Mom caught in custody fight also battling Army over return to Iraq - Soldier declared AWOL...

SF Gate ^ | 11/11/03 | David Kelly

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Simone Holcomb was a soldier motivated by duty and honor who knew the sacrifices her job required and performed without complaint.

That all changed when the 30-year-old National Guard medic, who spent the last eight months nursing wounded soldiers in Iraq, was forced to make a stark choice -- the Army or her children.

[Orangedog]

Not if they have custody.

[Razwan]

What about single parents at your workplace? How is that handled in the civilian world?, ie, big project due, and someone's kid gets sick or hurt, and they have to go tend to them...do they get fired?

[PLMerite]

"Before you open you big mouth again, especially on Veteran's Day, think about what you are saying. The American public gets a pretty good deal, at least in terms of manpower. This Veteran's Day brought(partially) to you by a Bronze Star winning, terrorist-attack preventing (opening bullet from NCOER reads "uncovered and prevented 6 planned terrorist attacks through his efforts") Veteran (Afghanistan...BTW, missed that Thanksgiving, Xmas and New Years, too (2001) because of deployment-bet you were enjoying it with your family)"

Actually I've worked most Holidays for the last 20+ years doing what I do for...the Government. Nights, weekends, holidays, overseas. I've gotten my share of awards, too. Family? I'm still single, which may or may not be related to the job.

"I resent your implications and that you benefit from all I sacrifice."

I'm grateful for what you and the other guys/gals at the broken end of the bottle do. What *I* resent are the REMFs (some, not all) who pass through my spaces and complain that they have to go to PT. The sad part of it is that the ones in my line of work are supposed to be the "smart" ones.

One day maybe I'll be able to tell you about it.

[Orangedog]

What about single parents at your workplace? How is that handled in the civilian world?, ie, big project due, and someone's kid gets sick or hurt, and they have to go tend to them...do they get fired?

Maybe. But the single parents in my workplace are not ordered to work in a warzone or to the defend the company's office in Kuwait.

[stylin19a]

A lot of guys took the two-week vacation and didn't come back, and they are trying to lump her into that,"

a little subject change....I hadn't heard or read anything bout guys not returning. Is it widespread ?

[VeniVidiVici]

It used to be that without a family care plan the soldier could just request to get out.

I didn't see this mentioned anywhere in the article; that the soldier had requested a discharge.

Is this not the case anymore?

[SAMS]

Could somebody please tell me what ever happened to the "Soldier/Sailors Act" That specifically prevented bringing suits against soldiers/sailors during a deployment?

[GrandEagle]

"Soldier/Sailors Act"
If I remember correctly this has to do with reposessions, etc.

[nightdriver]

"She has also launched a media offensive, hoping to change some minds in the military. On Thursday, she was in Denver talking to the BBC and local television stations."

Wrong approach. She should be publicly taking her former congressperson, Patsy Schroeder to task for misrepresenting the facts of military life for women.

Remember how Schroeder and other militant feminists in congress threw their weight around after the dustup in Panama? They were adamant that women should be in front line combat and that marriage and family should be no hinderance to military service.

Like all liberals, Schroeder is gone from the picture when it comes time to pay for such fiascos as this one.

[cajun-jack]

7 kids and the oldest is 12...sounds like her or her husband should have been deployed a lot earlier and and lot more often. why did they even enlist someone with that many minor children??

I know ya'll gonna burn my butt...but damn...she just wanted a college education right?? wasn't supposed to have to actually do anything for it right?? no, i don't think cps should take the childrem..i think she should request and the army should grant an immediate discharge.
p.s. and give her the veteran benefits up to the point that she has earned.

[Razwan]

Agreed. But keep in mind that there are plenty of single parents who have depoyed, are deployed and will deploy...all without a complaint...This is a very unusual circumstance, think of a couple where one of the parents is out of town, and the child breaks an arm, and the remaining parent must attend to that child...unforeseeable, and the parent must attend to the kid

[GrandEagle]

caught up in something that she probably couldn't have forseen.
Both parents in the military...unforseen? Now you have got to be kidding. One would have to be ignorant not to forsee that this could be a possability.
I'll agree with you about not having jail time, and even that she is probably a pretty good person. Unforseen? I doubt it. She just played the odds and lost.
Penalties are required. There are consequences both good and bad for the decisions we make.

[Razwan]

If the commander deems that your family care plan is unworkable, you can be discharged. It is usually pretty in depth, involving POAs, allotments, short and long term care providers, and the commander speaking with those who would have custody of minor children in the event of a deployment.

[68skylark]

Both parents in the military...unforseen? Now you have got to be kidding.

I'm surprised at how many people have such a strong, emotional reaction to this situation. I was just saying that it seemed to me the family had a decent family assistance plan in place (involving the grandmother caring for the children) to handle the possibility that both parents would be mobilized. And the plan was working. But it seems to me they probably didn't forsee that an ex-spouse would jump into the picture and file suit -- that's a hard thing to imagine before it happens, and it messed up their plan.

[Orangedog]

But it seems to me they probably didn't forsee that an ex-spouse would jump into the picture and file suit -- that's a hard thing to imagine before it happens, and it messed up their plan.

Who would have been taking care of the kids after the grandparents could no longer be there with them? Would they have been shipped to the other side of the country to be with the grandmother after she had to return home? Speaking as someone who has a kid, if my ex tried to move my kids that far away, I'd file for custody too. However the woman seeking to get custody from the military couple in question must be one step below crack-whore since courts almost never give custody to the father.

[GrandEagle]

they probably didn't forsee that an ex-spouse would jump into the picture and file suit
I'll agree that this would be unforseen. A career in the military is completely unlike a career anywhere else. For example, if both worked say at a hospital - long hours and they had a plan to take care of their children. If anything went wrong one could simply quit.
There are financial implications, but as a fallback position - when all else fails, one of them could quit.
As a condition of employment in the military, you cannot just quit - that is what you agree to. As a condition of employment (not a hidden condition either I might add) you may be deployed at a moments notice for an indefinite period of time.
It is irresponsible for two parents to both be employed as either officer or enlisted at the same time. Many do it and get away with it, but that does not change the risks.

[68skylark]

This has certainly generated some strong feelings. I hope the Army gets it resolved quickly. (I think they will -- it's in their interests to get this settled.)