Mom Reports for Military Duty with Children in Tow

2009-03-04 04:17:06 (GMT) (WiredPRNews.com - Law, News)

A mother is left with no one to care for her children after receiving orders to return to military duty.

Wired pr news.com – A North Carolina mother was faced with the dilemma of who she would find to care for her children after receiving orders for deployment to Iraq. As reported by the Associated Press (AP), Lisa Pagan stated she’d be forced to take her children with her when she reported for duty because there would be no one else to care for them.

As noted by the AP, the Army soldier previously filed an appeal to be able to remain at home with her children, but was denied. Pagan’s husband’s work requires extensive travel, and the family relies on his income for their sustainability. If Pagan fails to report for duty, she could face charges. The mother of two is quoted in the report as stating of being forced to take children with her, “I guess they’ll have to contact the highest person at the base, and they’ll have to decide from there what to do… I either report and bring the children with me or don’t report and face dishonorable discharge and possibly being arrested. I guess I’ll just have to make my case while I’m there.”

Tom Tarantino of the nonprofit group Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America is quoted in the report as stating of the military’s strict policies, “Usually the only way that someone can get out of the deployment or get out of the military due to a family hardship is if they get into a situation where the kids will be put into foster care… That’s how serious it has to be, and I’m sure what the military is telling her — and I’m not saying that this is exactly the right answer — but the fact that it is inconvenient for her husband’s job is not the military’s problem. It’s very harsh.”