[url]http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20020113/us/vmi_pregnancy_policy_1.html[/url]



I really don't have a problem with this.



Now, I'm all for equal protection under the law. But let's be practical. Is it remotely likely that a [b]pregnant[/b] woman is going to complete a course of study at a military institue like VMI? There are a limited number of students admitted to these schools, and forcing them to take pregnant women denies entry to students that have a chance at completing the course.

Blatant sexism.  Pregnancy should be required of all students.

i understand asking a female cadet who is pregnant to leave; however, i'm not sure that it's technically possible given that VMI is not a private institution.  regardless, i agree with that concept.

what i don't understand is the "married or expecting" part.  what part of being married interferes with being a cadet?  and what if a male cadet's wife is pregnant but not a cadet at VMI?  technically he is also expecting a newborn.  is he required to leave?

i know that marriage has always been considered a no-no, but i don't understand why?  if marriage got in the way of the cadet being a good cadet, that's because of the cadet, not marriage.  i'm sick of people blaming anything and everything except the person responsible for the problem.

ARlady,

The statement I heard on the news last night applied to both sexes.  In a nutshell, if you are/get pregnant or "cause" a pregnancy, you are out.  If you are married or get married you are out.

Whether of not I agree with the policy at a civilian "military" institution is not part of this post.  I can not provide an opinion on the matter since I never attended VMI.

I can provide an opinion on how marriage / children affect first term enlisted Marines based on first hand observations and leading Marines in those situations.

What is your opinion on that topic?

Now what if a female cadet happens to be in a "domestic life-partnership"?  While technically not a "marriage" would this also be verboten?

If two lesbian cadets are joined in a "domestic partnership" [:P] in a state that gives them full "marriage-status", would they be booted out?

Suppose another male cadet becomes a "sperm-donor" for one of these lesbian-life partners through artificial insemination [:O].  Would all three be dropped, since he has technically "caused another's pregnancy"?

Now what if this male cadet was gay and also had a "domestic partnership" with another cadet in a state that also gives them full "marriage-status".  Now we have FOUR cadets who could be booted out because only ONE became pregnant!

And these are just a few examples.
The possible permutations are staggering!!

Even before that fat rhino stank up my beloved CITADEL, marriage has always been forbidden for cadets there.

Even absent the prohibition, first year cadets, "knobs," cannot leave the campus for, IIRC, something like 2 months, with no overnight pass until October, when you get one.

Married cadets would constantly be seeking time away for various emergencies.

The Marine Corps places a very heavy load of responsibility on the first termers.  In most cases, this is their first taste of being away from family, home, and friends for an extended period.  The "pogue" Marine often works 60+ hrs a week, and those who go to the field spend weeks at a time there.  The deployment tempo is rather high, and it is not uncommon for a det to be out 6 to 12 weeks.  Work ups for 6 month deployments start 12 months before the deployment comences, so the Marine can expect to be away from the spouse about 6 of those 12 months.  And then there is also the 1 year unaccompanied tour to Japan.  Combine all of this time away from the spouse and kids with the very low pay and you as the leader are left with a Marine who spends a large percentage of their time worrying about how they are going to pay the bills, buy enough food and clothes, keep the clunker running, get the spouse/kids to the doctor for their 0900 appointment when the Marine has to report at 0445 for unit PT and they only have one vehicle...the list is endless.  The amount of time these Marines spent away from work was tremendous and the burden they placed on their fellow Marines to take up the slack was very great indeed.

In 1997, The SNCO's and Officers at MCAS New River went to the Air Station Gym and listend to the CMC.  Gen. Krulak spent 40 min talking about first term non EAS attrition.  At that time 1 out of 3 first term Marines were not successfully completing the entire term of their enlistment.  Of course there were many reasons, but the data showed the vast majority of those separations from service was directly related to marriage/kids/money/ops tempo.  In a nutshell, I could expect to loose 1/3 of my junior Marines before the ship left the dock or the first round was fired in anger.  The mission still had to be completed though, so everybody had to pull the extra weight.

The Marine Corps tried to get new enlistees to sign an agreement that they would remain single for the first 4 years of service or until they reached Corporal, but the media and the "Mother's of America" got to the legislators and demanded "fairness" instead of "readiness" and the Marine Corps dropped the idea.

I stayed single for my first enlistment.  And even as a NCO over 4yrs TIS, with no kids and a working wife, there were times when we had more month then paycheck.  A Pvt/PFC/LCpl under 2yrs TIS makes a lot less money, but has the same ability to generate the bills.

The single Marine living in the barracks has it made.  They can blow every penny of their check and not worry about food, shelter, medical or dental.  Or they can save every penny.  A very few "Barracks Rat's" do save a bunch of cash, and a few provide "loans 'til payday" for a tidy bit of interest.

okay, would somebody please define cadet in VMI terms for me.  i think i'm missing a piece of this puzzle.