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Army Sends Infant to Protective Services, Mom to Afghanistan
VENTURA, California - U.S. Army Specialist Alexis Hutchinson, a single mother, is being threatened with a military court-martial if she does not agree to deploy to Afghanistan, despite having been told she would be granted extra time to find someone to care for her 11-month-old son while she is overseas.
Hutchinson, of Oakland, California, is currently being confined at Hunter Army Airfield near Savannah, Georgia, after being arrested. Her son was placed into a county foster care system.
Hutchinson has been threatened with a court martial if she does not agree to deploy to Afghanistan on Sunday, Nov. 15. She has been attempting to find someone to take care of her child, Kamani, while she is deployed overseas, but to no avail.
According to the family care plan of the U.S. Army, Hutchinson was allowed to fly to California and leave her son with her mother, Angelique Hughes of Oakland.
However, after a week of caring for the child, Hughes realised she was unable to care for Kamani along with her other duties of caring for a daughter with special needs, her ailing mother, and an ailing sister.
In late October, Angelique Hughes told Hutchinson and her commander that she would be unable to care for Kamani after all. The Army then gave Hutchinson an extension of time to allow her to find someone else to care for Kamani. Meanwhile, Hughes brought Kamani back to Georgia to be with his mother.
However, only a few days before Hutchinson's original deployment date, she was told by the Army she would not get the time extension after all, and would have to deploy, despite not having found anyone to care for her child.
Faced with this choice, Hutchinson chose not to show up for her plane to Afghanistan. The military arrested her and placed her child in the county foster care system.
Currently, Hutchinson is scheduled to fly to Afghanistan on Sunday for a special court martial, where she then faces up to one year in jail.
Hutchinson's civilian lawyer, Rai Sue Sussman, told IPS, "The core issue is that they are asking her to make an inhumane choice. She did not have a complete family care plan, meaning she did not find someone to provide long-term care for her child. She's required to have a complete family care plan, and was told she'd have an extension, but then they changed it on her."
Asked why she believes the military revoked Hutchinson's extension, Sussman responded, "I think they didn't believe her that she was unable to find someone to care for her infant. They think she's just trying to get out of her deployment. But she's just trying to find someone she can trust to take care of her baby."
Hutchinson's mother has flown to Georgia to retrieve the baby, but is overwhelmed and does not feel able to provide long-term care for the child.
According to Sussman, the soldier needs more time to find someone to care for her infant, but does not as yet have friends or family able to do so.
Sussman says Hutchinson told her, "It is outrageous that they would deploy a single mother without a complete and current family care plan. I would like to find someone I trust who can take care of my son, but I cannot force my family to do this. They are dealing with their own health issues."
Sussman told IPS that the Army's JAG attorney, Captain Ed Whitford, "told me they thought her chain of command thought she was trying to get out of her deployment by using her child as an excuse." '
Major Gallagher, of Hutchinson's unit, also told Sussman that he did not believe it was a real family crisis, and that Hutchinson's "mother should have been able to take care of the baby".
In addition, according to Sussman, a First Sergeant Gephart "told me he thought she [Hutchinson] was pulling her family care plan stuff to get out of her deployment".
"To me it sounds completely bogus," Sussman told IPS, "I think what they are actually going to do is have her spend her year deployment in Afghanistan, then court martial her back here upon her return. This would do irreparable harm to her child. I think they are doing this to punish her, because they think she is lying."
Sussman explained that she believes the best possible outcome is for the Army to either give Hutchinson the extension they had said she would receive so that she can find someone to care for her infant, or barring this, to simply discharge her so she can take care of her child.
Nevertheless, Hutchinson is simply asking for the time extension to complete her family care plan, and not to be discharged.
"I'm outraged by this," Sussman told IPS, "I've never gone to the media with a military client, but this situation is just completely over the top."
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97 Comments so far
Show AllMaybe I'm missing something. For the life of me, I cannot understand why any sane person would join the military, considering the cruel and aggressive way not only the troops are treated, but how they are used to intimidate the world!
What if nobody showed up for the next go round of imperialism?
MOVED
Folks, the facts have been stated by a local official, and they are indeed factual. This article is nothing but propaganda, consider the website itself. It is nowhere in the local news nor is it on national news networks because it is not credible. That's why it seems so preposterous. I challenge Dahr Jamail's (AUTHOR) sources of information. The Army simply does not function in this manner. Consider the source before drinking the kool-aid.
vortex331 says, "The Army simply does not function in this manner. Consider the source before drinking the kool-aid."
Okay, here are some sources (the ABC news affiliate in Oakland, and The Oakland Tribune), with photos, video, and even a statement from an Army spokesperson:
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section
=news/local/east_bay&id=7118010
http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/
localnews/ci_13785127
And here's the text from the ABC news story online:
OAKLAND, CA (KGO) -- The U.S. Army is dealing with an emotional and complicated case involving an Oakland woman. She's a single mother, scheduled to be deployed to Afghanistan, even though she has no one to care for her 11-month-old baby.
The woman is a 21-years-old single mom, who was almost on her way to Afghanistan. However, she is not the only one. A report released last month says 30,000 single mothers have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan since 9/11.
For now 11-month-old Kamani Hutchinson is being cared for by his grandmother, Angelique Hughes of Oakland. A few days ago she flew to Savannah, Georgia after learning the Army had put Kamani in Child Protective Services.
"I was on the plane the next day," said Hughes.
Her daughter, Army specialist Alexis Hutchinson is stationed at Hunter Army Airfield at Fort Stewart in Georgia.
When Hutchinson was to be deployed to Afghanistan, she brought Kamani to live with grandma, but after a week, it was too much for Hughes.
She already cares for an ailing mother, a special-needs daughter and a sister who is scheduled to go into the hospital.
"So it's like I have to...I'm spreading myself thin and I deal with kids all day long, so I have not a break in between anywhere," said Hughes.
Hughes also does day care in her home.
Her daughter, a 21-year-old single mom couldn't find anyone else to care for Kamani and failed to show up for her plane to Afghanistan.
Rai Sue Sussman is an attorney who helps military men and women in similar situations. She says Hutchinson, with a friend by her side, turned herself in.
"The military police arrested her and wouldn't let her friend take her child and so they took him away and put him in Child Protective Services," said Sussman.
Hutchinson now faces a number of charges. Sussman listed them as: "AWOL, missing movement, desertion, failing to have a family care plane and disobeying an officer."
An Army representative spoke to ABC7 about the case.
"Because her case could present hardship, to not only to her child but her family, the command is working with her and her legal council to resolve this situation," said Kevin M. Larson with the U.S. Army.
In the meantime she will not be deployed.
"He's been taken away from his mother. By the time he actually sees his mother, he'll probably be 2-year- old. Will she even know who she is at that point in time? It's ridiculous," said Hughes.
According to the Army spokesperson, right now Hutchinson is not under arrest, but is confined to Hunter Army Airfield until this matter is resolved.
The military gives new moms four months to remain stateside before they are deployed to a war zone. Also, in the army, the divorce rate of female soldiers was three times higher last year than among male soldiers.
The statistics can be found at the link below.
LINK: Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America: Report on Army single mothers
Quite the different tone don't you think? Not the 'child in county protective custody' story that was presented.
Actually, if you read the story, you'll see that the child was put in county protective custody by the Army, and his grandmother had to fly from Oakland to Georgia to get him, because the Army wouldn't let the baby's own mother take care of him. The grandmother already has her hands full, and can't care for this baby. And why should she? Doesn't this baby deserve his mother's care? Or is it only white, middle class babies who deserve the emotional stability of being with their own mothers?
I don't see a different "tone." I see a mother and baby who are being torn apart, and I see a baby whose emotional and psychological development are at high risk. I see a country where fetuses are cherished, but actual living babies are treated like cats or dogs, dumped on overtaxed caregivers so that their mothers can be sent to facilitate the killing of other mothers and babies.
There is no text that says 'county' protective custody. Secondly, and somehow I figured an ignoramus would say something along these lines, but WHO SAID ANYTHING ABOUT RACE?
The woman broke the law, period, and she was brought back to resolve the situation. She signed on the dotted line, she didn't stick to her commitment, and it will be handled appropriately according to the Constitution of the United States. It's not as bad as this site made it out to be.
I think I speak for everyone with even an ounce of compassion on here when I say, "you're a freakin moron Vortex331"! What bit of difference does it make if it's local, county or state child protective services? They still took the kid away from the parent for no good reason!
Maybe so... You are entitled to your opinion. Protective custody is a relative term, county is what most would consider worst case, but the Army has Family Readiness Groups to handle this sort of thing, and that could be deemed as 'protective custody' as well.
She broke the law, contrary to 'for no good reason', and that's the bottom line here. Everyone wants a free pass when they make poor decisions, instead of making mature decisions in the first place.
I suppose if you want to avoid the consequences of your actions instead of sticking to your responsibilities as every mature adult should, go to Mexico...
Agreed, she was given plenty of time to come up with multiple plans. Her only plan hinged on her Mother who was already overburdened with kids and sick people. She was lazy and had at least 20 months to come up with more than one plan. That is almost 2 years. She broke the law and deserves everything she gets.
Beware the karma boomerang Mr. "No Sympathy"..............
What do you think the foster care system is? It's protective custody for children. And whether the baby is in "county protective custody" (which is what the article says--he was in the county foster care system) or not, is not even the issue.
The issue is that the baby is being separated from his mother.
The issue is the needless damage to this baby caused by separating him from his mother.
Try reading up a little on child psychology and development, and you'll be able to understand what's at stake here.
And does it matter that the baby's family is black and low-income? Absolutely. "African Americans have been overrepresented in the U.S. military, especially the Army, since the start of the All-Volunteer Force in 1973. They have been dramatically overrepresented among women in the military."
http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p_mla
_apa_research_citation/1/0/3/6/8/p103683_index.html
And why is this? Because the military is the employer of last resort for the people in this country who are desperate. Which means that this young woman most likely would not be in the Army at all if she had had a chance at a good education and civilian employment. But however she came to join the Army, the important thing right now is supporting her in giving her baby the best possible chance of normal emotional and psychological development. Which means giving her a job stateside, so she can stay with her baby.
Not court-martialing her or sending her to war, as the Army has planned.
The woman had well over a year to develop several family plans to care for her child. She well knew & understood the likelihood of deployment when she joined the service. Her mother runs a day care in her home. Simple solution: remove one of her daycare clients so she can care for her grandchild! She can hire a sitter herself to provide respite when she needs some down-time, paid for by Uncle Sam. The enlisted woman gets paid while on deployment, also gets childcare benefits. She can pay these to her mother just as easily as she can pay the childcare worker that has been taking care of her child while she performs her duties stateside. Children of servicemen & women are often without one or both parents while they are on deployment. They do not forget their parents while they are gone if the caregiver does their part. Yes, it takes work, but raising a child takes work. While it is not easy to be separated from your child, you know that it is something that will happen when you join the service, whether you are a parent at that time or not. She is a deserter and needs to pay the consequences of her actions. She had plenty of time to make arrangements. Her mother has plenty of time to spend with other peoples' children, but can't make time to spend with her own grandchild? That's pathetic!
vortex,
As long as you're connected to the internet, you might try using Google to look things up for yourself.
wc652 November 13th, 2009 8:50 pm
Is this another feature from The Onion?
______________________________
Good question! See:
Army Holds Annual 'Bring Your Daughter To War' Day (1:13)
http://www.theonion.com/content/video/army_holds_annual_bring_your
· Yr Obd't Servant
Obd't Servant,
The question we ask ourselves upon reading this, Can we really be this depraved as to separate a baby from his mother so that she can go fight in our senseless war in the Middle East?
All together, "Yes, We Can!!"
You wonder if God in heaven hears the cries of this motherless baby boy.
A couple of days ago, first-"black"-president Obama was in Alaska promising the "troops" everything under the sun, amazingly including "public support at home".
"Currently, Hutchinson [21 years old and "black"] is scheduled to fly to Afghanistan on Sunday [TOMORROW!] for a special court martial, where she then faces up to one year in jail."
-----
Action Alert: Contact Congresswoman Barbara Lee to urge her to "Request that the Army not deploy Alexis Hutchinson to Afghanistan so that she can care for her son."
From the 9th District (Oakland/Berkeley, CA) phone: 510-763-0370 (fax: 510-763-6538). Or nationwide at: 202- 225-2661 (fax: 202-225-9817).
-----
Note that the mailbox for Rep. Lee's "nationwide" telephone is full, which might be a good sign.
Make this NOT happen.//
Can we charge the army with child abuse? Oh, wait, they already get away with MURDER and TORTURE, so why not child abuse?
Thousands of people are in the same boat. A single father I work with had to give his daughter to his parents while he deployed to Afghanistan. The fact that this woman was in the Army and didn't have a complete family care plan in the first place is the issue. We are reminded over and over and over to make sure you have primary, secondary and tertiary plans for everything in your life in case you have to deploy. The story isn't complete anyway, She had the nine months while pregnant and another 11 months of the kids life to come up with something just incase her mom couldn't do it. Where is the Father? If there is no father, she knew the risks and because she's in the Army, she should have thought twice about having that kid, knowing she could deploy at anytime and for a year. No Sympathy
That's the bottom line nosympathy... There are proper ways to handle things, to plan out as you said, this woman had nearly 2 years to figure it out. And you're right, there is more to the story than this POS extreme left-wing, liberal propaganda site portrays.
Just an immature series of decisions... should the gov't give her a bailout too?
So because this story is told from the perspective of the mother it makes it a "POS extreme left-wing, liberal propaganda site"? Wow. I'm considered fairly conservative by those who know me and I have all the sympathy in the world for this woman. Do I blame the Army? You're damn straight I do! Did they really expect scenarios like this not to come up? Ever? I did 6 years in the Navy and I remember when females were allowed on combat ships for the first time. It was quite amusing to see the confusion among the admiralty when women started coming back from 6 month deployments pregnant.
But then again, you're probably a Rush Limbaugh conservative who never served a day in uniform but has a well-thought out excuse at the ready in case somebody like me confronts you about it.
Once again you're entitled to your opinion, so the confrontation is on your part. And quite to the contrary, served beginning in 1996 and still do, so I see and understand more than you think. I won't have to hide behind my keyboard and supposed self-rightious 'I did 6 years in the Navy' point of view. How hypocritical.
She was wrong, she abandoned her base and her unit and went AWOL. That is crystal clear, that is wrong, and there is no justification for it... ESPECIALLY in this case.
Nothing self-righteous or hypocritical on my part; I just call em like I see em. You on the other hand are one of the many kool-aid drinkers I encountered during my time in and am so very thankful not to have to be around any more. It was true in 01' and I see it hasn't changed: anybody with half-an-ounce of common sense got out leaving mostly the poor brain-washed zombies to re-up.
Just remember my man that Karma is a bitch: what goes around comes around. Oh yeah, on behalf of all those poor men and women having to serve under you: you suck!
I'll be here crouching behind my keyboard like a good little boy until you choose to grace us all with your benevolence once again. ;-)
So you think a mother should be forced to abandon her baby, and you are indifferent to the suffering and damage that the baby (and mother) will endure.
Okay. Since you are in the military, your attitude is no surprise. If people in the military were capable of compassion, they would not be able to, for example, torture captives, massacre men, women, and children, distribute cluster bombs for children to find, or destroy the environment for generations to come (see the commondreams story today about the birth defects in Faluja, or google birth defects in Vietnam).
We are often told that the military is a "brotherhood," etc., etc. I understand that you don't care about the suffering of the "enemy," or even of bad soldiers like this woman who wouldn't abandon her baby, but what about your "brothers" who have been so damaged by their military experiences that they make up one-third of the homeless adult population in the U.S.? Just wondering if you care about them, either? How many of them do you suppose lost their families, and then their mental health, because of the military's cruel anti-family policies?
Ah, first it was, I have never served, now it so obvious that I do.
This is about an individual making poor decisions from the very start and root of it all -
1. Joined Army (nothing wrong with it, but a career choice nonetheless)
2. Chose to have baby, without considering what kind of consequences that would have on both of them should she be deployed
3. Failed to come up with family care plan in 20 months
4. Received deployment orders, and subsequently runs away - DESERTION
I don't know how clear and plain it is. Very few want to be responsible, and ultimately, ACCOUNTABLE for their poor decisions and that is one of the precise problems with society in this country. All of the problems that have stemmed from the decision to join the Army could have been avoided, even if it meant not joining the services at all. It's just not for some people, and they're entitled to make that choice - that's the beauty of freedom.
In the meantime, continue to take what you have for granted. Maybe some should take a sit over there or in Afghanistan in their culture, see and absorb just how bad it could be.
I think taking care of your child, YOUR CHILD, super-cedes a deployment to a lost cause country! Apparently, fighting Uncle Sam's illegal wars the world over takes precedent over everything, up to and including motherhood.
What's next? Suing the family of fallen troops because they won't provide a replacement for KIA/MIA?!?!?
Do right wingers think she should have had an abortion? As far as joining the army in the first place, maybe there was no economic alternative. Should she have gone on welfare? Remember "Saving Private Ryan"? Although the movie is fictional, soldiers used to get hardship discharges. Can you imagine anyone getting sent home from war these days to run the family farm? She did have a baby care plan and it fell through. What "poor choices" did the baby make that it should be punished for?
No single parent, especially with a small baby should be sent into a war zone.
She volunteered to join the Army.
She chose to have a baby with no other support structure in her life.
And now she believes that someone else should have to do her job and deploy in her place because of the choices she made?
EXACTLY
All true, but frankly, the kid deserves better than foster care, even if the Mom is irresponsible. Not really fair to the kid to ruin Mommy's future. Sure she made poor choices, but the military also lied to her and encouraged those poor choices if I'm reading the situations right. When your in the military, to a large degree, the military is your support structure. If suddenly it decides to screw you over, aside from drastic insubordination that destroys your future, not much you can do.
I'm with you.
Joe
I think the humans who commented on this thread ought to apologize to the vicious hard-liners.
We caused them to waste time commenting here to set us straight with their pitiless brand of Tough Love, and kept them from their mission to go to Af-Pak and Git Some!
· Yr Obd't Servant
Blame the victim....works like a dream for the pro family advocates! The solution is dreadfully simple friends...keep the Mother in the US and have ALL the other troops now in Afghanistan and Iraq come home to join HER! She gets to raise her child and so do all other parents over there! When many of these children with one or more 'absent' parents 'go off the rails' in years to come (or tomorrow) the rest of us will have to pick up the pieces regardless of our 'support' for war, troops or whatever. The psychological legacy of this debacle will evolve badly over years....both for the soldiers and what remains of their families when they get back. Now...lets also talk about the legacy left for Afghan and Iraqi families...what of THEIR values?
How about sending the guy who recruited her. Probably single big strong fiercely patriotic and give her his job. Surely there's something she could do in her own area military base and go home to her child at night. Isn't there daycare on military bases as there is in other businesses.
Why is it that the "pilot" who mans the drones can just walk into his office look at the war chart push a button that will send this killing machine to kill innumerable men women and yes, children on a suspicion that there are bad guys right there! on the spec of a map hundreds of miles away. Click! then go out to brunch with his family. That took about 10 seconds.
But send this woman to kick in doors , kill other women and yes children, OMG! As Thom Hartmann says in his book of same title we're SCREWED!
In the spirit of honoring contracts one makes, whether unconscionable or not, we can now expect the entire Congress; and, all others who have sworn an oath, to live up to the exact terms of that oath --- to the same degree that those persons expect this female soldier to live up to hers. Not one iota more, not one less.
We are all citizens and those who actually serve the Republic are the finest. It is not an easy thing to protect good and bad alike.
The parasites in Washington should give thanks to their devil god that the People have not yet become fully aware of the avaricious nature of these politicians which live safely in the shadow of better men and women.
In the spirit of honoring contracts one makes, whether unconscionable or not, we can now expect the entire Congress; and, all others who have sworn an oath, to live up to the exact terms of that oath --- to the same degree that those persons expect this female soldier to live up to hers. Not one iota more, not one less.
We are all citizens and those who actually serve the Republic are the finest. It is not an easy thing to protect good and bad alike.
The parasites in Washington should give thanks to their devil god that the People have not yet become fully aware of the avaricious nature of these politicians which live safely in the shadow of better men and women.
the navy tossed me out for smokin a joint , they dont like pot and the military will ruin this girl's career , when will i get my benefits back for smokin a stupid joint , they dont care if you kill 600,000 arabs but dont smoke a joint , so i say to the military fukk you
The joint is innocent and should be respected.
I was in the military for 24 years. Even folks with no dependents hear this and have it drilled into their heads constantly...HAVE DEPENDENT CARE WORKED OUT AT ALL TIMES BECAUSE YOU MIGHT BE DEPLOYED! She was pregnant for 9 months, had the child and was deployed. She had puhleenty of time to work this out, dry run the plan and make sure it would work or make other arrangements. If any cognizant person in the military does less than this, they're negligent and deserve the consequences. Besides the ugly precedence leniency would set, we all have to be responsible for our actions in this world...and this didn't exactly sneak up on her. If these kind of thoughts make your heart bleed, you're just a sympathetic dimwit and you're thinking with your emotions and not your head...I hope that works out for you...
Sir, yes sir!!!! Please direct me to where I can serve the master the best sir!!!!!
I have an issue because I am supposedly the father of Kamani Alexander Hutchinson... I asked Alexis numerous times if I could watch Kamani while she was deployed, but because shes upset about the way our past relationship went she has denied me every time. I have asked her over and over for her address so I might be able to send somethings for Kamani and the only thing she replys is to leave her alone and Kamani is only her child. Yet she asks why I am not more involved. But she has kept me at a distance since her pregnancy. If I am the father it upsets me knowing that she has made this big deal about things with the ending results of threats being made Kamani is going in CPS. Why when she has not tapped into ALL of her resources. I have tried my best over and over to connect with her and be there for Kamani but she constantly keeps me at a distance because she is sour because of differences in our previous relationship. She was givin the option to get out of the army from the time she was pregnant to right after the birth of Kamani and we spoke a couple of times if she should do it or not. She decided not to and yet did not want do as the Military suggests to get another care giver for Kamani. I am not a bad parent, I don't drink, don't do drugs, don't physically abuse kids or women. It's only because she has a grudge against me about the way things went down in our relationship as to why she won't allow me to be a part of Kamani's life. None of this would have happened if she would of tapped into ALL of her resources. Not had a cold heart towards me and allowed me a chance to connect with Kamani when I asked.
An internet comments stream is not the place to take up such an issue. Nobody knows who you really are and what the issues are. If you are truly the father, you should go to a court and find out how to petition for your rights. Best wishes to you.
Joe
Hooo-yah...send more christians over to kill more muslems and die in the process. Make the jews more rich off the whole event.
Everybody switch chairs again eventually.
Pass the popcorn please...
The Christians are too busy deciding the fate of the rest of us to be bothered with the war they're always so quick to defend. They aren't lining up to protect this baby's right to have his mother's care and love during his most important years, are they. Nope, he's been born, so he's on his own.
can't believe she ain't over thar' already, fightin' fer hamid and his loya jirga, which right now is probably sitting around a big camp fire, bongs full of opium and pockets full of cash from chinese copper bribes. more kickbacks thar' than on a retarded mule farm in west virginny. she needs to get a young, agressive, and clear-headed lawyer to fight the military over this one. just can't believe the country we're living in!
Unfortunately, it is all too easy for people to become parents without thinking through the committment involved. A working reproductive system kicks in long before maturity in some people. We need a lot less talk of Jesus and a lot more birth control.
That being said, as part of the human family we should be giving parents opportunities to work at non-lethal jobs. If we want parents to work we could help them more with child care. Most industrialized countries have systems for caring for children of working parents. It is a given.
Kids are frequently taken away from parents because the parents leave the children in improper situations while they work. Sometimes the child care center is a car. Sometimes it is with an immature or violent boyfriend.
So this woman felt her best chance for a career is the military. Sad sad sad in so many ways. Let her stay on the base with her child. Place the child in a day care center. Anything else is inhuman.
Joe
Who is the bastardly son of a bitch who would do this to a single mother??? What a heartless, cold-hearted society.