards for treatment, go read the rules for yourself

About 3,000 soldiers have been discharged from the Army over the past two years after they couldn't deploy because of child care or pregnancy difficulties, according to the Army Times.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/01/14/MNNE1BHR5T.DTL

I did what I could to pressure this decision. I know others did as well.

[rd_kent]

17. Please, I LIVED the rules, for 21 years, just retired two years ago. This woman FAILED

to follow the rules and have a family care plan. The Army went above and beyond what they have to do in trying to assist her, she refused and failed to come up with a care plan during her deployment. When her mother backed out, she did not have a secondary OR an emergency plan, as is required, by regulations.

[Mithreal]

20. Sure they did. I already argued with that most just and merciful DU'er attitude

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=4226133&mesg_id=4226133

Not trying to be irritating, I just don't think we are standing on common ground on this one and she is no longer being court-martialed and that is what I most cared about.

[rd_kent]

21. I agree that a courts-martial would have done nothing.

But she did fail to properly plan and follow regs. She could have prevented all of this by following the rules.

[Mithreal]

38. Right, that's what happened. Sure, sure.

[rd_kent]

43. Sorry you are having trouble accepting the truth.

[Mithreal]

77. Oh do tell, truth seeker.

[juno jones]

84. Yup. My bro-in-law's daughter was one of them.

Family scuttlebutt says she did it intentionally to get out. (PS, not that I blame her, apparently it was the only way she saw to get out of 'stop-loss' crap after having already served her time.)

IMO, This poor girl is simply being made an example of.

[jmowreader]

89. And they didn't miss movement or go AWOL either

The Army works on cause and effect: you do something wrong, it has consequences. There's a right way (show up at manifest with your child and tell them not only does your FCP not work there's no way you can make it work) and a wrong way (haul ass to California without telling anyone) to get kicked out of the Army for a bad FCP, and she chose the wrong one.

[rd_kent]

4. I hope they give her an OTH and she loses all benefits.

[noamnety]

7. Losing benefits makes sense. But there's nothing dishonorable

about staying to take care of a child. You can't force another person to raise your child, not even if the army demands you make them do it. The grandma isn't subject to the UCMJ, and the military can't order her to raise the kid. It's certainly not cool to give her a dishonorable discharge because a third party backed out of a verbal agreement. May as well give a married soldier a dishonorable discharge if their spouse dies or runs off the night before a deployment leaving no child care arrangements.

I'd give her the same discharge pregnant women can opt for, which is honorable but they forfeit benefits.

[rd_kent]

10. Never said it was dishonorable. OTH means "other than honorable".

It is used for administrative discharges and provides differentiation from those that DO serve their entire time under Honorable conditions.

And women no longer have the option of getting out if they get pregnant.

[noamnety]

63. Chapter 8 still shows up in the army regs.

AR 635-200

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/armyreg/l/blar635200.htm

The revision date on that is 17 December 2009. Where did you get that that's been revoked?

[sarge43]

12. She is not being given a dishonorable discharge

That can only be given by general court-martial. She probably getting a general discharge which involves the loss of a few benefits.

[DURHAM D]

6. Damn - I wish JAG was still on the air.

I know Colonel Sarah MacKenzie would take the mother's case and kick butt.

[Mithreal]

9. This was discussed previously on DU if anyone missed

Army charges mom for refusing to leave infant

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=4226133&mesg_id=4226133

[Demeter]

14. She Did the Best She Could, that Any Mother Could

I am as proud of her as any other heroine.

[Mithreal]

15. .

:applause:

[rd_kent]

19. No, she didnt.

she failed miserably.

[Mithreal]

22. .

Get over yourself. I don't tolerate people who are incapable of compassion.

:dilemma:

[rd_kent]

25. Are you for real?

I have plenty of compassion, so you need to get over YOURSELF. I don't tolerate people who are incapable of ensuring that the choices they make don't cause everyone else hardships.

[Mithreal]

26. Yes, I am real.

[rd_kent]

29. Yeah, I see that, unfortunately.

[Mithreal]

32. Better luck next time. There will be other single parents and children

you can rail against.

[rd_kent]

34. Hahah! Nice try, but FAIL!

I am only railing against THIS woman. You FAIL at trying to paint me with your broad brush.


Next. Move along.

[Mithreal]

41. Stop teasing me. My cat instincts see a mouse and I can't control myself.

:hi:

[rd_kent]

42. Well, this mouse just put a bell on your cat.

:hi:

[Mithreal]

50. Alrighty, been fun, but I have to leave for a bit.

[rd_kent]

53. No, it wasnt fun at all.

Its sad that so much effort has to be wasted on ignorance and short sightedness. You really should step back and see how this womans actions affect the perceptions about all the other single parents in the military.

Such a pity, all of your passion so poorly directed.

[Mithreal]

71. .

:cry:

:popcorn:

[Peace Patriot]

61. This mother not going to Afghanistan is a "hardship" on...um, whom? Those poor babies at the Pentago

n? Dyncorp? Blackwater? Lockheed? Some poor drone-slaughtered mother in Afghanistan? You? Me? President Obama?

--

"I don't tolerate people who are incapable of ensuring that the choices they make don't cause everyone else hardships."

--

"Hardship"? It's a "hardship" on "everyone else" that this mother chose her son over fighting Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld's Forever War?

Boy, are your priorities screwed up!

This woman is a HERO for making this choice TO BE A RESPONSIBLE MOTHER, and facing down the entire U.S. war machine!

Mothers can be courageous, too--just as courageous as soldiers. But their courage is despised by our political establishment, and the makers of war, and the players on the "Big Board."

That's who I despise--the makers of war, who spit on the poor for having children, and create a jobless society in which the poor have no choice except to become "cannon fodder" for the Forever War. This society is sick, rd_kent, and the privatized, war profiteer Pentagon is the sickest of all. And you're talking to a PATRIOT, here. I want the sickness of war-for-profit cured. And anybody who stands up to this sickness for whatever reason--their conscience can't abide it any more, their child is their priority--gets kudos and laurel wreaths from me. Their heroism is of the most difficult kind--the heroism of moral courage.

To you, rd_kent, for your service, and to Spc. Alexis Hutchinson, for her moral courage...

:patriot:

[noamnety]

64. Then you should be happy.

"I don't tolerate people who are incapable of ensuring that the choices they make don't cause everyone else hardships."

Sounds like she prevented creating a serious hardship both for her son and for her mother.

Regardless, not much you can do if you send your child off to the person listed in your plan - and the third party decides to just return the child to you. It's not like the parent can refuse delivery.

[Daemonaquila]

49. You mistake compassion for protecting mommies at all cost.

Not everyone thinks that way. Not everyone thinks the family should trump everything else. Having kids is a choice, with its own consequences. If you don't prepare for those consequences, you've screwed up. Worried about deploying? Maybe that's not the time to have a baby. Not unless you have a rock-solid way for that kid to be taken care of when you do your duty and head overseas for a year, with little notice.

[Peace Patriot]

69. Having kids is not always a choice. Birth control can fail. And you want someone to abort

so they can go be "cannon fodder" for the war profiteers in Afghanistan?

Jeez.

Anyway, the child here looks to be about 4 years old. The young woman is only 21. She likely had the child before she enlisted, and she probably enlisted in order to support him, because there are no jobs for the poor in this war-blasted economy. Then the backup plan of this youngster--barely an adult herself--collapses...

..and you're going to punish her for TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR HER CHILD?

And I am puzzled by your phrase "protecting mommies at all cost." "Protecting mommies" at WHAT cost? The cost to society of her abandoning this child to the "system"--putting him in "foster care," as the Pentagon suggested--is not only directly costly to society, it's long term costs could be even worse, in the creation of yet another traumatized, alienated teenager and young adult. Your use of the word "mommies" in this context is demeaning and unconscionable. You are completely underestimating the essential role of parents in creating responsible, well-adjusted adults. That ESSENTIAL role, of parents, is far, far, far, far, far, FAR more important to our society than killing people in Afghanistan. And it is a symptom of our upside-down, backwards society that so many of us put the "needs" of the Pentagon and its war profiteers and their corporate buddies ahead of one of the most essential components of society: caring for children.

Your views seem to come from another world--an "Alice in Wonderland," upside-down and backward world in which Pentagon values rule--and in which painting the white roses red makes sense.

[Mithreal]

79. It wasn't at all costs, and it isn't just "mommies" and that sounds very wingnutty.

[Demeter]

23. May YOU Walk 18 Years in Her Footsteps, Young Man

It's a good thing you aren't my son.

[rd_kent]

28. Please, I walked 21 years in her supervisors footsteps. I have had to deal with her kind before.

21 years in the Navy. I had many women work for me, most of whom had children. Nearly all followed the rules and planned accordingly, and I assisted with anything they needed. A few, just like this woman, tried to take advantage of the system and got discharged for their trouble, just like this woman.

[Mithreal]

44. You don't even care about her defense as stated upthread.

And :wtf: is with "her kind?" Caution, you are coming off as something like a nutter.

[rd_kent]

45. No, YOU said that. I said I could care less about the statement het lawyer made.

[Mithreal]

78. "Sussman is the womans attorney, so I could care less what SHE says."

You could listen to the soldier tell the story yourself too, but you won't, will you. There is even audio available. Why should anyone believe her or her lawyer.

Those two must have bullied the military into seeing things their way.

[Stargazer09]

66. There's a LOT of sexism in the military

Especially, I've found, in the Navy. I've worked with supervisors like you, rd_kent.

After five miscarriages, I finally got pregnant with a baby who seemed to be sticking around. I was in the reserves at the time, and my husband was active duty. He couldn't get pregnant, so it was up to me to carry this very-much-wanted baby. I went in during drills one month to tell my supervisor about the pregnancy.

He said, "I'm sorry."

Your posts make me wonder how many times you told the women you supervised that you were sorry that they were pregnant.

By the way, I always had my family care plan up to date, even though my unit always had more volunteers for deployments than they needed.

This situation was not "all her fault." Not everyone has a huge extended family to take care of their children, nor do they have friends who can be trusted to raise their children. On top of that, it is very difficult to ask someone (anyone) to take care of your child when the military wants you to leave for an extended deployment. She wasn't trying "to take advantage of the system." She didn't have anyone who was willing or able to accept the responsibility for her child, and she should have been given a hardship discharge without all of this fuss.

Edited to correct a grammar mistake.

[hayu_lol]

27. Still a bum deal for her...

and will not help the recruit women campaigns.

They could have made a one-time decision in her favor...she was a cook, not a warrior.

[rd_kent]

30. They make an exception for her then they have to make an exception for all.

They system in place works just fine. SHE chose to disregard it. This is all her fault.

[Mithreal]

36. Actually the system is just fine, she was treated as the exception.

When I read more about this, my appreciation for the military's compassion toward soldier families grew immensely. Odd but thankfully, the military seems more liberal than many DU'ers. Ironic, no?

[rd_kent]

40. You have no idea what you are talking about.

Even though I have explained that I DO know what I am talking about.



http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=4265633&mesg_id=4265781

[Mithreal]

47. You amuse me. As if the measure of one's heart could come from a resume.

Doesn't matter, single parents and their children grabbed a victory from a decision that was not even based upon precedent or regulations. Arguing that someone should be treated as the extreme exception is working really well for you. You sure you are in the right place? I don't expect to persuade you to move one inch, so why are we still talking?

[rd_kent]

51. Hahaha! Where do you come up with this stuff? You keep trying to paint me with that broad brush

but I wont have it. Please stop posting that I have done and said things that I have not done or said. You lagic in this case is flawed, horribly. The real injustice here is that you cannot see the bigger picture and how the actions of this woman affected all single and dual military parents. Your short sightedness only helps to promote the idea that all single mothers have no place in the military, which is quite the opposite. I worked with many single parents in my Navy career, and as stated, nearly all of them were a valuable asset. You seem hell bent on defending a bad apple, whicj is your right, but please, stop posting that I have done and said things that are not true. At least be honest about that.


I'm done with you. You are dismissed.

[Mithreal]

70. Superiority complex

[Mithreal]

48. .

delete error

[xxqqqzme]

59. Damn - judge AND jury

I sincerely hope to hell YOU have the remainder of your life carefully planned, following all those 'rules' and that ABSOLUTELY no incidental occurrence interferes w/ those carefully considered plans following ALL the rules.

I will tell you right here and now, your life can change dramatically in less that the blink of an eye and you will have absolutely no control over it or the direction it will take you.

But I sense you are in control of everything and by god those rules better conform to your specifications!

Tiresome!

[rd_kent]

60. You know, as a general rule, you would be 100% correct. But you are allowing your ignorance to post

instead of finding out what happened here. If you knew what you were talking about in this case, perhaps you would not be so quick to disparage me.

[chrisa]

74. She failed at nothing.

She faced jail time, but fought to be released anyway. I would say that's pretty brave. Now, if only everybody else in the army would follow her lead.

[boppers]

54. Nicely handled.

Good to see that the prison threats turned out to be merely threats in her case.

[EFerrari]

55. Good. It's too bad it took these lunks so long to come to a decent conclusion.

If these people can't handle a disappearing babysitter, how can they be expected to handle AQ?

Geeze.

[Mithreal]

73. +1

[EFerrari]

80. Seriously, WTH?

They didn't have the moral energy to find her a job stateside? This is not rocket science.

[Mithreal]

81. It was just like punishment for pregnancy idea in Northern Iraq

that the general had to walk back.

Like protecting a child's welfare is less important than a clump of cells or the right to reproduce while wearing a uniform. Insanity.

[WriteDown]

58. Wonder how much she got paid to sign up?

10, maybe 20K. Hopefully, they will let her pay it back along with training costs in installments.

[Peace Patriot]

62. I want to know why the Pentagon is using parents as 'cannon fodder' for their Forever War

and not providing child care; and why they look to civilian agencies--underfunded because of WAR PROFITEERS, and already unable to care decently for stranded children--to make up their moral deficit of failing to provide for children THEY are STRANDING, with their heinous, unjust, murderous, profitable military enterprises!

Why aren't they creating base orphanages, hm? Why are they relying on us to pay for the casualties of their goddamned wars?

This notion of the Pentagon that Spc. Alexis Hutchinson should have put her child into civilian-supported foster care really pisses me off. And what happens to that kid if she is gravely disabled or killed? He becomes a ward of the state--the victim of an underfunded, broken and often vicious system that destroys children--and that is paid for by us, in our war-destroyed, broken economic system.

Really, I'm okay with the Pentagon just becoming a separate country, unto itself, officially, and let the fuckers who manufacture wars figure out how to pay for their war toys, and their "cannon fodder" and their "cannon fodder"'s children.

[classysassy]

68. Bring back the draft

[Mithreal]

72. +1

:applause:

[juno jones]

85. +1 n/t

[Robb]

65. She'll be returning her enlistment bonus then?

Only seems fair to the other single parents on active military duty. :shrug:

[tammywammy]

75. +1 n/t

[Mudoria]

86. +2

[EFerrari]

87. It should be considered severance pay

And other single parents have nothing to do with the stupidity shown by the chain of command in this case. Unless those parents also suffer the same stupidity.