Child's mother refuses to deploy

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By Christy Hutchings - bio | email

SAVANNAH, GA (WTOC) - Caught between a rock and a hard place, a mother has to choose between her child and her sworn commitment to this country.

21-year-old Specialist Alexis Hutchinson, who’who's stationed at Hunter Army Airfield base in Savannah, was supposed to deploy to Afghanistan on November 5. She told her commanders she had no one to look after her infant son.

“I know she signed up for that, but to me there should be some type of circumstances. I don’don't really think they should deploy anybody with an infant child,” said Hutchinson’Hutchinson's mother Angelique Hughes.

Right now, Hutchinson’Hutchinson's 10-month-old son, Kamani is in California with Hughes, while his mother, is confined to Hunter Army Airfield awaiting possible criminal charges for refusing to deploy.

Hutchinson had originally thought her mother would look after Kamani while she was deployed, but a few weeks before Hutchinson was set to deploy, things changed.

"When I got him I didn't realize it was that serious, it was that hard because he's a very busy baby, you have to keep an eye on him 24 hours a day," said Hughes.

Hughes says she just can't give Kamani the attention he needs and take care of her mother, and her other special needs daughter, so Hughes sent Kamani back to Savannah at the end of October.

Then just a few weeks later, it was time for Hutchinson to deploy, and time was up. She had no one to take care of her child, so Hutchinson had a choice to make and she chose her son.

She was supposed to deploy November 5 and didn't and then on November 6, was arrested. Kamani was placed with a child care provider at Hunter Army Airfield for one night, then sent back to California to be with his grandmother.

Hutchinson was later released from custody, but ordered to remain on base until the investigation into her alleged misconduct is over.

"Is this a case where the Army is saying choose between your country and your kid? It seems like that is the situation shockingly. A lot of military families are facing deploying," said Hutchinson’Hutchinson's attorney Rai Sue Sussman.

While Hutchinson's attorney is busy fighting for her, the Army is fighting back, saying Hutchinson’Hutchinson's commanders tried working with the single mother prior to the deployment.

"What I can tell you is all of those statements are essentially misleading and not true," said Fort Stewart spokesperson Kevin Larson. "Specialist Hutchinson claimed her family care plan was no longer viable and that her command was not giving her adequate time to find a new care provider for her child. However, the Army did give her a 30 day extension and like all soldiers, was given plenty of time to work out a better care plan."

Larson says until the issue is resolved, Hutchinson will not be sent to Afghanistan, but he could not comment on what charges she may be facing.

He also adds thousands of single soldiers deploy overseas every year and all of them work out their child care issues before they are scheduled to leave.