Major General Anthony Cucolo has added pregnancy to the list of offenses punishable by court martial and possible imprisonment. The male responsible for the pregnancy will face court martial too. This ban includes married Army personnel. Gen. Cucolo commands the Multi-National Division-North in Iraq.
This edict applies to "all United States military personnel, and to all civilians, serving with, employed by, or accompanying" the military in northern Iraq. Wonder how Gen. Cucol thinks he's going to court martial civilians?
As one servicewoman veteran notes - emergency contraception was removed from Basic Care Formulary under pressure from the Bush administration, even though Dept. of Defense approved its use in 2002.
Senators Al Franken and Olympia Snowe this week (re)introduced the Compassionate Care for Servicewomen Act. This bill, originally introduced by Rep. Michael Michaud (D-Maine) as H.R.2064, was shot down in 2006. The current version is H.R.4386. The Senate bill doesn't have a number yet.
Review: DoD approved emergency contraception in 2002. Bush administration removed it from BCF. Bill introduced in 2006 got nowhere. Next bill - still nowhere so far. General Cucolo makes pregnancy a court-martial offense, November, 2009. Franken-Snowe introduce Compassionate Care for Servicewomen Act, Dec. 2009.
Why not just put the meds. back in the BCF? Is that too easy, General Cucolo?
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