Can pregnancy be a punishable offense? And if so, is that automatically discrimination, or could it actually be a fair action?
That’s the question surrounding the recent orders from Maj. Gen. Anthony Cucolo, who commands U.S. troops in northern Iraq. Cucolo, who says he can’t afford to lose soldiers to pregnancy at a time when troops are stretched thin, promises to discipline both the pregnant soldier and her partner, even if they are married, up to and including the action of a court martial.
And he’s making good on his promise.
Stars and Stripes reports today that seven soldiers, including three men, have been punished so far.
Four soldiers have found to be pregnant since the orders were issued in November. They have not been court-martialed, but disciplined at a lower level, the report said.
The orders apply only to the 22,000 soldiers under Cucolo’s command. Of those, 1,682 are women. Previously, pregnant soldiers were sent home.
"I need every soldier I've got, especially since we are facing a drawdown of forces during our mission," Cucolo wrote in a statement obtained by CNN. "Anyone who leaves this fight earlier than the expected 12-month deployment creates a burden on their teammates. Anyone who leaves this fight early because they made a personal choice that changed their medical status -- or contributes to doing that to another -- is not in keeping with a key element of our ethos."
More from the Stars and Stripes story:
“The four soldiers who became pregnant were given letters of reprimand that will not remain a part of the permanent military file, Cucolo said, as were two of the male soldiers.
“The third male soldier, a noncommissioned officer who is married and impregnated a subordinate who is not his wife, was also charged with fraternization and given a permanent letter of reprimand, Cucolo said.
“One of the female soldiers declined to say who impregnated her and the unit “let it drop,” Cucolo said, adding that he had no plans to further investigate paternity.
“I’m in a war zone,” he said. “I don't have time for that.”
Cucolo said he discussed the ban with his commanders, including a female battalion commander and a command sergeant major, and all agreed “wholeheartedly.” The unit had experienced a number of pregnancies prior to its deployment, he said.
“I can't tell you how valuable my female soldiers are,” Cucolo said. “They fly helicopters. They run satellites. They're mechanics. They're medics. Some of the best intelligence analysts I have happen to be female. You start losing them when you're facing a drawdown, and you really hurt the unit.”
And here’s more from the CNN story:
Cucolo said he considers his female soldiers "invaluable" and he wants to ensure they fulfill their deployments.
"I am responsible and accountable for the fighting ability of this outfit. I am going to do everything I can to keep my combat power -- and in the Army, combat power is the individual soldier," his statement said. "To this end, I made an existing policy stricter. I wanted to encourage my soldiers to think before they acted, and understand their behavior and actions have consequences -- all of their behavior."
What do you think?
Here’s the Stars and Stripes story:
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=66819
The CNN story:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/12/21/iraq.us.soldiers.pregnancy/