Dec 22, 2009 11:46pm
Closing Arguments: No Pregnancy in a War Zone
EmailThere is a controversy brewing within the military after Army General Tony Cuculo issued the following order to troops on the ground in Iraq: pregnancy is a punishable offense. That's right. Any military male who gets a woman pregnant — or female who is impregnated — is now subject to reprimand. The general stood by the policy, saying it is required to help achieve their mission. But at least one women's group is asking President Obama to overturn the decision and some female senators are protesting. So tonight, we ask: Has the general overstepped his bounds? Or is the policy within his prerogative? Tell us what you think. You can follow "Nightline" anytime on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Nightline.
RSS
Twitter
Facebook
Military rules and laws are different than civilian rules and laws. The mission has to be completed and being pregnant or impregnating another soldier would be very distracting and could compromise the mission. So I say yes it is acceptable. This is one reason women were previously barred from the front lines in the past, they do have access to birth control do they not? Use it or keep it in your pants!
Posted by: Jeff | December 23, 2009, 12:13 am 12:13 am
The general establishes policy and is within military regulation. Women should not be getting pregnant while in a war zone. Ask those congress women why women are not allowed to serve in certain combat jobs in the military? What is the main reason? Then ask how that is any different then the general’s new policy.
Posted by: April24 | December 23, 2009, 12:13 am 12:13 am
I think it’s fair. My husband is there to stay. There’s a married couple in his unit deployed there together. If she gets pregnant she gets to come home. There’s no option like that for him. So it’s fair, they knew what they were getting into before the signed up.
Posted by: Rachel | December 23, 2009, 12:15 am 12:15 am
Put them on the Sex Offender Registry, they are putting everyone else on it.
Posted by: Steve Cecchetti | December 23, 2009, 12:15 am 12:15 am
He definitely overstepped his bounds. He is abusing his powers and has no right to say that. I hope Obama overturns his order and demotes him. People like him are a disgrace to our military.
Posted by: Chris | December 23, 2009, 12:16 am 12:16 am
The military is a voluntary choice.
No one has any business distracting the unit from the business at hand. I agree with the General’s orders. It is 2009, almost 2010. There IS birth control and, in my mind, no valid argument for impregnating or becoming pregnant in the battle field. My tax dollars should go to fight the action, NOT to support someone irresponsible enough to divert attention from the focus.
Posted by: Travlr55 | December 23, 2009, 12:16 am 12:16 am
The general is entirely within his rights, and I agree. His forces cannot afford to lose members who are key to the mission. Retraining replacements is not an option.
After all, this prohibition is not forever: its duration is only the length of combat deployment. Remember the US military is an all volunteer force–no one was forced into this obligation. This restriction is only one of many others. As a woman, I would not feel restricted or slighted in the least.
Finch Central Indiana
Posted by: Finch | December 23, 2009, 12:16 am 12:16 am
Just because they get pregnant or make someone pregnant does not mean they are not a good soldier fighting for our freedom. The general has overstepped his bounds.
Posted by: Julia Gower | December 23, 2009, 12:18 am 12:18 am
Unless the military is going to make soldiers take a vow of chastitiy, they must accept that accidents happen.
Posted by: janet thomas | December 23, 2009, 12:25 am 12:25 am
Any female who enlists in the armed forces has committed to a specfic period of time in service to the country. Becoming pregnant during this time period (in war zone or not) should be grounds for dishonorable discharge from the service–no exceptions.
Posted by: Don | December 23, 2009, 12:28 am 12:28 am
just one opinion:
if any of the military staff wishes to conduct and/or play Cupid while at war, and “NOT” concentrate on their jobs in which they signed-up for, then allow them to just leave the military…PERIOD!…with dishonorable discharges, of course. let all who wishes, everyone of them to come out of the military and try & find jobs like the rest of us struggling to keep this economy above waters.
THEN, THEY WILL BE FREE TO HAVE ALL THE SEX THEY WISH AND MAKE AS MANY BABIES AS THEY WISH. I MYSELF WILL NOT SAY ONE WORD, NONE OF US (AMERICANS) WILL EVEN CARE!
And now thats what you call “handling your business!”.
J. David – NYC, NY
Posted by: David Justin David | December 23, 2009, 12:32 am 12:32 am
Women and babies:
The federal Government goes to great lengths so that a female can have children without any problems.
However, recall that the Navy had a problem when a ship would go on a 6 month deployment and more a few married ladies (some married and with other children) arrived pregnant. As every member of a ships crew is critical for a ships deployment, this was not a casual problem as these crew members could not be replaced and the ship could not be refitted for women being pregnant. Sorry, the solution isn’t to sent any crew member to ship medical to resolve this matter.
As I said the Federal Government goes to great lengths to foster women having children while doing their military service. Sad, but the only solution is to pull those who are pregnant and this leaves team short of the trained personnel needed.
Posted by: Richard Allen | December 23, 2009, 12:34 am 12:34 am
The fact that the military member is in a war zone is reason enough for this General to issue and inforce a no pregnancy order. I can not imagine orders sending a military member to a war zone where the soldiers depend on each other to survive stating; P.S. by the way feel free to get pregnant anytime you want to! The order is correct and Obama would be better advised to let this General do his job.
Posted by: Joy Smith | December 23, 2009, 12:37 am 12:37 am
The General is correct. The situation can become a definite distraction for both soldiers in any situation. The unit could depend upon complete attention to the job. Something close to this occurs in business here at home.
Posted by: Don | December 23, 2009, 12:37 am 12:37 am
General is correct. Units need all personnel to function competently.
Posted by: Bob Lyons | December 23, 2009, 12:41 am 12:41 am
No one should be denied of having a baby, But when in military you have given your self as a whole to the military the only exception should be if you are involved and together with there spouse it should not be grounds for dismissal
Posted by: Rick England | December 23, 2009, 12:44 am 12:44 am
Taxpayer money is intended for active duty military to complete the mission, not to engage in sexual conduct while on duty. In combat zones let us not forget it is 24 hour duty until the deployment is completed. It is not a normal expectation on the civilian side to accept sex on the job as appropriate, so not sure why this comes as such a surprise to anyone. Also it is no secret many female active duty officers and enlisted look toward pregnancy as a means to evade their tour of duty in combat zones. The general is well within his power to give these orders.
Posted by: Chris | December 23, 2009, 12:49 am 12:49 am
This general, definitely, overstepped his boundaries. If, a soldier becomes pregnant, send her home, to a desk job. She and the father should not be punished. Is the general stupid or what!!
Posted by: DC Boop | December 23, 2009, 12:54 am 12:54 am
The military will not send any pregnant women in a war zone, therefore they should not get pregnant in a war zone. it would be a waste of tax payers money.
Posted by: Albert Dehoyos | December 23, 2009, 12:58 am 12:58 am
I spent thirty years in the military and can attest to the soundness of military law.
The military is held to a much higher standard than civilian life. I question the morality or those that are opposing the Generals orders. What they are saying is that is ok to get pregnant out of wedlock and to just do as you wish.
Getting a sun burn that takes you out of a deployable status is a punishable offence also. Some will do anything to get out of a situation; thus the laws.
I commend the Commander for upholding the tried and true military standards.
Hooah!
Posted by: Dennis Anfield | December 23, 2009, 1:04 am 1:04 am
Our military personnel need to be moments-notice ready for any situation, combat or otherwise. Can’t happen with a pregnant soldier. Not being able to perform as the result of a sunburn caused by over-exposure on the beach used to be punishable. Getting pregnant or causing the pregnancy should be, as well. The general is right.
Posted by: Ed | December 23, 2009, 1:04 am 1:04 am
Too many women use pregnancy to avoid their duty to their country, and in many cases they choose to get out of their military obligation all together once pregnant. This is a disservice to our country and to the families of our nation. Let the order stand.
Posted by: Sgt. Kimsey, USMC | December 23, 2009, 1:15 am 1:15 am
If a woman military member gets pregnant, they get to go home and their unit is short one person. Some of these women use this leverage on purpose in order to go home early, creating major morale problems for BOTH the men and women in their unit. The fact that the General treats the men and women involved equally speaks volumes on the change in the military, as past practices punished the woman and patted the guy on the back. The General has a problem of keeping his organization fully staffed with high morale in a high test environment. This appears to be the best solution to a bad situation for BOTH the men and women in his organization. I at first was aghast at this until I learned ALL of the FACTS involved and realized the General made a considered conclusion in a difficult situation that is fair to ALL personnel involved.
Posted by: Judith Wink | December 23, 2009, 1:19 am 1:19 am
Two thumbs up for GEN Cuculo!!!! It’s about time someone stands up for military discipline. I have worked under his command and it was a well disciplined command. After being deployed 5 times, there is a trend that many females do to get out of deployments or return early. They get pregnant by any male who will “do” them, and then when they are returned to the home station, they many have abortions!!!! very common practice!!! So wake up news media, females are not deploying to have sex, ITS A COMBAT ZONE!!!They also cause the spread of many STD’s!!!! They should be at a minimum dishonorably discharged, and pay for all cost which occurred for this type of negative military discipline. ITS NICE TO SEE AN OFFICER WHO TAKES CHARGE!!!!! GEN CUCULO would make a great president one day, because HE HAS STANDARDS!!!!
Posted by: SFC DERRICK FORESTIER | December 23, 2009, 1:33 am 1:33 am
The general is correct, as nearly all the preceding commentators have noted.
When someone commits to serving in the military, he or she has committed to a serious job, which the taxpayers are paying them to do. They are not there to engage in immoral, sexual promiscuity. It is a major distraction from doing their jobs properly, and it is immoral to begin with. It is sad to think that there are sleazy people like that in the military.
Posted by: Proud Native American and Angry Independent Voter | December 23, 2009, 2:16 am 2:16 am
Get real. Are they there to party or do a job? I don’t agree with much of what Obama has done, but I cannot believe he would be stupid enough to interfere with what is clearly a sound military decision. They need to get the job done so they can all come home together, not give birth to reinforcements.
Posted by: randy | December 23, 2009, 2:18 am 2:18 am
Women are intentionally getting pregnant in war zones so that they can get sent home. Why did they even sign up to be in the Army in the first place? I agree with the Major.
Posted by: Army Wife | December 23, 2009, 4:43 am 4:43 am
The general is ensuring the his troops pull out.
Pulling out in Iraq has different meanings for the General.
I can hear his one star saying, “Sir, we’re pulling out of Iraq. It concerns a reduction in troop levels.”
“Nothing to do with pregnancy?”, the general inquires.
“No sir. Nothing to do with pregnancy.”
“Oh.”
Posted by: dan the man | December 23, 2009, 5:17 am 5:17 am
If male soldiers are going to have sex downrange, lets do what the French and the Japanese Armies of the past did by establishing legal brothels on the bases. It’s happening right now illegally, female GIs are selling themselves on the side. I was in Iraq in 04 and saw a prostitution ring busted at Camp Victory.
Posted by: LTC Tanker | December 23, 2009, 6:48 am 6:48 am
Sexual relations are a major distraction for the military mission, these women cannot be replaced and the other service members have to pick up the slack. Putting pregnant women in desk jobs rewards them for getting pregnant, These people voluntarily took an oath and should be required to honor their committments. Not only are sexual relations a serious distraction to the mission in and of themselves, they also cause problems of jealousy and resentment so the problem is not limited to the two individuals having sex. I can see by the comments against this order that these people have never served in the military or have any appreciation for the significant problems this completely avoidable issue creates.
Posted by: Russell | December 23, 2009, 7:10 am 7:10 am
MG Cuculo did not overstep his bounds. The people of the US and the US media, neither of which put on a uniform daily or know how to clear a weapon, remind us regularly how many Soldiers are here in Iraq. That word “Soldiers” refers to each and everyone of us that are here, male or female, red, green or purple. Our numbers are so reduced based on the political situation that each Soldier becomes critical to successfully completing the mission. It would be nice to have the ability to outlaw sex in general and that would preclude all pregnancies however, that’s impractical and cannot be enforced. The policy is designed to ensure that the military retains the required number of personnel in theater to complete the mission. What it communicates to both male and female Soldiers is that if you’re going to engage in sex, take the proper precautions or face the consequences. If a female Soldier is sent home from here because she is pregnant, that means a replacement must be sent in her place. Anyone wearing a suit organizing an argument against this policy and appearing on the talking head shows want to step up and do the replacing? It would probably be nicer for you and for us if you enjoyed your Christmas at home with your families and allowed those of us that choose to serve in this honorable profession do our jobs. If you haven’t served then you probably wouldn’t understand. Soldiers willingly sacrifice personal freedoms to be part of something larger than themselves. The policy is not unjust and I hope our Commander in Chief supports his combat commanders here in Iraq and tells you pundits and bleeding hearts to stay out of it.
Merry Christmas
Posted by: Private Joe Snuffy | December 23, 2009, 8:43 am 8:43 am
I am a veteran and a female. This is a General order that should be upheld. What people need to understand the General is not saying any female that gets pregnant or any male the gets a female pregnant will be in serious trouble. The General is saying: Any female that gets pregnant while DEPLOYED in a combat environment or a male who is DEPOLYED in a combat environment will be held accountable for breaking General Order 1, which has been in place for MANY years. A soldier whether male or female SHOULD NOT be having sex in a deployed location and they should NOT be getting pregnant while deployed. This is not a violation to women and the women’s groups and women senator’s need to understand that. A female soldier deployed the last thing on her mind should be having sex! It should be staying alive and protecting her fellow soldiers who are protecting her and risking thier lives. This is getting stupid! For the wome’s groups and senators I AM A FEMALE, I was deployed and depoyed with my husband and that was the last thing on our minds was having sex, we wanted to do our JOBS, stay SAFE, and return home to our family. Saying it is right to have sex in a deployed location is underminding what the military is about. This is why our military is having issues with the “new army” standards are being lowered which costs people thier lives and it not ACCEPTABLE! Leave the General alone allow him to maintain high standards and keep our soldiers focused on the mission and return home safe! HOOAH!
Posted by: ArmyBrat | December 23, 2009, 10:03 am 10:03 am
They make a commitment to the service, they should stand behind that commitment. Every lost soldier is one less set of boots on the ground. Good for the General!
Posted by: Sarah | December 23, 2009, 12:52 pm 12:52 pm
It’s simple You become pregnant in a war zone due to personal choice than an immediate dishonorable discharge is in order. That goes for both men and Women. It’s called equality
Posted by: Charles | December 23, 2009, 1:07 pm 1:07 pm
I agree with the general. If a soldier becomes pregnant during service in war time, both mother and father should be punished as long as rape or other circumstances are not involved. As a soldier you are a weapon of the military that has volunteered to be in the service. So do not hold on to civilian laws when you have signed and agreed to live a military law and life. I really do not agree with civilian groups getting involved in military issues. We are in a volunteer military era and we need to let the 18 year old accept accept the choices they make.
Posted by: Gabriel | December 23, 2009, 4:45 pm 4:45 pm
Congratulations to the many commentators that support the General. These men and women in the military signed up to serve their country, and that is an honorable thing. But, they were sent Iraq to fight a war, and not to have a little fornication fest over there. I was appalled to learn from some of the comments above that there are women who get pregnant so that they can be sent home.
Here’s an idea. All soldiers should have their DNA on file. When a woman gets pregnant and sent home, they should check the DNA records to find out who the father is. Then the father, after he finishes his assignment in Iraq, must stay and serve all the time that the woman he got pregnant would have served, if she had not been sent home.
Posted by: Proud Native American and Angry Independent Voter | December 23, 2009, 6:30 pm 6:30 pm
Secretary of the Army is the only one authorized to make policies. This general should be fired.
Posted by: griffrag | December 24, 2009, 12:20 am 12:20 am
I agree with the general. There shouldn’t be any women pregnant while serving active duty in the military. If they want to have sex, they should be on birth control and using condoms. They are all grown women and men…and they all should know better than this.
Posted by: Brittany | December 24, 2009, 12:20 am 12:20 am
“Is the general stupid or what!!”
No he is doing his job. This is not McDonalds… it is a war. Our job is to win the war, nothing else. Everyone has a role to play and can’t play that if they are shipped home due to being pregnant. (and YES, people do get pregnant to avoid/get sent home from deploymet) Anyone who cannot see this has no place being trusted with the security of our nation.
Posted by: Brad | December 24, 2009, 9:47 pm 9:47 pm
Really, this was the first smart thing I heard in a long time,then the dumb *** comes along and reverses it. Who are these woman’s groups?? They aren’t really out there saying that woman should be able to get pregnant in a war zone?? Really?? Come on America, can we get some common sense and get this country back to where it was!!
Posted by: Angie | December 25, 2009, 1:14 am 1:14 am