OAKLAND, Calif. — A 21-year-old Oakland, Calif., Army
specialist who skipped out on her deployment date to Afghanistan has been
ordered to remain on her base in Georgia for a review of “alleged
misconduct,” while her civilian attorney claims the soldier had no choice,
with nowhere to keep her young baby.
Alexis Hutchinson was expected to deploy to Afghanistan with
the rest of her unit on Nov. 5. However, according to her attorney Rai Sue
Sussman, after plans to place her 10-month-old son, Kamani, fell through, the
Army insisted she still deploy.
Hutchinson, who joined the Army in 2007, was stationed at
Hunter Army Airfield in Georgia in early 2008 and gave birth in January.
Just before her scheduled deployment, she went AWOL for less
than 24 hours and returned voluntarily, her lawyer said.
“The day before she was forced to deploy, they told her
you have a choice to make, but your duty is to get on that plane,” Sussman
said. “She didn’t have anyone to take care of her child. She thought
they’d put her on a plane and take her child away.”
Sussman said Hutchinson had intended to leave her son with
her mother, Angelique Hughes, in Oakland. However, her mother soon realized she
was unable to take care of Kamani, while also taking care of her special-needs
daughter, her ailing mother and her ailing sister.
In late October, Sussman said the Army told Hutchinson they
would give her more time to find suitable arrangements for her child, but then
earlier this month told her she would not get the extended time after all and
would have to deploy.
Sussman said when Hutchinson returned to the airfield she
was arrested by the military on Nov. 6, and the Army placed her son in child
protective services. However, Hutchinson’s mother has since flown to Georgia to
pick up Kamani and brought him back to Oakland.
Sussman claims Hutchinson currently is confined to the
airfield in Georgia, where she faces up to a year in jail. However, an Army
spokesman denies Hutchinson is under any confinement and has instead been
ordered to stay on the installation until her commander can review her
situation.
“Just days prior to her scheduled deployment,
Specialist Hutchinson’s commander received information that indicated that
Specialist Hutchinson had engaged in misconduct,” Fort Stewart and Hunter Army
Airfield spokesman Kevin Larson said in a statement. “Due to the fact that
Specialist Hutchinson has a small child, her deployment was delayed so that the
command could ensure Specialist Hutchinson’s child was cared for and so that
she could meet with legal counsel.”
Larson added Hutchinson’s commander is re-examining whether
or not she will be able to deploy because her case could present a hardship.
In a release put out by Sussman, Hutchinson is quoted as
saying: “It is outrageous that they would deploy a single mother without a
complete and current family care plan. I would like to find someone I trust who
can take care of my son, but I cannot force my family to do this. They are
dealing with their own health issues.”
Hutchinson is not a conscientious objector seeking to avoid
deployment, her lawyer said.
Via McClatchy-Tribune News Service.
