BAGHDAD - A U.S. general in Iraq who listed pregnancy as a reason for courts-martial of soldiers said Tuesday that he would never actually seek to jail someone over the offense, but wanted to underline the seriousness of the issue.
Last month, Maj. Gen. Anthony Cucolo issued a policy that would allow soldiers who become pregnant and their sexual partners to be courts-martialed. But he appeared to back away from the policy in a conference call with reporters, saying the policy was intended to emphasize the problems created when pregnant soldiers go home and leave behind a weaker unit.
"I have never considered courts-martial for this, I do not ever see myself putting a soldier in jail for this," said Cucolo, who oversees U.S. forces in northern Iraq. But since pregnant women automatically go home, their units are left short-staffed, he said.
"I need every soldier I've got," Cucolo said. "I need them for the entire duration of this deployment."
Cucolo commands a task force of 22,000 soldiers, which oversees northern Iraq, including cities such as Tikrit, Kirkuk and Mosul. He said he has 1,682 female soldiers.
As soon as the military knows a soldier is pregnant, she is immediately sent home.
Redeployed if pregnant
"If you are a pregnant female in a combat zone, you are redeployed, period. That is actually not my call, that is just what we do," he said.
Cucolo is believed to be the first to make the pregnancy an offense that could be dealt with by courts-martial — for both the man and the woman. The ruling only applies to troops under his command. He said women who are raped would not be subject to this order.
"I have to accomplish a very complex mission," he said. "I'm going to do what it takes to maintain our strength."
Cucolo's order outlines some 20 barred activities. Most of them are aimed at keeping order and preventing criminal activity, such as selling a weapon or taking drugs.
Troops also are prohibited from "sexual contact of any kind" with Iraqi nationals. And, they cannot spend the night with a member of the opposite sex, unless married or expressly permitted to do so.
The general said he consulted with a number of women in his unit before coming up with the policy and all supported it. He also consulted with his unit's lawyer.
"It's a very difficult issue because pregnancy does impede readiness," said Genevieve Chase, the founder of American Women Veterans, an organization designed to help female veterans. "Enforcing the rule of this is what's going to be difficult."
Chase said she was especially concerned about holding both males and females responsible.
Chase also said there is already a heavy stigma on women who get pregnant in the battlefield.
"Every time a female does get pregnant there's that automatic assumption, that you're trying to get out of the deployment," she said.
More from MSNBC.com here.
Last month, Maj. Gen. Anthony Cucolo issued a policy that would allow soldiers who become pregnant and their sexual partners to be courts-martialed. But he appeared to back away from the policy in a conference call with reporters, saying the policy was intended to emphasize the problems created when pregnant soldiers go home and leave behind a weaker unit.
"I have never considered courts-martial for this, I do not ever see myself putting a soldier in jail for this," said Cucolo, who oversees U.S. forces in northern Iraq. But since pregnant women automatically go home, their units are left short-staffed, he said.
"I need every soldier I've got," Cucolo said. "I need them for the entire duration of this deployment."
Cucolo commands a task force of 22,000 soldiers, which oversees northern Iraq, including cities such as Tikrit, Kirkuk and Mosul. He said he has 1,682 female soldiers.
As soon as the military knows a soldier is pregnant, she is immediately sent home.
Redeployed if pregnant
"If you are a pregnant female in a combat zone, you are redeployed, period. That is actually not my call, that is just what we do," he said.
Cucolo is believed to be the first to make the pregnancy an offense that could be dealt with by courts-martial — for both the man and the woman. The ruling only applies to troops under his command. He said women who are raped would not be subject to this order.
"I have to accomplish a very complex mission," he said. "I'm going to do what it takes to maintain our strength."
Cucolo's order outlines some 20 barred activities. Most of them are aimed at keeping order and preventing criminal activity, such as selling a weapon or taking drugs.
Troops also are prohibited from "sexual contact of any kind" with Iraqi nationals. And, they cannot spend the night with a member of the opposite sex, unless married or expressly permitted to do so.
The general said he consulted with a number of women in his unit before coming up with the policy and all supported it. He also consulted with his unit's lawyer.
"It's a very difficult issue because pregnancy does impede readiness," said Genevieve Chase, the founder of American Women Veterans, an organization designed to help female veterans. "Enforcing the rule of this is what's going to be difficult."
Chase said she was especially concerned about holding both males and females responsible.
Chase also said there is already a heavy stigma on women who get pregnant in the battlefield.
"Every time a female does get pregnant there's that automatic assumption, that you're trying to get out of the deployment," she said.
More from MSNBC.com here.
11 comments:
Coming from a female - females shouldn't be getting pregnant in a war zone anyway. Why is everyone so up in arms about this? Big deal. It's a direct order. That's how the military works. If you don't like it, you shouldn't be in it. And - you shouldn't be getting pregnant just to get out of a deployment.
In about 1979 women were assigned to non-combatant Navy ships for the first time. The ship I was on got sixty three women as part of its crew in that first year. Within a year of that, 50% of the women were pregnant. Back then getting pregnant meant not only getting reassigned to shore duty, it meant that there was an option of getting out of the Navy completely. Lots of women took that option.
Lets solve that problem, Tubes are tied during the contract or military service.
Don't they have birth control available? Condoms? Gees....
Same thing happens in law enforcement. Young females come on the job touting they're just like the men. After a few short years, the get pregnant and away they go. Once back from maternity leave, most end up in a specialty within the department where they spend the rest of the careers. If the department tries to transfer them, they raise a fuss and say the can't work shift work because they'll have babysitting issues. As a result, an inordinate percentage of females occupy prime positions within the department, meaning men who should get a break from the road don't.
Sorry but women use this as an excuse as an easy way out way too much. It is a completely normal function of the woman's body and if she is healthy she can continue to be active. Indian women would work and continue to stay active and then go out in the woods alone a give birth.
Heck a hot flash hormonal pregnant woman is more dangerous than a gun many times.
To fix the problem, give them the depo provera shot.
We wanted to be equal.....lol
2:09 Women want to be equal until it's time to settle the dinner bill, then they love those old fashion values.
I just don't see what's wrong with this...the Army provides free birth control, if you get pregnant, you're useless to them. It must be viewed as an intentional ploy to get out...so what's wrong with a court martial?
blutojthetotmom said...
We wanted to be equal.....lol
I agree. I think the men should start having the babies lol
The unit I am attached to just had a female get sent home because she is now pregnant. The unit isnt going to do a thing to her and now she is sitting at home while other people have to cover down on her job. This is by far the worst Unit I have ever seen or been with. They do not and will not discipline anyone for anything.
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