Soldier broke the law, must face consequences
Issue date: 11/19/09 Section: World News
A California soldier's decision to ignore her deployment date because she couldn't find care for her child is one that deserves the consequences that any other offender should face.
Spc. Alexis Hutchinson was arrested by military police last week after she skipped her flight from Savannah, Ga. to Afghanistan. Hutchinson said she didn't go because she was unable to find someone to care for her infant son.
The first problem with her story is her claim that her mother, who runs a daycare, was unable to provide care for her own grandson. Obviously running a daycare is no easy task, but we feel that if the child's grandmother can take care of 14 strangers' kids, she should be able to take care of family.
Regardless of the legitimacy of Hutchinson's story, she should have taken the necessary steps to prevent abandoning the military and facing charges. The military not only provides services for children whose parents have been deployed, but also can often make exceptions for single parents being deployed if the proper actions are taken.
Had Hutchinson reported to deployment with her child and explained her situation, she could have avoided charges and potentially been given more time to find good care for her child.
It would be unfortunate to see this single mother jailed for simply trying to take care of her child. However, she knowingly broke the law and should face the same consequences any other deserter would. There are many other single military parents who must deal with leaving children behind because of deployment and make the right decision.
Spc. Alexis Hutchinson was arrested by military police last week after she skipped her flight from Savannah, Ga. to Afghanistan. Hutchinson said she didn't go because she was unable to find someone to care for her infant son.
The first problem with her story is her claim that her mother, who runs a daycare, was unable to provide care for her own grandson. Obviously running a daycare is no easy task, but we feel that if the child's grandmother can take care of 14 strangers' kids, she should be able to take care of family.
Regardless of the legitimacy of Hutchinson's story, she should have taken the necessary steps to prevent abandoning the military and facing charges. The military not only provides services for children whose parents have been deployed, but also can often make exceptions for single parents being deployed if the proper actions are taken.
Had Hutchinson reported to deployment with her child and explained her situation, she could have avoided charges and potentially been given more time to find good care for her child.
It would be unfortunate to see this single mother jailed for simply trying to take care of her child. However, she knowingly broke the law and should face the same consequences any other deserter would. There are many other single military parents who must deal with leaving children behind because of deployment and make the right decision.
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Steve M
posted 12/02/09 @ 11:12 AM CST
The military requires soldiers to have a "family plan" on file with their commander to avoid just this sort of situation and bends over backwards to help them find child care. (Continued…)
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