First of all, what about the person who has to take her place in the rotation? Wouldn’t she be the “cold-blooded sumbish” for being selfish and screwing someone else?
Second, I dismiss the notion that a “superior told her she would have to place the child in foster care.” No reasonable supervisor would make such a statement. Until that comment is attributed to someone in her chain of command in a position to enforce such and action and is on record stating such, I think this is an emotional lie perpetrated by her “lawyer”.
Agree on the dismissal from the Army.
SZ
Yes, she would - and I am NOT defending this “lady”. I am concerned primarily about the welfare of the child. NO WAY should the kid be forced to bear the consequences of Mom’s pi$$-poor decisions. Mom should be tossed out of the army forthwith; forfeiting ALL benefits and any right to reenlist.
I don’t so easily dismiss the allegation of the superior making her chose between deployment and her child, however. Why? Because it happened to me.
I was in the 1st ID at Ft. Riley in the early 1980’s. We were to deploy to Germany for REFORGER in 10 days or so, when my off-post housing burned down, leaving me and my family (including three young kids) homeless.
I was NOT asking not to be deployed; in fact, I hadn’t even though of that issue at all when I informed my platoon leader of the fire. His immediate response was “You are STILL going deploy next week!” Huh???
After thinking that over, I requested an audience with my Co. Commander, to see what could be done. REFORGER was an exercise, after all, NOT a combat rotation. His reaction was the same - prepare to deploy in (now) 8 days. My family was STILL wearing what had been on their backs when the fire broke out, and the Red Cross had just issued vouchers so we could get new ones! It took a visit to the post IG to get my deployment orders canceled, and the 1st ID CG personally ordered my transfer to another unit because of my chain-of-command’s obvious lack of concern with the well-being of my dependents.
The US Army MUST have as their first concern the ability of their soldiers to deploy and fight. At the same time, studies have shown the the combat effectiveness of soldiers that are worried about the welfare of their dependents back home cuts their efficiency by greater than 50%. Why do you think the military goes to such efforts to see that dependents are provided for?
IF this Mom is telling the truth, she had no choice. The military ALSO has no choice: she must be discharged immediately.