I don't know exact policies/procedures in the military. I only know what my brother went through while in the AF. His 1st wife was unstable. She reminds me lots of Jenna. She had a child before my brother married her. Was same age as my child. But her child didn't speak, was uncoordinated, underweight, on iron suppliments, etc. She would open a can of something like spaghetti O's, and not even heat them, and just eat them from the can. My brother spent many hours getting the child to eat, learn to run and play, and taught to ride a bike, play soccer, etc. He enrolled the child in daycare on the base because he didn't trust her to take care of the child while he was working. With no kid, she ran around with other men and did her thing. At any rate, AF wouldn't send them to another base because they knew her problems at that base, and stated they didn't have the mental facilities/help at the one in Alaska he was suppose to be transferred to. Early in their marriage, (married in TX after he finished basic and didn't tell anyone!), he was shipped overseas. My parents were notified by the base that there was a problem with her not taking care of the child, leaving the child alone, etc. The child was put on a plane, with escort, and sent to my parents! I don't know if my brother had them listed for such emergencies or what, but it happened. When they divorced, my parents wanted custody of the child, but he wasn't biologically kin, so my brother was able to contact the child's biological father, and the child was sent to him with full custody to raise.
Long story to say, I'm surprised more wasn't done to protect these kids. Case dismissed while she was either still pregnant, or shortly after giving birth. I don't understand why, when they KNEW she had zero parenting skills! Frustrating!
Personally haven't seen anything written from her Mom, but it could be hidden, or was in private. Maybe her Mom didn't know. One post from Jenna does mention blocking someone who was responsible for her Dad being dead. Don't know who she was referring to. Jeffrey's family did appear to have knowledge that things weren't right. Whether that was from Jeffrey telling them, OR from the base notifying his parents as they did my parents. Not sure.
There's a short video of Jeffrey playing with a plastic water bottle, throwing it in the air and making B laugh. He seemed to be interacting appropriately in that video, but that's only a glimpse of what life was. Jenna made comments about being 'disappointed' she was having another boy. She wanted a girl. She made comments about getting her tubes tied after having J. No idea if she did or not. She stated she already had a boy, and didn't want another one, she wanted a girl. Not sure if that played a factor here or not.
Someone's thinking is obviously not right if they believe they can leave a baby unattended for hours because in her words 'he was fed, changed, and asleep.' and babies sleep for hours so she didn't feel she needed to be there while he was sleeping. I've had dogs/cats/pigs that take better care of their babies than that! I loved snuggling my own babies while they slept. So cuddly.
For whatever reasoning, Jenna's mental growth seems to have stopped developing, and she was in a child like frame of mind. She didn't want the responsibilities of a child, and didn't know how to parent. She was more interested in her cars, nails, looks, than taking care of the babies. Definitely lacking maternal instincts, IMO.
Jeffrey is young. While I don't give anyone a free pass for disposing of a child, killing a child through neglect, etc., I wonder if he truly recognized the signs of her mental issues. It took years before my brother was able to admit to many things. Even though they were there, he didn't want the marriage to fail, didn't want her to appear negative at all. He would defend her to the max. She was 'prone to exaggeration' but never would admit she out and out lied about many things. She would tell him things to turn him against his family to alienate him. It was a living hell. She was physically and psychologically abusive towards him, but it took years before he was able to go to his commanding officer and admit things. She told so many lies on him it almost ruined his military career. She was that believeable, until you questioned her, and the cover up lies would get more elaborate.
At any rate, I'm not sure Jeffrey was equipped to see all her faults, not equipped to handle them. Not sure he knew what to do about her, though he probably knew the boys were tiny and had ideas that things weren't right. Don't know what kind of treatment he was receiving from her, and if that played into the circumstances or not. Battered men are much less likely to report it, or acknowledge it to anyone else. It's a rough place to be in. I don't know what he shared with his family if anything. They may have just seen things with their own eyes either through the facebook rantings/posts, lack of kid photos, etc., and during the limited times they visited. Possible family noted that Jeffrey was acting as primary caregiver whenever they went home for visits, and noted the lack of concern/care from Jenna. Just not sure at this point.