U.S.: Army Sends Infant to Protective Services, Mom to Afghanistan

[Andronex]

VENTURA, California, Nov 13 (IPS) - 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.

<http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=49256>

[SKKY]

1. This whole situation is, like, 20 different kinds of wrong...

...if this got to the point were a single mother is getting arrested and her child placed in foster care, leadership failed her in a very, very big way.

[Captain Hilts]

2. Sad story, but this is something she should have anticipated. nt

[CoffeeCat]

3. But they told her they would give her time...

...to find someone to take care of her child, and then they seemed to rescind that offer.

That's the problem.

When her mother realized that she could not do it, the military told her she would have extra time.

Then, they changed their minds, I guess.

That is horrible. They should give her some additional time.

I'd take care of that little guy!

[Captain Hilts]

4. Yes, they should give her the time. I agree with that.