According to an Associated Press, a single mom from Savannah Georgia may be facing criminal charges for failure to report for deployment to Afghanistan. Specialist four Alexis Hutchinson, a cook with the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade of the Army's 3rd Infantry Division enlisted in the Army in 2007. Until now she has no previous deployments in her records.
Hutchinson originally from Oakland California was arrested by the military police for failure to report for deployment to Afghanistan and placed on restrictions until authorities investigate the charges. At present time no charges have been filed in her case until CID completes their investigation and recommendation.
According to spokesperson for Hunter Army Airfield, Kevin Larson said that “Hutchinson refused orders to deploy because she had no one to care for her 10 month old son; Kamani.” Hutchinson's attorney Rai Sue Sussman said "Hutchinson was told by her superior's that she was ordered to deploy even if she had to place her son in foster care." Larson replied by saying that” until the investigation is complete it is not certain as to what Hutchinson was told by her commanders stigation is complete. “
Hutchinson claims that she has no one that is willing to look after her son during the deployment. Her mother who lives in Oakland is overwhelmed with taking care of three infants with health problems and can longer care for her son while she is on deployment. Hutchinson also reports that she has no relationship with her son's father or his family. Hutchinson's biggest fears is that if she showed up for deployment with her son, the Army would send her to Afghanistan and place her son in child protective services. According to Larson, “if she would have showed up at the deployment terminal with her son, there is no doubt that she wouldn't have been deployed.
According to Army regulations all single parent soldiers must have a care plan set up in case of deployment. Hutchinson care plan included her mother. Hutchinson mother did take custody of her son about three weeks prior to her scheduled deployment. Unfortunately, the mother had to return him to his mother just prior to her deployment due to her commitment to three children with medical problems. Caring for the three children along with her grandson would be overwhelming for her.
As it stands now, Hutchinson will not be deployed until the investigation is complete. She may be charged with a crime as outlined in the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) failure to report for deployment. They also could charge her with AWOL under the UCMJ.
Today's action Army opens the door and welcomes single parents both male and female. If the military is willing to accept single parents both male and female, shouldn't they understand that life changes in a split second and the changes could alter the child care plan? Shouldn't they be more compassionate and understanding?
On the flip side, the Army has it's needs, should they over look their need so they can be more caring and compassionate? Should the new family friendly Army demand more discipline of the soldier of today? If the Army of the 60s told a soldier to jump, the soldier would ask, how high? If the soldier of the 60s received orders, they carried out those orders, no excuse, no exception, no special consideration. The Army of the 60s was concerned with its mission, not about the soldiers family.
As Vietnam started to escalate the government was forced to institute and utilized the draft system to help build up troop strength. Young men were drafted into either the Marines or Army for a two year obligation. Women were exempt from the draft. Although women could join the military as long as they were single and had no dependents. Married men were subject to the draft but married men with children were given deferments.
Times have changed, did the lowering of the discipline bar by the new action Army create a monster. The thought of creating a draft to increase troop numbers would send the American Civil Liberty union along with the liberal democrats into cardiac arrest. The military needed to increase their numbers so the only way to accomplish this was to target single females with dependent. The military had to convince single female's with dependents that they changed their attitude from hard core to family friendly. Perhaps the military was forced to implement programs that created a situation that made conditions worse. Now that they created this ugly monster, they don't know how to make things right. Now other single mothers like Specialist Hutchinson are refusing to report for deployment because they can't bear leaving their sons or daughters for a whole year. They are surprised by the hard core attitude of the new family friendly Army. This wasn't what they signed up for.
The overwhelming question now is; should the military take a hard line and tell these single mothers that the family friendly Army is once again hard core? Or will the military live up to their family friendly approach and give the mothers a special deferment and award them a special pass to avoid or delay deployment.
What ever the decision is, they will open up a giant can of worms. Now, Let's assume that you are the decision maker, what approach would you take? Will you give them a special deferment or will you force them to report for deployment as ordered, no way out? Also, if they fail to report as ordered what should be the punishment?
Calling on all readers, you be the judge. Provide a short comment on what you would do if you had the power to make the decision. Would you provide a deferment or offer an alternative date for deployment? Would you force them to report for deployment regardless of their problems?
If they failed to report what punishment would you administer? Would you kick them out with a bad conduct discharge without any Veterans benefits? Would you put them in confinement, reduce their rank or fine them? What approach would you take, post your comment, The results of the survey/comments will be posted in about a week on http://www.redwhiteblueradio.org .
Lets see how the voting will go. Make your comment now.
Comments
The military needed to increase their numbers so the only way to accomplish this was to target single females with dependent. The military had to convince single female's with dependents that they changed their attitude from hard core to family friendly. Perhaps the military was forced to implement programs that created a situation that made conditions worse. Now that they created this ugly monster, they don't know how to make things right. This is BS. She joined in 2007 and has a 10 month old, so she was knocked up in 2008. She joined when there was a war going on and now she can’t deploy. Let her stay home with a dishonorable discharge and she can repay her last 10 months salary plus the money the Army paid for the birth of her baby. People have to take responsibility for their actions. Stop blaming the military, the government or whatever else you can think of because of your mistake.
Specialist Hutchinson signed up for military service which means she is on call to the Army for whenever it will call upon her to serve. She signed a contract with the military to do so and took the money. Because having to go to Afghanistan right now would be inconvenient, she cannot say that she won't deploy because of personal problems. As far as the situation with her son goes, this is one of those things she should have been thought about prior to signing up for service. Let the punishment fit the crime.
I am a former US soldier who left the Army at the end of 2003. I heard and have seen families who were heart broken that they had to look for someone to take care of their kids and it’s not easy for them hearing a higher authority figure such as an NCO or an officer telling you that child services will take your kids away if you don’t find anybody soon.
A wife of a particular soldier felt who ended up getting deployed felt so bad about some of her husbands soldier friends that she decided to take care of a lot of their kids. I consider her a saint for what she did. Not every soldier has the same luck.
The system is broken and I’m glad that even though it took so long, it’s finally getting some media attention.
This woman is a disgrace to the uniform and should be court martialed. She had ample time to make arrangements - someone should teach the concept of Plan A and Plan B. I get disgusted with people like this and with those who support her. The system isn't broken - she is!
EASY FOR YOU TO SAY. IM SURE THOSE OF YOU ARE DUMB ENOUGH TO MAKE STATEMENTS LIKE THIS DNT HAVE KIDS. OR EITHER YOU HAVE A STAY AT HOME WIFE OR HUSBAND. EVERYONE DOESNT HAVE A CLOSE KNIT FAMMILY TO DEPEND ON. WOULD U ABANDON YOUR CHILD OR WANT THEM IN CHILD SERVICES? I THINK NOT. EVERYONE KNWS SOME OF THE ARMYS CHAIN OF COMMAND DOESNT ALWAYS DO THE RIGHT THE THING EITHER. SO IF YOU ARE NOT IN THT SITUATION WHO R U TO JUDGE. THINGS HAPPEN, ESPECIALLY WHN U R A PARENT. SOME PEOPLE DNT JUST LEAVE THEIR KIDS WITH ANYBODY, THEN THT WOULD BE CHILD NEGLECT. SO THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK. ITS NT U IN THT SITUATION. THIS IS COMING FROM SOMEONE WHO KNWS HER PERSONALLY AND KNWS 3RD I.D.
Court martial is appropriate. She made the conscious decision to become pregnant just as she made the conscious decision to join the army. I am a struggling single mom, but she gets no sympathy from me. You signed the contract, now Soldier Up, woman.
The Army is responsible and so are we - every single one of us who supports sending our men and women to fight wars without attending to the needs of the service people and their family. Why should a soldier with a baby get help? Why should a wounded soldier who returns disabled get help? Why should the family of a service member who dies get help? Because they are going for us. Every one of us is responsible and we should step up or shut up.
I am the father of little Kamani Alexander Hutchinson... Why is noone coming to me with this information??? I have asked SPC Alexis Hutchinson numerous times before she deployed to watch Kamani while she deployed, but because she is upset about the way our relationship ended she has told me over and over to leave her and Kamani alone. Saying that it was only her child now. She had the oppurtunity from the time she got pregnant to after she gave birth to ETS from the military which on several occasions her and I discussed. She opted against it. I'm upset she's made this big deal about things when she hasn't even tapped all of her resources. I'm not a bad father, don't drink, don't do drugs, don't abuse women or kids etc... she is just upset about our previous relationship, acting immachurly and not wanting me to be around for my child.
She joined the service and knew what the terms were. It is a job and you can't tell your employer that you can't come to work because you have no one to watch your kids. She should have talked to superiors and they may have helped in this situation but now they have to play hard ball because they have to set precedence for everyone.
I am a Soldier and will have 22 years of active service on the 27th of November. This Soldier joined the Army at a time of war. Now it is her time to go fight said war. She should be held to the same standard as any Soldier.
As for the Family Care Plan system being broken, I dont think so. It is very unusual for a Soldier to have to deploy at the drop of a dime. A maneuver unit like hers will know they are on deck at least a year in advance. For her Mom to drop the agreement three weeks prior is really messed up, but Ihave seen this move before. Soldier is alerted and prepped for deployment and then all of a sudden the Family Care Provider drops out of the deal and the Soldier is placed on Rear D and doesn't deploy. I would not be surprised to find out that Mom dropped the child care deal at the Soldier's request. I hope thats no the case, but I wouldn't be surprised.
I am a commander in the Army. She should have been separated for not completing her FCP. As Pete says, the problem is not that the FCP program is broken. I believe it is a lack of enforcement by the chain of command, and as the FCP counseling states, she is subject to separation should the plan not be completed within the allotted time. Gabriel Berkhoudt, hope you make better choices next time.
THANKS U. I AGREE WITH THIS. BECAUSE BEING A SOLDIER MYSELF,I KNW THT A FEW MONTHS BEFORE DEPLOYMENT THERE IS A CHECKLIST THT HAS TO BE IN THE SOLDIERS PACKET ALONG WITH HER FAMILY CARE PLAN. IF SHE DIDNT HAVE ONE, SHE SHOULD HAVE BEEN CHAPTERED OUT OF THE ARMY.
Commanders at Fort Stewart, Georgia, are continuing to review information surrounding the alleged misconduct of Specialist Alexis Hutchinson. SPC Hutchinson’s son, Kamani, is safely with his grandmother in California while SPC Hutchinson remains on Hunter Army Airfield at a barracks. The allegations against SPC Hutchinson include alleged violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice and, out of consideration for young Kamani and his Soldier-mother, will be handled as expeditiously as possible. In the meantime, SPC Hutchinson’s fellow Soldiers have departed for Afghanistan while her deployment is postponed indefinitely pending the due process of this ongoing review.
Kevin Larson
Chief, Public Communications
Fort Stewart Public Affairs
I concurr with Teo, this is a failure of leadership not the FPC program.
AR 600-200, Chapter 5, paragraph 5-5 g(6)
[the commander]
May consider extenuating circumstances in approving DA Form 5305, but must understand that the SOLDIER IS CONSIDERED NON-DEPLOYABLE until a Family Care Plan is VAIDATED AND APPROVED.
OCONUS assignment and deployment procedures are as follows:
(a) All single parent and dual-military couples with Family members who receive assignment instructions for an OCONUS assignment must be counseled again and must have their DA Form 5305 RECERTIFIED not later than 30 days before the final out-processing date at the losing installation. If an adequate Family Care Plan is not submitted within 30 days, the Soldier IS NOT CONSIDERED DEPLOYABLE, will not depart the command, and the commander will consider initiating involuntary separation proceeding.
This one is one that can't be settled with a beer of ones choice at a table in the yard. This one is harder. She is American. She isn't out right refusing to go to war. She is needing help with her baby. How is she suppose to keep her mind on the war when she gets there and worry about who has her baby? Things change and plans fall through. It takes more time to find safety for ones child than deciding what to wear or go on vacation. Why was her comander not more understanding and why didn't they sit right down with her and view her options? Come up with a plan with her? Check on the plan with her? This all could have been avoided. She is American-what does it say about us that our people are willing to stand up for our country but their children don't matter-should be just dropped off where ever? I have read some pretty mean comments. She is trying. President Obama where are you with this one? She needs help.
I am a single parent and have been in the US Army for 17yrs (Active Duty). First I want to say that the family care plan is in place for the soldier to have place for their children in the case of deployment or long term situations. It is the Commanders job to ensure that the family care plan is validated when it is suppose to be. I have found myself, even as a SFC in the Army, going to my commander and telling him that I need my family care plan validated because it is past due, so I don't want all the blame placed on the single parent soldier. If anything, this is a wakeup call for commanders to ensure that they are validated when due. Should it have came to this, I don't think so. I belive many things led to the outcome of this situation, and by all means I'm definitely not saying that what she did was right, but there were many wrongs at different levels that lead to the ultimate outcome.
I have one more comment, I'm not buying the Family friendly Army versus the hard core family to get single parents to change their attitude about the Army. I also was an Army Recruiter and I never sugar coated anything, they are told they are here to do the same job as every other soldier. I don't think being a single parent can get any harder than where I have been: Germany, Korea, 10 yrs at Fort Bragg, and now at Fort Campbell with a deployment date of 02/2010. Just remember single parent soldiers, as long as you maintain control of your career and Family Care Plan, you can go far, look at me 17 years later.
I have read several comments here. I myself am a soldier with children and the fact is that even if she was married and her mom was unable she would still be in the same boat! It doesn't matter that she got pregnant, big deal. She is a woman why shouldn't she have the right to have a family? The FCP issues can happen to us all. I have friends that were married and duel military like myself. They decided letting the wife get a 5-8 chapter because their care plan fell through and they didn't have anyone trust worthy to watch their daughter. It happens. Instead of her alleged AWOL, she should have spoken with someone else. In most cases the judgement comes from soldiers whose spouse isn't military or someone who has a very sure FCP. Congrats to all of you and hopefully you understand how blessed you are that you don't have this worry! Basically life happens, single parrents aren't the only ones though. If you feel she's so horrible then you watch the kid while she deploys!!!!!!!
She should be punished because she committed a crime accourding to the UCMJ. She had plenty of time to get her family care plan in order and to find someone to take care of the child. As harsh as it may seem, we are at war. She joined during a war and knew she might be deployed. If her service is needed, she needs to live up to her committment. I was part of the stop-loss during Desert Storm. Several single parent females did this very same thing in order to get out of being deployed. It's wrong and she knows it. Boo hoo! She shouldn't have signed the dotted line and swore the oath that every military soldier has to. She should be dishonorably discharged after she spends a few months in the brig, with out pay. The military needs people that will be loyal and follow orders. If the military doesn't have people like that, they will never win a war.
I am about to go back into the Army with both of my kids. The mother is just not fit to take care of them. However, I have a family care plan that will be followed. There will be no "oh she cant do it now"...you just cant expect to use that as an excuse.
Good luck on your return to active duty. It seems as though you have it all together and you make no excuses for being female.
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