Soldier mom brings kids to meeting with brass
March 2, 2009 by John Allen · 12 Comments
N.C. woman recalled to service, but says she can’t leave children at home
DAVIDSON, N.C. – A North Carolina mother who reported for Army duty with her two young children is meeting with her commanders to find out what happens next.
Attorney Mark Waple said Monday that Lisa Pagan was scheduled to meet Monday morning with commanders at Fort Benning, Ga. Waple said she took her children along with her to the base for the meeting.
Pagan was recalled to the Army four years after being honorably discharged, which is allowed under the military’s "individual ready reserve" program. But she says she has no one to care for her children, and had to bring them with her when reporting as ordered.
Waple said he didn’t know if Pagan’s case would be resolved Monday, but said the meeting represents "the next step toward some kind of resolution."
Right: Lisa Pagan with her husband, Travis, and her children Elizabeth, 4, and Eric, 3, at their home in Davidson, N.C., on Friday.
‘Obligations and commitments’
Master Sgt. Keith O’Donnell, an Army spokesman in St. Louis, said last week that the commander at Fort Benning will decide how to handle the situation.
"The Army tries to look at the whole picture and they definitely don’t want to do anything that jeopardizes the family or jeopardizes the children," O’Donnell said. "At the same time, these are individuals who made obligations and commitments to the country."
Of the 25,000 individual ready reserve troops recalled since September 2001, more than 7,500 have been granted deferments or exemptions, O’Donnell said. About 1,000 have failed to report. O’Donnell said most of those cases are still under investigation, while 360 soldiers have been separated from the Army either through "other than honorable" discharges or general discharges.
He said Pagan is not likely to face charges, since none of the individual ready reserve soldiers who have failed to report faced a court-martial.
Pagan, who grew up near Camden, N.J., was working in a department store when she made her commitment in September 2002. She learned how to drive a truck, and met Travis while stationed in Hawaii. She had her first child while in uniform, and they left the service in 2005 when their enlistments were up.
She always knew there was a chance she could be recalled, so she buried the thought in the back of her mind.
"When I enlisted, they said almost nobody gets called back when you’re in the IRR," she said.
The young family settled outside of Charlotte in the college town of Davidson, where Travis landed a job as a salesman. It required lots of travel, but that was OK — Pagan enjoyed her life as a stay-at-home mom to their son Eric and second child, a daughter named Elizabeth.
She opened a child-care center in her home, and started taking classes at nearby Fayetteville State.
Mom makes her plea
The orders to return to active duty arrived in December 2007. She told the Army there was no one to take care of her children: Her husband spent most of his time on the road, and they believe quitting his job is a sure path to bankruptcy and foreclosure. Her parents live in New Jersey and her husband’s parents live in Texas. Neither are able to help out. The Army was not persuaded.
Pagan hired attorney Mark Waple, who filed another appeal, which included a letter from Travis Pagan’s employer that said bluntly: "In order for Travis to remain an employee, he will be required to travel." In December 2008, her appeal was again rejected.
"It’s the obligation of commanders to make certain that service members have a valid family care plan and that clearly has not happened in Lisa’s case," Waple said.
Tom Tarantino, a policy associate with the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, a nonprofit group that helps veterans, said the Army has taken a hard line on many of these cases.
"Usually the only way that someone can get out of the deployment or get out of the military due to a family hardship is if they get into a situation where the kids will be put into foster care," Tarantino said.
"That’s how serious it has to be, and I’m sure what the military is telling her — and I’m not saying that this is exactly the right answer — but the fact that it is inconvenient for her husband’s job is not the military’s problem. It’s very harsh."
A mother of children has NO business being called up. We have millions of able bodied men in our country who can serve instead yet the remain on the sidelines in our cities and towns watching American Idol and CSI.
To truly defend our country, we need a draft so that EVERYONE is invested in defense of the country. This will take Mom off the base and back into to the home for us to defend. Where’s are morals people?
Moreover, with an fully invested population, people will be completely involved and not just let these multinational behemoths run our wars for us using our corporate military.
Any unjust war will be resisted by a populace who is invested in them. As it stands now, who cares about Afghanistan or Iraq! I am going to upcoming Britney Spears concert. I think that says it all.
Chuck Whomever:
I agree except for the Britney Spears Comment…womever she is?
Obviously, you are still a young buck with immature interests or
you wouldn’t even mention such garbage about Spears. But then,
I’m from WW 2 and you are probably younger than my grandson.
But, one day…you will grow up too.
Women have no business in the military except for office or medical
personnel. Like the WACs of WW2.
She made a commitment, and should live up to it. Everyone is in a tough situation in leaving children behind…but, you knew that and you should serve your commitment and then get out.
She mentioned she was taking classes, was that because the GI bill is paying for them???
DUH Read the damn article before you open your piehole
‘Pagan, who grew up near Camden, N.J., was working in a department store when she made her commitment in September 2002. She learned how to drive a truck, and met Travis while stationed in Hawaii. She had her first child while in uniform, and they left the service in 2005 when their enlistments were up.’
You think she should just run off and leave her kids alone by theirselves.
Why don’t you be a kind soul and offer to 27/7 daycare for them while she is gone. Reading glasses are cheap….invest wisely
Can you read or are you one of those little boys, who still is suckling there mom. She has served her time slacker,, you know the part where she served her time on active duty and 4 years in IRR,, which stands for Inactive ready reserves,,,, why dont you get off your big tushy and join the military. and find out what it is all about before you open the empty pie hole of a mouth. get life slacker,,,
What in the name of heaven, are we doing having women in that military category in the first place ? We all got along very well
during World War 2 without women shoulder to shoulder with men.
I’m an old veteran of WW 2, …this is ridiculous. The military is basically
a MAN’S responsibility.
What is happening with this country?
What is happening with this country is that the military is spread dangerously thin because of empire-building and world-policing by our elected officials (most of whom have no military background), plus the fact that women now have opportunities that they did not have during WW II and rightfully so.
We can barely maintain military readiness as it is now – what would happen if all the positions occupied by women suddenly became vacant? We need EVERY person who is qualified and willing to serve as long as these enormous tasks are placed on the military.
A draft is not the answer – that suggests the Federal government owns us. How about bringing back our troops from Germany, Korea, and hundreds of other countries around the world? Let other nations help take care of their own defense instead of depending on the US to do it for them, burdening our military families and our taxpayers.
In the meantime, please support ALL of our service members – don’t denigrate or belittle women in the service by saying they don’t belong there. It may be your opinion and you’re entitled to it, but it doesn’t help make anything better.
She signed up for the service now just because she does not to go because of her kids, I say tuff go spend your time you signed on the dotted line now get off your but
why dont you grow up ,, she served her time, on active duty and four years IRR. Why dont you get off you young 4th point of contact and enlist. it sounds like you have no id of what you are talking about. and that being said you need to shut your pie hole
Capt I think this dude is in the Outer limits.
KR, I don’t know what your calendar says, but mine says 2009. This lady came off active in 2005
She spent her time in service, I agree with the guy about the draft, bring it back and everyone can pass around the fun. A mother of small children has no business in a combat zone unless it is absolutely necessary and in this case that is not true.
How cam you say she spend her time in the military. But she is not done…lets not forget the 4 years of IRR she is COMMITTED to doing….I’ll bet she is getting the money for the GI Bill