General Cucolo backs away from controvertial move on pregnant soldiers

[Lost-in-FL]

http://abcnews.go.com/WN/general-backs-off-threat-court-martial-pregnant-soldiers/story?id=9399604



Four Democratic senators have written a letter to an Army general in Iraq asking him to rescind an order that threatened to court martial female soldiers who become pregnant while deployed in the war zone.
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It was the latest salvo to hit Cucolo over the controvesial policy. Earlier the National Organization for Women called the policy "ridiculous."

"How dare any government say we're going to impose any kind of punishment on women for getting pregnant," NOW President Terry O'Neill said. "This is not the 1800s."

O'Neill said NOW would turn to Defense Secretary Robert Gates and even President Obama for help.

Even before the senators took aim at Cucolo's policy, the general had backed away from his threat today to court martial women under his command who got pregnant. His policy statement said violation of the rule would also apply to the men who get female soldiers pregnant, even if the couple is married.

[gratuitous]

1. I would bet a shiny nickel

I would bet a shiny nickel that in addition to the modicum of public "pressure" put on Mr. Cucolo, there was a whole bunch of behind-the-scenes pressure put on him for the second part of his threatened discipline, that the rule would apply as well to the men under his command.

Just a hunch, and I freely admit that I have no evidence for it. But I'll bet a shiny nickel it's true.

[Lost-in-FL]

2. I just hope this ends his military career. nt