What do you do when forced to choose between your children and service to your country? That is the incredibly difficult decision ex-soldier Giselle Flynn faced 10 years ago, shortly after she joined the military. Unfortunately, Flynn's choice was not without consequence. On Saturday, she was arrested at her San Diego home, a decade after she made her fateful decision.
In 1998, Flynn enlisted in the Army after being homeless and spending considerable time on welfare.
Due to her financial situation, and the state of her deteriorating marriage, she felt that joining the military would allow her to establish financial security for her son and daughter, then ages 4 and 8.
When Flynn attended basic training in South Carolina, she left her children with a friend. Shortly after, she started a 17-week communications class at Fort Gordon in Georgia.
According to the San Diego-Union Tribune:
In February 1999, she flew home and found that her son, Vidal, was suffering from ringworm, anemia and pneumonia. She brought him to the San Diego Naval Medical Center, where he was hospitalized for several weeks. ...
Army officials granted Flynn 10 days of emergency leave. When Vidal's recuperation took longer than expected, they told her to check in with them regularly, according to the newspaper story.Flynn eventually sought permission to bring her children to Fort Gordon, but Army officials said trainees are not allowed to have children on base. In the newspaper story, Flynn said Army officials instructed her to put the children in foster care and turn herself in. Flynn declined out of worry that it would take months or even years to get her kids back.
To compound things, her family members were unwilling to take the children, and Flynn balked at the prospect of leaving them with friends given her son's illness. She was declared absent without leave in 1999, dropped from the roster and marked as a deserter. Her salary payments stopped not long after.
But here's the kicker. She actually tried to turn herself in at least twice at local Navy installations but was rebuffed. Army officials asked the Navy to tell her to go home both times, according to naval authorities in an earlier story by the newspaper.
Flynn got a job as a bus driver and remarried. Her children are now 14 and 18. Sadly, she was taken into custody at 1 a.m. while at her home. And on a Saturday no less. Now, she is in a jail cell awaiting for the Army to assume custody.
For anyone who has ever been in the military or who is familiar with people in the service, you know that desertion is one of the worst possible allegations that a soldier can face. Of course, this is a unique situation and the circumstances surrounding it are atypical. It's not every day that soldiers are faced with a decision like this one.
But I'm curious to know how many people would have done the same were they in Flynn's shoes? I think she made the right decision. It's a travesty that after all these years, she has to face these charges. This is a sad case of government not working for the people. She should have been given an honorable discharge on account of a hardship case.
Hopefully, this wrong will be righted soon. What are your thoughts?
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Comments: (54)
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By: Wisdom on 2/20/2009 6:55PM
I am happy that First Lady Obama will take on the concerns of military families and be the voice of their concerns and experiences as they serve our nation. This is trajic to say the least.
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By: Denise Bolds on 2/21/2009 11:53AM
I am a single mother also - After reading the above article I cannot help but wonder - why didn't Ms. Flynn obtain an attorney and get closure on this issue BEFORE being arrested? Her children are older now and she is married so there is support of care. Ms. Flynn should have maintained control of this situation by going back after her children were stable and making sure her case was resolved and closed completely with written verification.
Being a single mother, that status cannot be utilized lightly. It is my understanding that when a single parent enlists - a guardianship is supposed to be inmplemented during the parent's absence. This case has spun out of control and Ms. Flynn has control but her absence and silence led to this arrest - of course this is possibly not all of the story that is being reported. I hope this can be resolved with a development of policies so that future single parents who enlist don't have to face the same situation.
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By: MERRY BAKER on 2/22/2009 5:05PM
i am curious to know if anyone is conscious of what it like to be stressed out in this lady's situation already involved in psychological warfare. the welfare system's not enough income that, ususally, isn't adequate aid to support two children in a household that more often than not low income already negatively impacts her marriage therefore the lady enlists. The sad part is we Americans want homeland security but when a person like this lady enlists to serve and protect, we the people, we tell her to place her children in a most of the time a broken state foster care system, as i see it, this is the reason why the lady prefers a military life over a life on welfare. jailed the mother doesn't deserve, instead a golden heart medal she deserve the fact she stayed with her sick child. her family were emotionally out to lunch or themselves fancially on E. the state and government system failed the mother and the children.
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By: smac on 2/24/2009 9:52AM
You obviously have never been in the military or understand how it operates. Their moto is if we wanted you to have a family we would have issued you one. Do you really think this could have been resolved when they told her to place her kids in foster care? I hope they are not allowed to prosecute this women, it is unjust at best.
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By: Jeanine Mercer on 2/25/2009 10:24PM
I don't think you have rights to an Attorney when it comes to the government because you cannot sue the government! This is a major problem! If the government does any harm they are not held accountable for anything and you cannot sue them for any harm that they have done to you! You can sue state and local governments but not the military!
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By: slowhand659 on 3/06/2009 5:58PM
I would think that attempting to turn yourself in to federal authorities as indicated in the story and having them tell those authorities"send her home" is sufficent evidence of her trying to resolve the problem. Wouldnt you think?
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By: Eric on 2/21/2009 12:08PM
I agree that perhaps all of the story has yet to be fully disclosed, or brought to light. But, as a former US Army Officer I fully concur that "desertion" is one of the most serious allegations that any person connected with the military has to address. Sorry, but to me that article just doesn't make sense, i'm sure there's more yet to come...hopefully! It's only fair to wait until all the evidence is presented, and judged. But, I can tell you that "if" she is found guilty then she should have to face the music, and do the time! Why should this woman be treated any differently than the millions of our sons and daughters that has served in uniform for this country? Many of them also had families too!
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By: iceman on 2/24/2009 10:15AM
Listen Miss "Officer". I was in the Army and served honorably as an NCO, THE BACKBONE of the US ARMY!! SHOUT OUT TO FT BRAGG! I also did all of my training at FT GORDON too. I understand the mentality of the US ARMY. There are so many individuals who are CONTROL FREAKS, not all, who are in charge and can make a soldier's life very miserable, especially single parents! There could very well be another side to this story of that details her faults, but don't think for one second that some COCKY HEADED, CONTROL FREAK wasn't involved that apparently refused to seek more options to have her peacefully discharged to help resolve the situation opposed to seeking serious charges for being AWOL. One thing that I learned in the ARMY is WHERE THERE'S A WILL, THERE'S A WAY and they could've handled this much better!! I KNOW FIRST HAND AND I CAN GO THERE!!
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By: Jasmine on 2/21/2009 12:21PM
well to speak on Denise Bolds comment, if she was a struggleing single mother of two the funds for an attorney most likely weren't available. I am sure she thought thought about that, but because she tried to turn herself in twice.
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By: rullet27 on 2/21/2009 1:54PM
There are a lot of holes in this story, a lot of suspicion and things that don't seem true. If anyone out there who is in the military and was in the military they can instantly see problems with this paragraph below:
"Army officials granted Flynn 10 days of emergency leave".
This statement right here shows that the Army was working with this female because if she was just in AIT she has not accumulated 10 leave days yet. Basic training them was 8 weeks, totaling two months and each troop recieve 2.5 days a month. So if she just arrived at her AIT school in Gordan she didnt have 10 leave days. So my point here is that the Army showed her compassion and "GRANTED" her extra days to take care of her situation. She trying to make it sem like they didnt care. Next sentence:
"When Vidal's recuperation took longer than expected, they told her to check in with them regularly, according to the newspaper story"
Again, if anyone been in the military they know that this statement means that the Army has acknowledged that 10 days was not enough, therefore it sounds like the Army took her off leave status and just gave her a temporary compationate reassignment which allows her to stay at the location of where her son was getting care and just punch in for accountability purposes. It sound like they allowed her to come to the hospital, tell the hospital she alive and well and they account for her while she go and be there for her son without going in the hole with her leave days. Next Sentence:
"Flynn eventually sought permission to bring her children to Fort Gordon, but Army officials said trainees are not allowed to have children on base".
This is true and this is explained to "ALL" soldiers before signing the contract. Training is training. There is no place on post set up to house family members while parents are in TRAINING. If she was finish with training the army would have immediately gave her housing. Housing is for soldiers that are not in TRAINING. Let's say the Army allowed her to bring her kids on base and live ...........Who would have took care of them? Her biggest problem seem to be that she did not have a family care plan and want the army to provide free babysitting and housing for her while she was in training. She was a clear burden to the Army and trying to turn this around as if the Army was at fault.
"In the newspaper story, Flynn said Army officials instructed her to put the children in foster care and turn herself in".
I don't believe this crap at all. Who is the ARMY? Why don't she name these ARMY people by name or position. The only thing the ARMY would have instructed her to do was get a family care plan or they will have to give her a hardship discharge meaning she has to many overwhelming problems she has no control over to continue to serve. I have never heard of the Army telling a troop to give their child up to foster care just to serve. I see troop problems all the time worst then this. The only thing the Army would have told her was to give her child up to another family member or trusted family friend. Next sentence:
"Flynn declined out of worry that it would take months or even years to get her kids back".
It would take months and time to get the child in the system. Foster care or Child Services will not accept a child into the Foster Care system just because a parent want to serve in the military. They accept kids based off neglect and this woman was not showing neglect. You cant just take your kids to the foster care services and say "Hey I want to serve in the army and my kids are a problem so take them". Thats why I dont believe this crap. This female is lying.
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