Single mother jailed for refusing to deploy

[unhappycamper]

Angelique Hughes, center, poses with her grandchild Kamani Hutchinson and a picture of her daughter, Kamani’s mother, Spc. Alexis Hutchinson in her home in Oakland, Calif., on Nov. 17. Spc. Alexis Hutchinson is confined to an Army post after she refused to deploy to Afghanistan, saying there’s no one to care for her child.


Single mother jailed for refusing to deploy
By Joe Gould - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Nov 28, 2009 12:43:05 EST

When Spc. Alexis Hutchinson’s airplane left Hunter Army Airfield, Ga., for Afghanistan on Nov. 5, she was not on board.

The 21-year-old single mom stayed home because she had no one to care for her 10-month-old son. Her mother in Oakland, Calif., initially took the boy in but became “overwhelmed” and refused to keep him for the deployment.

Hutchinson is one of thousands of single mothers who have faced the order to leave a child home and go to war. But she refused to deploy.

Hutchinson, an Army cook assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division, was arrested the day after she skipped her flight. She is confined to Fort Stewart, Ga., hoping for a discharge instead of a court-martial.

In the past two years, more than 3,000 people have been discharged — voluntarily or involuntarily — for pregnancy or lack of a family care plan, the Army says.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/11/army_refuser_112809w/

[Maat]

1. Well, as a retired social worker, I can say that the idea of foster care is ludricrous.

If children are taken into the system, allegations are filed in a special civil court, Dependency Court, against the parent, and eventual termination of parental rights is considered. That would be a ridiculous thing in this situation. Moreover, she'd be billed back for the foster care.

Plus, infants need to be near their mother; serious consequences can result without that situation. Raising the child without that mother's presence is an alternative that shouldn't be exercised unless absolutely necessary.

Her plan failed - both she and the military have the best of reasons to part ways. Now, let that woman out! Geez.