In shadows of prison abuse, pregnancy also problematic

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_np=0&u_pg=54&u_sid=1102283

Pfc. Lynndie England returned from Iraq in trouble. The young Army reservist was implicated in the humiliating abuses of Iraqi detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad. She was also pregnant by a fellow soldier from her unit.

Within weeks of her reassignment from Iraq to Fort Bragg, N.C., the prisoner-abuse scandal mushroomed into an international crisis with England, 21, as one of the most visible actors - she is shown in one photo holding a leash tied to the neck of a naked Iraqi prisoner and, in another, grinning as she points at a detainee's genitals.

More quietly, England has emerged as Exhibit A for conservatives who have long opposed women serving in combat roles, partly on the grounds that pregnancies could hurt military readiness and that sexual relationships among the troops could harm discipline.

"I keep hearing from the field that there's a lot of, shall we say, cohesion going on," said Elaine Donnelly, president of the Center for Military Readiness, a conservative advocacy group. "How do you plan for deployment without knowing whether you will have all of your troops available or if some will become pregnant and be evacuated?"
<more>

contraception is available?

...set em up; knock em down

strategy to make military units self-sustaining.

Of course, we'll have to redesign a lot of the vehicles to handle safety seats and add diapers to the deployment supplies, but what the heck, they already use the wipes in Iraq.

where everything is done through their ass.

all female military, then just like when it was an all male military pregnancy wouldn't be a problem. (of course I am being sarcastic here) :eyes:

Thousands of buff, tough chicks in uniform, forced to restrain their urges for weeks at a time?

Interesting, though you'd have a problem with men breaking into the bases. Or else prowling around the outside, hoping to be detained by MPs.

Seriously, I can't see this being such a big issue. Problems with pregnancy are by nature widely scattered, and if you just apply contraception most of them will go away. Yes, sexual relationships will cause disruptions in terms of spurned lovers, etcetera, but they will also increase morale. Furthermore, making people repress their impulses also creates broader morale and discipline problems, and can contribute to aggressive incidents and sex crimes.

she didn't get an abortion...
on the other hand...

ended at any kind of military facilities right after Bush was sworn in?
Pigs.

For years neither active duty women nor dependants who were abroad and pregnant and needed an abortion have been able to get one at a military facility. They can of course, go to a civilian facility in whatever country they are stationed in and pay for it themselves. No government funds may be used to pay for abortions, and that includes any woman who happens to work for the government as a civilian and has health insurance through her employment. Discriminatory of course, but Republicans get their way in these matters.

n/t

just female soldiers who have claims of rape, psychiatric exams, medication for depression (PTSD), and loss of promotion or access to jobs requiring security clearance. (I heard they wouldn't search the DNA database without a federal court order for the rapist even when they take evidence via the rape kit.)

Oh yeah, and unexplained pregnancies.

or visit the brothels in the land in which they are serving.

(no flames, I'm being sarcastic)