U.S. Soldiers in Iraq Could Face Court-Martial for Getting Pregnant

U.S. military personnel serving in Iraq now face court-martial if they become pregnant -- or impregnate another soldier -- according to the military newspaper Stars and Stripes. Long-standing military policy removes pregnant servicewomen from combat within two weeks, but the new policy makes it a punishable offense -- even for married couples. The major who instituted the ban says that service members should put their love lives "on hold" while serving in a combat zone.

Maj. Gen. Anthony Cucolo III, who commands American operations in northern Iraq, said he instituted the ban because he was losing too many women with critical skills. "I've got a mission to do; I'm given a finite number of soldiers with which to do it and I need every one of them," Cucolo said.

Coculo said he made the new regulations fair by including "consequences" for male service members who get another soldier pregnant. The order includes a list of 20 prohibited activities, including spending the night with a member of the opposite sex unless the two are married and "sexual contact of any kind" with Iraqis.

"When a soldier becomes pregnant or causes a soldier to become pregnant through consensual activity, the redeployment of the pregnant soldier creates a void in the unit and has a negative impact on the unit's ability to accomplish its mission," an Army spokesman said.