Punishment for Military Pregnancy?

[Dreeza]

Thoughts on this?

U.S. military defends pregnancy punishment in Iraq - Yahoo! News


I just saw this on the news & had to laugh a bit, cause my sister & I had an argument a few months back regarding this. She was talking about how women would purposely get pregnant to get out of going overseas (and they would still get paid/benefits)...I said that it should be illegal or they should at least lose their benefits or something. She argued that it would NEVER be done. Ha!!

I totally think it is acceptable...granted, I don't know all the tiny details. I mean, jobs have stipulations. No people should not be discriminated against, but you still must be fit for your job. A pregnant woman is absolutely NOT fit to fight...end of story.

I'm really having trouble seeing the other side...so if you happen to disagree, I would really love to hear your opinion...maybe I am missing something.

To me, these women still have all the choice in the world. I guess the only thing I would be against is these women getting fired for getting pregnant...I do think that they should be allowed to try to get pregnant under certain circumstances (i.e. NOT overseas, or not right before they are supposed to be deployed), but should have to give notice (and would then be able to return to their jobs after). Like the article says, these women are just too valuable to be gone for months.

 

[AndrewF]

That's military sex for ya! Get pregnant and then scr@wed.

 

[Dreeza]

Sheesh that sucks when you look at it that way...I thought normally the screwing occurs BEFORE the pregnancy!!!!

 

[AGonzalez]

The only thing I have a problem with are the skanks that get knocked up before a pending deployment or during a deployment to get out of it.

We see it quite a bit, it sucks because that means someone else has to take their place because they're being childish. From the few I've seen, they aren't fit for duty anyway and should be put out, but that's my personal opinion. I'm not out to tell anyone how to run their life but when they sign up, they are making a commitment to their country, and spreading their legs to avoid their duties is repulsive.

End rant.

 

[Gustav]

Deliberatley getting pregnant to get out of duty is shady in my opinion.. Everyone can (well women at least) can have an "oops" and I don't think that you should be punished for that, but then again when can you distinguish between "oops" and doing it deliberatley?

I think it's a very grey area.

 

[Debi]

I think if you have decided to join the military, you know you will be deployed most likely at some point, therefore you do NOT get pregnant. no regard for 'oops' either, as there are too many birth control methods to prevent it. (sure some people got pregnant on birth control, so also use a condom .. whatever it takes) when a woman chooses military, then she is responsible to prevent pregnancy. now if a woman is career military, then of course it's fine to plan family in when the time is right. women want equality, then that's my opinion if they want their benefits.

 

[ACooper]

I definitely don't see a problem with the military having rules about getting pregnant (or getting a fellow soldier pregnant) in these situations. It's nice to see they aren't laying it ALL on the woman's doorstep if a fellow soldier helped her get that way, LOL. Jail time? erm, that one might be a bit harsh tho, LOL

The military is an employee/employer situation, and as Dreeza mentioned, MANY jobs have physical requirements so you are able to perform the tasks that need doing. Even civilians who have no "rules" about getting pregnant and have maternity leave insurance take a reduce in pay when they can't work.

 

[tessa_s212]

I don't have high opinion of anyone that would get pregnant in order to get out of doing their job.

However, what about those that are honest and just had an oops? I'm sure it has happened before.. oops pregnancies do happen, even when on BC. Should they be punished too? That's what I don't agree with.

 

[ACooper]

I don't have high opinion of anyone that would get pregnant in order to get out of doing their job.

However, what about those that are honest and just had an oops? I'm sure it has happened before.. oops pregnancies do happen, even when on BC. Should they be punished too? That's what I don't agree with.

If you know the rules, you try HARDER and are more careful.........if an "oops" still happens, then you face the "punishments" like every one else I'd imagine. If they make a loop hole for "oops" then EVERYONE will use that loop hole. *shrugs* that's just how it goes.

If you are a civilian working for <insert company> and they have a policy on pregnancies...........an "oops" will get you replaced. It may not be "your fault" per say, but you knew the chances when you took the job and had sex..........it is what it is.

I'd also like to add that Kevin's first wife had three babies while serving in the military. She was a food inspector and not serving in a war or anything like that. She worked until time for delivery, went back to work after her leave period was over just like any other job. So it's not like military=no babies if you are a woman, you just have to make choices according to your situation.

 

[release the hounds]

I don't have high opinion of anyone that would get pregnant in order to get out of doing their job.

However, what about those that are honest and just had an oops? I'm sure it has happened before.. oops pregnancies do happen, even when on BC. Should they be punished too? That's what I don't agree with.

Yes, they should be. If there are reasons you absolutely can NOT be pregnant, keep the P out of your V. You're an adult, act like one, not some horny raged teenager, but, but I couldn't help myself

still want to do what you do, then be willing to accept the consequences that come along with it.

 

[Nechochwen]

When you sign up, the military owns you and your body. I think it's perfectly fine for them to punish women getting pregnant,oops or on purpose, as your being taken out to have a kid means they spent all this time and money getting you trained to do your job for nothing and they have to find someone new to replace you with, which doesn't do very good things for morale.

 

[Jules]

Well, good for them.

I am sorry, this may sound a bit harsh, but all these "oopss" that happen everywhere are pretty preventible. If you don't want to get pregnant under any circumstance you double, triple, etc up on birth control- or just don't have sex.

 

[tessa_s212]

Needless to say, this is why I'd never sign anything that said my employer owned my body. Nope. You could quadruple up on BC, and still end up pregnant. And I wouldn't want to risk being fired for that. They make laws to protect pregnant woman's jobs.
From my understanding, and like one or two people already said, there's lots of jobs available in military?? I'd bet at least one would be safe for a pregnant woman? Or you can't be transferred to a different job for 9 months and then transfer back? I worked up until the weekend before my c-section, and was in school that same day as my induction.
Just seems everything I hear about it, when you sign up for military, someone else owns your body and you just get screwed over. That's why when Dustin was even considering it when I was first pregnant (before we found out his feet were so bad to actually need surgery so it was actually never an option for us anyway), I would have never allowed him to sign his body over. Of course, I have no problem with other people joining that are okay with that, I just could never do it. God, me, and my hubby are the only ones that have a say in/"own" my body.

I just hope recruiters are making this very clear to young women hoping to join. I know the recruiter that was trying to get Dustin lied to him. Hopefully young women look into it very deeply if they ever want to plan a family in the near future and find out they can't. So at least when they join they know they can't have a family until they get out. And, have a back up plan for a job in case they get fired because of a pregnancy.

 

[release the hounds]

of course accomodations could be made. They can always be made. But in an active war zone i don't think it's too much to ask that when you sign up to be a soldier you don't go off doing stuff so that the military has to accommodate your desire to have children, or your "oops" we had sex and I got pregnant, so I need to be accommodated even though I signed up to be a soldier and fully realize that being pregnant puts me, my baby and my unit at risk if I stay in the active zone, and if I leave, everyone else suffers for my lack of better judgement.

act like an adult and realize that your actions affect many others and when you make decisions that negatively affect everyone around you? don't complain when there's consequences. It's a war zone and we're at war, I don't think they should have to give much leeway on anything, especially that.

 

[PoodleMommy]

I dont find anything wrong with it... its not fair that person A and person B get all the same benefits and person A never has to go to war because they just stay pregnant all the time.

I DO NOT under any circumstances believe everyone needs to go to war or be in the military... but if you CHOOSE that path... you should maintain yourself in such a way that you are able to do the job you are supposed to do, not some desk job they made for you... those should be reserved for people who are injured by no fault of their own.

 

[BullMastiffMama]

If they're getting knocked up in the FOB, they know better and I think they should be redeployed.

Haven't heard of anyone losing their job over it, though. All I've gotten wind of was 'letters of reprimand.'

 

[xpaeanx]

I dont find anything wrong with it... its not fair that person A and person B get all the same benefits and person A never has to go to war because they just stay pregnant all the time.

I DO NOT under any circumstances believe everyone needs to go to war or be in the military... but if you CHOOSE that path... you should maintain yourself in such a way that you are able to do the job you are supposed to do, not some desk job they made for you... those should be reserved for people who are injured by no fault of their own.

This is pretty much how I feel. You made the choice to join, now honour your word by doing your duty.

 

[Dreeza]

Needless to say, this is why I'd never sign anything that said my employer owned my body. Nope. You could quadruple up on BC, and still end up pregnant. .

Honestly, if you are taking BC pills 100% correctly, the guy wears a condom & withdraws...you aren't gonna get pregnant. Plus, there is abstinence.

And I wouldn't want to risk being fired for that. They make laws to protect pregnant woman's jobs.
From my understanding, and like one or two people already said, there's lots of jobs available in military?? I'd bet at least one would be safe for a pregnant woman? Or you can't be transferred to a different job for 9 months and then transfer back? I worked up until the weekend before my c-section, and was in school that same day as my induction. .

Yep, i see nothing wrong with your beliefs...which is why you aren't in the military There would be a prob if you joined though!!!

There are lots of jobs....but when they have spent however long & however many resources training you to fight...and it goes down the drain...and then they have to spend more time re-training you for a safe job...this is a huge prob. I'm one unhappy taxpayer if this is what my $$ is going to!!


I def agree that recruiters should make this clear though!!


Def some great points in this thread!! thanks guys! i need to report all this back to my sis, hehe

 

[shazbot]

I can't tell you how many women I served with that purposely got pregnant to avoid deployment or even going to the field...crazy. They signed up and knew they would probably end up on deployment.

I certainly don't see any issue with them punishing women who get pregnant on purpose to avoid deployment.

 

[Miakoda]

An old neighbor purposefully got pregnant so she didn't have to deploy with the 769th Engineering Battalion when it got deployed the first go-round after the attacks on Sept. 11th. And she was not subtle about telling people that she'd do it again if she was called up again.

Personally, I see no issue with discharging those women. If you manage to do something to willfully in an effort to not have to do your job, then you do not need such job anyway...do you?