Pregnant soldiers leaving Iraq

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-18-2004
Pregnant soldiers leaving Iraq
73
Thu, 06-17-2004 - 4:14pm
Women in the military....well at least they are good for morale.


http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holnus/003200406170322.htm

Pregnant soldiers leaving Iraq, US "unaware of numbers"

Washington, June 17. (PTI): Many U.S. women soldiers in Iraq are leaving the frontline and returning home, but the Pentagon does not want to reveal their numbers as the "embarrassing" statistic includes unwed mothers, media reported on Wednesday.

"U.S. Central Command is not tracking the number of troops who must leave the Iraq war theatre due to pregnancy, prompting military advocates to charge that the Pentagon wants to keep secret what could be an embarrassing statistic," The Washington Times said in a report.

The paper said that there have been anecdotal reports of unmarried women soldiers becoming pregnant in Iraq. One military police unit reported losing three women for that reason.

Lynndie England, the 21-year-old photographed holding a leash attached to a naked Iraqi prisoner, became pregnant during an affair with another soldier at the Abu Ghraib prison compound in Iraq, it said.

But overall numbers are hard to come by. "We are definitely not tracking it," said a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, which runs the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"I have been attending operations briefings for two years, and I don't think I have heard once that pregnancy has come up."

As in the case of England, said the paper, pregnancies can be embarrassing to the military. In May 2003, the Marine Corps was forced to bring a Marine back home after she gave birth on a Navy warship in the Persian Gulf. She told superiors that she did not know she was pregnant.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 05-18-2004
Tue, 07-13-2004 - 1:20pm
But if you can't set a standard, than what is better ourselves to you may be harming ourselves to someone else. We need common standards, goals, morals, whatever you want to call them.

If everyone is shooting at a different target for "betterness" (is that even a word) then you get the declining standards and excuses that you are so unhappy with.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 07-13-2004 - 1:21pm
What's your deal, anyway? Janna, I'm not talking about "excuses" - regardless of how "chauvinistic,falsely noble, emotional or illogical it is. The fact is, it is. That is the fact that has to be dealt with, not how distasteful it might be to your sensibilities.

If you want to find chauvinistic attitudes, you'd be hard pressed NOT to find it incredibly prevalent in the military. My brother talked of drill sargents that would make fun of recruits by threatening to make them wear panties. What do you want? Do you want to have a discussion of the militant feminist pov, or talk about how to effectively wage war? In case you haven't noticed, Janna, I am not against women in the military. I've never been a soldier, never been in a war, never COMMANDED a war...so I don't think I have enough background to have a firm opinion on this subject. I'm just saying that some of the opinions I see represented hear ignore the reality of war. That's all.

Fanning myself with a copy of "the Personal is Political."

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-09-2003
Tue, 07-13-2004 - 1:23pm
<>

There has to be some wonderful acts of humanity out there! I wish we could hear more of them. I remember a story about our troops at a Mosque and the commanding officer ordered the troops to sit so the Iraqis would understand that they meant no threat to them. (Sorry can't remember the details of this but thought the intuitiveness of this officer was pretty awesome)I know I saw footage of our young troops playing and entertaining Iraqi children. Acts like this still must be going on and it's a shame we don't get see them or hear about them.

During the height of the war, I received much e-mail from people about wonderful acts our soldiers were committing. There must be Iraqis who are doing wonderful things as well. Seems as the political conventions are gearing up we hear less and less good things. It is a disservice to our soldiers to not give the attention to the courageous and kind acts out there.

How do we demand the media give equal time??

Just my 2 cents.

G


iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 07-13-2004 - 1:26pm
Vader, you said:

"Difficult or impossible to do, in a society where Moral Relativism is the norm and Absolute Morality is viewed with Disdain.

How do you raise the bar when there is no definitive standard telling us where to put the bar?"

Bravo, Vader!

It bothers me when we become so married to our position, left or right, that we can't even see the merits of the other side and will argue a point in the ground regardless of how senseless it is. This country continues to be polarized even though we all seem to have the same goals for humanity. God bless.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 07-13-2004 - 1:39pm
The greatest acts of humanity are seen in the greatest times of tribulation. I'm thinking that most Americans are greatful and fearful for our soldiers, who bravely put their lives on the line every single day.
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-04-2003
Tue, 07-13-2004 - 2:25pm
<>

Yeah, like Private Lynndie England?

I must say I was terribly disappointed when I saw a woman in those photos smiling and having a grand 'ol time.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 07-13-2004 - 4:02pm

<<<What's your deal, anyway?>>>


Well, right now I'm holding an ace of clubs, a two of hearts, a three and four of spades, and a jack of diamonds.

________________________________________________

"If you don't stand up for something, you'll lie down for anything." -- B

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-18-2004
Tue, 07-13-2004 - 4:14pm
Well your odds are only about 8.5 % on drawing that 5. Don't bet big

;)

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2003
Tue, 07-13-2004 - 6:18pm

But if you can't set a standard, than what is better ourselves to you may be harming ourselves to someone else. We need common standards, goals, morals, whatever you want to call them.


I'm not arguing that...it's the restrictions on how we get there that I worry about.


iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2003
Tue, 07-13-2004 - 6:26pm

During the height of the war, I received much e-mail from people about wonderful acts our soldiers were committing. There must be Iraqis who are doing wonderful things as well. Seems as the political conventions are gearing up we hear less and less good things. It is a disservice to our soldiers to not give the attention to the courageous and kind acts out there.

How do we demand the media give equal time??


Probably because the 'bad' affects us much more and is probably much more prevalent.


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