Army Mom Shows Up With Kids

[BooBerry]

http://news.aol.com/article/mom-deployed/362777

Okay, so this has been making the news rounds and contrary to my usual preferences and stances on most things, I have a problem with this one.

How can you have no one to watch your children? Might just be me but I find it very hard in this day and age for people to be so alone in the world they can't find someone to watch their children in instances like this. Are the kids without any aunts, uncles, grandparents, ect etc?

And if you knew you could be called back, at any time to fufil your obligation, wouldn't that have been a thought while you're making babies? This woman should have prepared and been prepared for this.

[KING]

Cute family.

[BooBerry]

:die:

[KING]

:yes:

[Luris Blear]

Pagan was recalled to the Army four years after being released from active duty, which is allowed under the military's "individual ready reserve" program. But she says she had no one to care for her children.
Four years since her release.
From the photo caption:
Lisa Pagan smiles with her children, Elizabeth, 4, and Eric, 3, at their home in Davidson, N.C.
Sounds like her timing was pretty good, to be honest.

This isn't a perfect situation on either her or the army's behalf, but it doesn't seem completely unreasonable for her to have started a family either.

[BooBerry]

True. I don't mean that she shouldn't have had kids or anything, but she should have realized the entire time she could be called back. It's not like, oh I forgot was an excuse.

She had an obligation and should have just prepared for it better IMO.

[Grendel]

My line of work, you see plenty of people who have no one to turn to as far as caring for their kids beyond a night or two.

Probably more common than you might think.

[scaryperry]

What about the husband though? He travels for work according to the article. I would think that they both knew there was a chance she could have to return to active duty. It makes me wonder what the hell he does that he couldnt change jobs or sacrifice his career to take care of their children. Isnt that what she is doing to some extent?

[Misfit]

not everyone can have a stay at home frightmaster :ahheh:

[BooBerry]

What about the husband though? He travels for work according to the article. I would think that they both knew there was a chance she could have to return to active duty. It makes me wonder what the hell he does that he couldnt change jobs or sacrifice his career to take care of their children. Isnt that what she is doing to some extent?

:nod: Exactly. AND the grandparents are alive. They're just apparently a state away. :die:

[WarBeast]

What about the husband though? He travels for work according to the article. I would think that they both knew there was a chance she could have to return to active duty. It makes me wonder what the hell he does that he couldnt change jobs or sacrifice his career to take care of their children. Isnt that what she is doing to some extent?

As far as husband is concerned, Maybe he can't just sacrifice his career, perhaps he is the Bread-winner, perhaps he makes more than her Army pay-check would bring in. Maybe they have expenses that require his paycheck. Might be a really shitty job-market where they're at, so he can't just run out and get a job nearby that pays enough.

As far as the risks involved of having kids and her being called back to active duty, maybe they weighed those risks and made a decision that turned out to be in error. People make mistakes.

Boo brings up the grandparents... maybe they are unable or unwilling to take on the responsibilities of watching the kids for that long.


There are a lot of possible factors here that neither of you are considering... it seems like you both want to just judge this family to be in the wrong without knowing all the facts.

[BooBerry]

As far as husband is concerned, Maybe he can't just sacrifice his career, perhaps he is the Bread-winner, perhaps he makes more than her Army pay-check would bring in. Maybe they have expenses that require his paycheck. Might be a really shitty job-market where they're at, so he can't just run out and get a job nearby that pays enough.

As far as the risks involved of having kids and her being called back to active duty, maybe they weighed those risks and made a decision that turned out to be in error. People make mistakes.

Boo brings up the grandparents... maybe they are unable or unwilling to take on the responsibilities of watching the kids for that long.


There are a lot of possible factors here that neither of you are considering... it seems like you both want to just judge this family to be in the wrong without knowing all the facts.

In all honesty I'm glad she got discharged. If it were up to me I would have discharged her the first two times she requested to be. But I still don't side with the woman on this.

And while people do make mistakes, they must also accept the weight of them.

EDIT: And the gramps were brought up in one of the interviews. The mom said they were in another state, nothing about they're old and on their death beds. If the woman happens to have a really shitty relationship with her parents, that could be a valid excuse, but I doubt she does. If she did, she wouldn't have gone to the media with her plan of bringing her kids to report before actually doing it.

[scaryperry]

I understand there are a lot of other possible factors to be considered. I'm just saying, if we are gonna interrogate and give the mom hell, lets do it to the dad too!

But seriously, from the information Ive read, it seems to be a pretty crappy situation that hopefully will work out for the best.

[Dr. Phibes]

I understand there are a lot of other possible factors to be considered. I'm just saying, if we are gonna interrogate and give the mom hell, lets do it to the dad too!

I don't know about that. Mom signed up. Mom has the responsibility of recognizing and fulfilling obligations to which she has committed.


My line of work, you see plenty of people who have no one to turn to as far as caring for their kids beyond a night or two.

Probably more common than you might think.

I'm in social services. I know exactly what you mean.


But seriously, from the information Ive read, it seems to be a pretty crappy situation that hopefully will work out for the best.

Agreed. I'm not unsympathetic. The situation is ugly all around. Bottom line is accepting responsibility for your actions.

[Grendel]

I'm in social services. I know exactly what you mean.No wonder you're trying to get into film... :coolbeer:

[Dr. Phibes]

Heh. Exactly. I wish I was poor and emotionally spent because of my art, not my job. :coolbeer: