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Military Law: Time To Mandate Best Interests Of The Child To Restrict Deployments Of Parents That Affect Preschool Children, John Lynch

John T Lynch

MILITARY LAW: TIME TO MANDATE BEST INTERESTS OF THE CHILD TO RESTRICT DEPLOYMENTS

OF PARENTS THAT AFFECT PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

This article calls for legislation that would prevent foreign deployment of military personnel who are single parents or both military parents of preschool children. It first surveys the refusal of Congress to do so in the most recent large-scale deployments, the First Gulf War and later conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. It surveys expert literature that contends that such separation of young children from their parents is not in the best interest of the children. Finally it sets out a proposal …