Single mom faces court-martial, discharge for refusing to go to Afghanistan

SAVANNAH, Ga. — The Army said Wednesday that it has filed criminal charges against a single-mom soldier who refused to deploy to Afghanistan last year. She had argued that she had no family able to care for her infant son. Spc. Alexis Hutchinson, a 21-year-old Army cook, could face a prison sentence and a dishonorable discharge if she is convicted by a court-martial. An officer will be appointed to decide whether there is enough evidence to try a case against her. Hutchinson’s attorney, Rai Sue Sussman, said she still hopes that the case can be settled without a military trial. She said the Army should consider Hutchinson’s reason for not deploying. Hutchinson, of Oakland, Calif., was scheduled to deploy Nov. 5 from Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah. She skipped her unit’s flight, saying the only relative she had to care for her 10-month-old son backed out a few days before Hutchinson’s departure date. — The Associated Press
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