I finally got around to reading the Sunday paper after PunditGirl went to bed. Buried in a small five paragraph piece in the middle of the A section was an article, Soldier to Report With Her Children.
Lisa Pagan is a mother of two small children who was honorably discharged from the Army several years ago. But she’s been recalled — as many members have been — as a result of the Iraq war. She tried to convince the Army that she couldn’t be away because there would be no one to care for her toddlers since her husband travels regularly for his job. With no options in terms of someone else to care for her children, she’s chosen to do the thing that I think pretty much any mother would do these days — she’s take her children with her when she reports for duty at Fort Benning, Georgia.
Pagan has petitioned the Army to change her orders so someone will be able to care for her kids. So far, no luck. The Army has said, ‘no go.’
Pagan was quoted in The Washington Post, “I either report and bring the children with me or don’t report and face dishonorable discharge and possible being arrested.” That’s not much of a choice.
Pagan’s situation is an extreme one, but it’s one that lots of mothers, myself included, can relate to. There are so many of us who don’t live near family or have family who are able to pick up the slack when we are sick or there’s some sort of emergency where we just can’t manage on our own. Lisa Pagan’s situation is the extreme end of the spectrum of what so many families face every day and one of the most visible symptoms of how our country is out of whack when it comes to the interests of families.
So what is the Army going to do? I can’t wait to see. But I give Lisa Pagan a lot of credit for having the chutzpah to say, in essence, if you’re going to back me into a corner, I’m going to do what I need to do for my family and you can figure out the rest.
Photo from The Examiner
March 2nd, 2009 at 12:26 am
as distressed as I am for her, I have to ask, how many men have had to do this? And if there have been none….how is this going to affect women being able to join the armed forces?
what I am afraid will happen is that the armed forces will say, a man would have 1)not enlisted to begin with or 2)found a person to care for the kids.
hope hope hope I am wrong.
March 2nd, 2009 at 11:52 am
I am no mother yet and reading stuffs like this scares the hell out of me.
March 2nd, 2009 at 12:44 pm
My son in law just got stopped-lossed, too– fortunately he is leaving a wife behind when he goes to Iraq, not kids. This is a tough one for all concerned and will be interesting to see what the army does, considering all the publicity.
March 2nd, 2009 at 12:46 pm
This is a crappy situation all around. It’s too bad they don’t have some kind of childcare co-op for enlisted families. She can’t be the only person with this problem.
March 2nd, 2009 at 2:26 pm
I agree with Holly. I hope this doesn’t backfire for women but I am pleased to see her standing up for her kids’ best interests. Good for her!!
March 2nd, 2009 at 4:20 pm
Nothing changes until someone stands up and demands that a situation be looked at and seen for what it is.
The real problem is that the Armed Services discharges soldiers but not really. They can’t have it both ways and perhaps this will open the new administration eyes to the staffing issues they have and how it effects real people with real lives, and that they can’t play with people like that.
Good for her, I say.
March 2nd, 2009 at 10:37 pm
What anniegirl said, Holly. You are discharged and YEARS later recalled. Someone (male or female) single and fancy free may have joined, then left and moved on with their lives and families and careers, only to have it all yanked away. I’m sure there are men who were in the same boat and kids left with a soldier’s parents or siblings or family friend. There are likely careers cut short and dreams skewered this way, much like the draft used to do, only no one has shown much sympathy.
I think it’s good that this issue gets more visibility, but I feel for Ms. Pagan.
March 3rd, 2009 at 6:49 pm
I applaud her for making such a bold decision, though she hardly had a choice. What galls me is the both she and her husband have already served their country honorably and been discharged and now she’s being called back? Why Her? Why now? Why are they forcing this issue? Leave this family alone already!