Stop Loss: Soldier mom plans to report for duty with kids {UpDate #4} To Be Discharged!!

(9 am. – promoted by ek hornbeck)

N.C. woman settles on alternative to leaving family behind, refusing orders

Lisa Pagan with her husband, Travis, and her children Elizabeth, 4, and Eric, 3, at their home in Davidson, N.C., on Friday. The mom has spent more than a year fighting her recall to active duty.

Video Report Link from a local channel

DAVIDSON, N.C. – When Lisa Pagan reports for duty Sunday, four long years after she was honorably discharged from the Army, she will arrive with more than her old uniform. She is bringing her kids, too.

“I have to bring them with me,” she said. “I don’t have a choice.”

Pagan is among thousands of former service members who have left active duty since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, only to later receive orders to return to service. They are not in training, they are not getting a Defense Department salary, but as long as they have time left on their original enlistment contracts, they are on “individual ready reserve” status – eligible to be recalled at any time.

Soldiers can appeal, and some have won permission to remain in civilian life. Pagan filed several appeals, arguing that because her husband travels for business, no one else can take care of her kids. All were rejected, leaving Pagan with what she says is a choice between deploying to Iraq and abandoning her family, or refusing her orders and potentially facing charges.

Then she hit on the idea of showing up Sunday at Fort Benning, Georgia, with her children in tow.

StopLossed, the BackDoor Draft, when the services are reporting record enlistments in these real tough economic times!

What’s wrong with this Picture besides the ‘any warm body will do’!!!!

Where was there any help from her two Senate Representatives during the past year, Senator Dole(R) and the now ‘Support The Troops’ Senator Burr(R)?

Senator Burr is still in the Congress, as the Jr Senator before none heard a peep out of him, especially concerning the Soldiers and Veterans, as he was rubber stamping everything the previous administration wanted and did! Now that he’s the senior Senator, from North Carolina, he’s been talking up a storm which you can read some of the recent Here, Here, and Here, in this short time period of the 111th Congress.

It’s real good he’s finally come out of the closet, especially on these subjects, but the way he is shows he’s just using the military and veterans as Political Tools for re-election, as he rubber stamped their use and lack of support for the previous administration!!

UpDate 7pm 3.01.09

NC military mom heads for Fort Benning with kids

DAVIDSON, N.C. (AP) – A North Carolina woman who was recalled to the Army four years after being honorably discharged was driving nearly 400 miles and braving a Southeastern winter storm to report for duty Sunday, with her children by her side.

Lisa Pagan was en route to Fort Benning, despite the snow, and said in a phone interview she hoped to reach the Georgia post by early evening.

“I know I’m on my way doing what I need to do,” Pagan said. “But I’m a little nervous.”

Pagan said she wasn’t expected at Fort Benning at a specific time, other than to get there by the end of the day. She said road conditions weren’t too bad, but the weather had slowed her down.

Pagan is among thousands of former service members who have left active duty since the Sept. 11 attacks, only to be recalled to service. She filed several appeals, arguing that because her husband travels for business, no one else can take care of her kids. All were rejected, leaving Pagan to choose between deploying to Iraq and abandoning her family, or refusing her orders and potentially facing charges.

Master Sgt. Keith O’Donnell, an Army spokesman in St. Louis, said earlier that the commander at Fort Benning will decide how to handle the situation.

UpDate #2 3.02.09

Military mom arrives at Fort Benning with kids

A woman called back to the Army has braved a winter storm to report for duty – with her children in tow.

Lisa Pagan drove from North Carolina to Georgia’s Fort Benning and arrived Sunday night. She says bad weather made the drive “a little scary.” For now, she and her kids are staying in a motel.

Pagan was honorably discharged four years ago

UpDate #3 3.02.09

Army mom who reported with kids meets base leaders

“She’s just passing through on her way to be deployed,” Purtiman said. “She’s here and she’s going to process in. The command’s looking at a range of options available to have resolution of her situation.”

Purtiman said he didn’t yet know what range of options commanders were considering. He said Fort Benning has day care services available for Pagan’s children while she’s there.

“There will be some resolution over the next couple of days about some temporary arrangements to help care for the kids while this affair is ironed out,” Waple said.

UpDate #4 3.02.09PM

NC Mom recalled to Army duty will be Discharged

RALEIGH, N.C. – The North Carolina mother who reported for Army duty with her two young children will be discharged from the military, her attorney said Monday. Attorney Mark Waple of Fayetteville said it wasn’t yet clear if Lisa Pagan would receive an honorable discharge or a general discharge under honorable conditions. It also wasn’t certain when she would be discharged.

The reason for the discharge will be that she doesn’t have, and cannot have, an adequate family care for her two young children, he said.

“There is definitely some feeling of relief, especially since she has been led to believe that the command at Fort Benning is going to do everything to expedite this so she can return to Charlotte, North Carolina, with her children,” Waple said of Pagan’s reaction to the decision.

She has received no time line “except they are trying to process it as quickly as possible,” he said………