A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry
Army Mom Confined To Base After Skipping Deployment To Care For Baby
Posted: Nov 16, 2009
This is a tough one. Do you think they should go ahead and send her to Afghanistan?
Single-mother Alexis Hutchinson refused to deploy to Afghanistan on Nov. 5, she said, because she didn't have anyone to take care of her infant son.
Now she's confined to the Georgia base where she is stationed, facing criminal prosecution by the Army.
Hutchinson's civilian lawyer told the Huffington Post that Hutchinson, 21, initially planned for her 10-month-old son to stay with his grandmother in California, but that the plan went awry when the grandmother realized that she didn't have the resources to take care of him. Military police arrested Hutchinson on Nov. 6, when she returned to the base after skipping her deployment.
On Thursday, Hutchinson's lawyer, Rai Sue Sussman, said she was told by an officer that the Army planned to ship her client to Afghanistan on Sunday for a special court-martial and that she could spend a year in jail there. But Sunday came and went, and Hutchinson remains at Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield outside of Savannah, Ga.
"That's only because I took it to the press," said Sussman. The Oakland Tribune jumped on the story on Friday, and others followed.
An Army spokesman told the Huffington Post on Saturday that Hutchinson would not be sent to Afghanistan on Sunday, but he declined to provide any info on what might happen in the future.
"[Hutchinson] has been directed by her commander to stay on the installation," said Army spokesman Steven Hart.
Sussman said that Army prosecutors told Hutchinson's military and civilian defense team on Monday that they would still like to prosecute and that the special court-martial in Afghanistan is still on the table. Meanwhile, Hutchinson's son is with his grandmother in Oakland. The grandmother flew to Georgia to pick up Hutchinson's son after her arrest. His grandmother, Sussman said, is caring for three other relatives.
"It is outrageous that they would deploy a single mother without a complete and current family care plan," said Hutchinson in a statement through her lawyer. "I would like to find someone I trust who can take care of my son, but I cannot force my family to do this. They are dealing with their own health issues."
Sussman said she's working to keep the Army from "throwing the book" at her client and locking her up in Afghanistan.
"It is serious to miss deployment so they're going to want to punish her for that, [but] I think sending her to Afghanistan is an overreaction," said Sussman, who spoke to Hutchinson on Monday. "It's a pretty stressful situation that she's in -- she's feeling quite fragile."
Link
;
Single-mother Alexis Hutchinson refused to deploy to Afghanistan on Nov. 5, she said, because she didn't have anyone to take care of her infant son.
Now she's confined to the Georgia base where she is stationed, facing criminal prosecution by the Army.
Hutchinson's civilian lawyer told the Huffington Post that Hutchinson, 21, initially planned for her 10-month-old son to stay with his grandmother in California, but that the plan went awry when the grandmother realized that she didn't have the resources to take care of him. Military police arrested Hutchinson on Nov. 6, when she returned to the base after skipping her deployment.
On Thursday, Hutchinson's lawyer, Rai Sue Sussman, said she was told by an officer that the Army planned to ship her client to Afghanistan on Sunday for a special court-martial and that she could spend a year in jail there. But Sunday came and went, and Hutchinson remains at Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield outside of Savannah, Ga.
"That's only because I took it to the press," said Sussman. The Oakland Tribune jumped on the story on Friday, and others followed.
An Army spokesman told the Huffington Post on Saturday that Hutchinson would not be sent to Afghanistan on Sunday, but he declined to provide any info on what might happen in the future.
"[Hutchinson] has been directed by her commander to stay on the installation," said Army spokesman Steven Hart.
Sussman said that Army prosecutors told Hutchinson's military and civilian defense team on Monday that they would still like to prosecute and that the special court-martial in Afghanistan is still on the table. Meanwhile, Hutchinson's son is with his grandmother in Oakland. The grandmother flew to Georgia to pick up Hutchinson's son after her arrest. His grandmother, Sussman said, is caring for three other relatives.
"It is outrageous that they would deploy a single mother without a complete and current family care plan," said Hutchinson in a statement through her lawyer. "I would like to find someone I trust who can take care of my son, but I cannot force my family to do this. They are dealing with their own health issues."
Sussman said she's working to keep the Army from "throwing the book" at her client and locking her up in Afghanistan.
"It is serious to miss deployment so they're going to want to punish her for that, [but] I think sending her to Afghanistan is an overreaction," said Sussman, who spoke to Hutchinson on Monday. "It's a pretty stressful situation that she's in -- she's feeling quite fragile."
Link
Yes, make other arrangements for her - NJ
[ In Reply To ..]There were deferments for childcare given when we had a draft. Cheney asked for and was granted one (his 5th deferment). Although this woman is already serving, there are other things she could be doing than going overseas.
Another blunder by the old fogies in the military.
NJ
I realize that this will sound wrong ~ sm - Anoni~
[ In Reply To ..]I'm bound to tick someone off no matter how I say it, but what the devil are these women thinking joining the military and then having kids????
By no means do I believe that a woman should be barefoot, pregnant, and tied to her stove, but to have a baby when one knows there is a good chance that they are going to be sent overseas for a year or so is just down right irresponsible, IMO.
I think that if a woman in the military has a child they should be automatically disqualified from active duty overseas. There is plenty they could do here and still be serving their country.
Ok, bash away!
You are absolutely correct - see message - just me
[ In Reply To ..]And no need to apologize. As a former US Army soldier I totally agree with you. I did not have children in the service but many in my unit did. Most in my unit did leave the service after delivering with an honorable discharge but some stayed and when it came time to ship out on alerts and training they had arrangements to take care of the children.
This is a totally different time, and the chances are that whatever parent is deployed could most certainly not come back. Yes I know they know this before having children, but military woman are just like civilian woman. We have wants and needs as much as the civilian world.
There are a lot of jobs in the states these women could be doing. I think shipping a mother overseas to a war they will most likely not come back from rendering the child without a parent, all to "make a statement" by the military is wrong. They should either re-assign them to a stateside job or take them out of the service altogether.
most military members ARE coming back... - Kendra
[ In Reply To ..]Where did you get the impression that she would most likely not come back?
Sorry didn't mean it that way - see message - just me
[ In Reply To ..]Yes, a lot of military members are coming back. What I said was there was a possibility that she "could" not come back. I didn't say "would not". There is a difference. I pray for the safe return of ALL service members, but we have to face reality too. This is one nasty war we are in and some people are not coming back. When a soldier goes to fight in a war there is a possibility they "might" not come back. That's all I meant. I hope for the safe return of all soldiers, but the possibility is a reality.
I'm sorry if I offended you, didn't mean it to come off that way.
I'm not offended....just replying to the part that said - Kendra
[ In Reply To ..]"sending them to a war overseas that they will most likely not come back from". I just was disagreeing with that. The likelihood is that she would come back. My husband's batallion did not lose anyone (thank God) and they had dets all over the middle east. I did not mean to "sound" offended, just thought I was adding perspective.
Understand totally - just me
[ In Reply To ..]That is good news about your husband and his batallion. Glad you weren't offended. Next time I'll word my posts differently as what I wrote was not what I meant. Thanks for putting things in perspective. Sometimes a little knock on the side of the head is all we need. :-)
Great post. I couldn't agree more. (nm) - Nikki
[ In Reply To ..]/
Many women get pregnant on purpose... - Kendra
[ In Reply To ..]for the sole purpose of getting out of deployment. (Before anyone bashes, men do things to get out of deployment, too, just not capable of pregnancy. Two days before my husband's last deployment, a guy checked himself into a psychiatric hospital. Two days after they left, he was out and fine, but could not go to war because they can't give him a gun.) I feel for this woman, but should she deploy--absolutely.
From the AP - CMTer
[ In Reply To ..]An excerpt from AP article this morning. I hope they do get it straightened out for her and her baby. I would not like to see this baby separated from mom.
"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.
"I don't know what transpired and the investigation will get to the bottom of it," Larson said. "If she would have come to the deployment terminal with her child, there's no question she would not have been deployed."
Similar Messages:
Sockpuppet Army Deployment. Brooks Bros Riots, 2008 Town Hall Disruptions Mar 03, 2011
This links to a fascinating yet long article well worth the time it takes to read it. Many of the posts on this forum over the past couple of days help to lend much credence to the concerns raised in this piece. Here are a few choice highlights from it. HBGary people are talking about creating "personas", what we would call sockpuppets. But for a defense contractor with ties to the federal government, Hunton & Williams, DOD, NSA, and the CIA - whose enemies are ...
Skipping The Intelligence Briefings - 58% In First Term, Oct 02, 2014
Golfing, probably. ...
Natural Gas Drilling Hazards Not Confined To Below GroundJun 22, 2010
This article is long, but the jist is....since they opened the Marcellas Shale operations in PA, there have been numerous accidents by companies of EOG of TX, Chesapeake Appalachia, Fortuna aka Talisman, Chief Oil and Gas, Cabot Oil and Gas, and others. They have polluted private property and wells, ponds, streams, and the ground with benzene, hydrochloric acid, oil, diesel fuel, and wastewater. They are destroying some of the most beautiful areas in the state. It's r ...
US Army And UPS V. USPSAug 10, 2012
I don't know how long it takes to learn this, but apparently when you ship things to soldiers at US bases, it is REALLY BAD to use the good ole federal US Postal Service. My nephew is at Ft Sill. I sent him a laptop via USPS Priority mail on Monday. They are still waiting to "give it" to him. Apparently he simply does not just get his mail as a normal civilian would. The officers can hold on to it as long as they wish. Now I know. They only have control over ...
Anyone Watch Army Wives?Mar 27, 2011
I can not believe how sad tonight's episode was! I have watched shows and say that is really sad, but I actually had tears running down my face tonight. I have two sons, both ready to turn 18 and 21 in May. I can not even image what it would be like to lose one of them. Thank God both are safe and at home. My heart goes out to all that have loved one in the Service and especially those who have lost ones in the Service. It is so sad that this world has to ...
Does Army Consider Christians, Tea Pary, Oct 24, 2013
Does Army Consider Christians, Tea Party, a Terror Threat? by Todd StarnesTodd Starnes // Oct 23 2013 // 5:27pm Soldiers attending a pre-deployment briefing at Fort Hood say they were told that evangelical Christians and members of the Tea Party were a threat to the nation and that any soldier donating to those groups would be subjected to punishment under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. A soldier who attended the Oct. 17th briefing told me the counter-intelligence agent i ...
US Army Trains To Confront TPTsMay 02, 2010
US Army trains to confront Tea Party Terrorists ...
I Applied For Salvation Army Bell Ringer JobOct 17, 2012
I thought some of you might get a kick out of that. Benefits: It's outdoors, you can watch the sky, study the clouds (I'm drawing now, and I want to draw clouds, so why not study them all day?) - you're raising money to help people in trouble - you get to ring a bell - holiday spirit. Also, I want practice drawing faces, so you can look at people's faces all day long. Also, can write some poems & research for novel. Downside - pay is lo ...
Army Wedding Moved At The Last Minute Because Of Obama's Dec 29, 2014
Let's hear some rousing applause for our president who does not always put himself first. The Sounds of Silence. ...
A Soldier Criticizes His Army Comrades' Tea Party IdeologyOct 24, 2013
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/10/a-soldier-criticizes-his-army-comrades-tea-party-ideology/280788/ A Soldier Criticizes His Army Comrades' Tea Party Ideology Does the movement's rank and file want to be misinformed by conservative media, or are they the unwitting victims of unscrupulous propagandists? CONOR FRIEDERSDORFOCT 23 2013, 6:00 AM ET Chumsdock/Flickr Regular readers know I have a love/hate relationship with the Tea Party. What I love i ...
He Invites Army Deserter And Illegal Alien To Speech.Jan 21, 2015
nm ...
Here You Go. Obama Base.Sep 27, 2012
God help us. ...
Obama's Base - (sm)Oct 06, 2012
http://v103.cbslocal.com/2012/10/05/snoop-dogg-mitt-romney-is-a-morman-with-no-hoes-and-other-musings/ ...
Increasingly Bizarre Story Of Dick Army's (former GOP House Majority Leader)Dec 26, 2012
(I put Tea Party in quotes, because its original grass roots base has become a sad joke.) From the Washington Post, December 25: "The day after Labor Day, just as campaign season was entering its final frenzy, FreedomWorks, the Washington-based tea party organization, went into free fall. Richard K. Armey, the group’s chairman and a former House majority leader, walked into the group’s Capitol Hill offices with his wife, Susan, and an aide holstering a handgun at his waist. The aim ...
The Base Of The Republican PartySep 28, 2015
At a campaign event in South Carolina on Thursday, Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush was asked how he planned to include black people in his campaign and get them to vote for him. Bush responded, “Our message is one of hope and aspiration.” But he didn’t stop there. He continued: “It isn’t one of division and get in line and we’ll take care of you with free stuff. Our message is one that is uplifting — that says you can achieve earned success.” There it is! If you ...
Iran Deal On Nukes Could Boost Tehran’s Cyber-terror Army, Says ReportApr 17, 2015
Why doesn't our government think before acting? Never mind, I know why. What a bunch of brainless numbskulls! ...
Attack On CIA Base In Afghanistan May Have Had Inside HelpJan 03, 2010
By Daniel TencerFriday, January 1st, 2010 -- 3:14 pm An historic blow against CIA -- Intel official promises revenge on Taliban -- Two of the dead were Blackwater employees The suicide bombing Wednesday that took the lives of seven CIA officers and contractors in Afghanistan may have had help from an informant close to the spy agency, and may have been carried out on behalf of a Taliban warlord family that was once an ally of the CIA, news reports say. Citing an unnamed "Western official," th ...
Watching Obama At Dover Air Base. How ComeSep 14, 2012
this is being televised when Obama stated a while back that the remains of our heros should be private. Does he show up at every soldier that comes home in a casket? No. I understand that this is somewhat different, but I think it should also be private, not for everyone to see. ...
They Continue To Lack A Moral BaseJun 04, 2017
The conservative sphere has no standards for decency and behavior, and it rewards figures like Nugent for making threats of physical harm against people like Obama and Clinton. http://oliverwillis.com/2017/05/31/kathy-griffin-controversy-exposes-how-debased-the-right-is/ ...
ISIS Killed 24 More Near The Marine Base In Iraq.Feb 17, 2015
I think our 400 Marines nearby should get out of dodge NOW! The JV team is certainly turning out not to be JV. Let's save our people and then bomb ISIS to bits. Don't ask me how. Just ask your president to listen to the generals, which he has not done for 6-1/2 years. ...
Diastrous GOP Base"at War With Math, Physics, HumanDec 23, 2012
gun laws all at the same time." From Thomas Friedman's op-ed in the Sunday NY Times: "WHEN thinking about the state of the Republican Party, I defer to a point that the Democratic consultant James Carville made the other day: “When I hear people talking about the troubled state of today’s Republican Party, it calls to mind something Lester Maddox said one time back when he was governor of Georgia. He said the problem with Georgia prisons was ‘the quality of the inmates.&r ...
Chicago Mayor Is Finding Out The Hard Way That The Democratic Base IsFeb 25, 2015
The liberal wing of the Democratic Party can be susceptible to the “moral victory” fallacy, which in its most degraded form considers a righteous loser preferable to a compromised winner. All the same, it’s hard not to interpret Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s Pyrrhic victory on Tuesday as a major win for the party’s economically populist wing. After all, this is Chicago we’re talking about; incumbent mayors expect to be coronated, not subjected to the indignity ...
Key Democrat Officials Now Warning Base Not To Expect EvidentMar 21, 2017
Key Democratic officials are clearly worried about the expectations that have been purposely stoked and are now trying to tamp them down. Many of them have tried to signal that the beliefs the base has been led to adopt have no basis in reason or evidence. The latest official to throw cold water on the MSNBC-led circus is President Obama’s former acting CIA chief Michael Morell. What makes him particularly notable in this context is that Morell was one of Clinton’s most vocal CIA surrogat ...
Obama Visits To Dover Air Force Base To Honor Fallen SoldiersOct 29, 2009
Thank you Mr. President for being there for our fallen soldiers.DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. — Standing in the pre-dawn darkness, President Barack Obama saw the real cost of the war in Afghanistan: The Americans who return in flag-covered cases while much of the nation sleeps in peace.In a midnight dash to this Delaware base, where U.S. forces killed overseas come home, Obama honored the return of 18 fallen Americans Thursday. All were killed in Afghanistan this week, a brutal stretch that t ...
When The Army Uses "Enhanced Interrogation" On An American SoldierApr 14, 2010
Joshua Kors, Investigative Reporter for The Nation I had been covering veterans' issues for several years and thought I'd developed a thick skin. But the pain on the other end of the telephone line was difficult to stomach. Sergeant Chuck Luther, now back from Iraq, was describing his journey to hell and back. The worst part, he said, wasn't battling insurgents or even the mortar blast that tossed him to the ground and slammed his head against the concrete — it was ...
Mosul Falls: Iraqi Army Says Mosul Victory Jul 08, 2017
Earlier on Saturday, a military spokesman said the insurgents' defense lines were collapsing, state television reported. "We are seeing now the last meters (yards) and then final victory will be announced," a presenter said, citing correspondents embedded with security forces fighting in Islamic State's redoubt in the Old City by the Tigris. "It's a matter of hours," she added. ...
Health Care Reform-Question About Canadian Health CareDec 03, 2009
So....a friend is for our US health care reform (already retired and on Medicare) because he had no trouble going to Canada to get laser surgery on his eyes so he wouldn't have to wear glasses and states there is nothing wrong with the Canadian system....but, and I'm asking a serious question here, how long do people really wait for emergent surgery if they belong to the Canadian system versus the American system as we have it now? How did Canada get their health care system up and ru ...
We're Having A Baby Girl!!! SmFeb 23, 2010
Ok...so sorry if this doesn't work. I haven't posted a picture on here in a long time. I just had to share the news...we are going to have a baby girl! Jocelyn Mae is due to come into this world on June 5, 2010. I'm 25 weeks 4 days today and my belly is definitely making it harder to work. I work in-house in the hospital that I will deliver at, so the plan is to just work until I feel I can't / shouldn't...who knows....maybe I'll just ...
Obama BabyJun 22, 2011
Yeah, yeah, I hardly agree with anything Obama does. This video, however, will make you smile. The look on Michelle's face and then his face is priceless. http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/video/president-obama-stops-baby-crying-13893192?section=2808950&tab=9482931 ...
Baby Horse And MomJul 19, 2010
Just wanted you all to know that the baby miniature horse was even more precious in person! She just stuck to her mom and they walked side by side in the pasture. One of the girls who lives on the farm picked her up and brought her to the fence so we could pet her. Baby's mom was eating hay under a shade tree with her back turned. Suddenly she realized that her baby was not beside her. She made some very loud cries and galloped over to the fence to protect her litt ...