NC - Military police seek mother of abandoned baby

[STEADFAST]

I agree with Kittenish that the mother is more likely a spouse than a civilian worker -- unless she's a civilian worker who lives in housing. Civilians probably do have a sort of cautious feeling on base, whereas military people tend to think of a base as their small town. (A small town with lots of rules! ) Plus, this child was most likely born on base -- hard to picture someone going through the gate covered in blood with a crying newborn.

You know, bases are full of young people, many more than usual for that size population. So there's going to be a lot of young-person-type problems, especially since spouses aren't subject to military regulations (like drug tests, fraternization rules, and disciplined habits, etc.) Some become depressed due to the isolation from their families and a culture that seems alien to them. Many are not ready for the responsibilities of marriage or parenthood, let alone the added responsibilities of being a military spouse.
Commands have support groups and parties and picnics and family days to try to give spouses a sense of inclusion and community, but for many young folks today, those activities are just too "goody-goody" and uncool.
Okay, now I've gotten to the end and can't remember my point! Oh yeah, this was most likely a spouse, a very young spouse whose husband is deployed.

 

[Knox]

Nothing new, just a sketch.

http://news14.com/content/local_new...her-of-abandoned-baby/Default.aspx?ap=1&Flash

 

[Bree0372]

Maybe the father is someone who lives at the home where the baby was left. I don't know about the housing there, but when I would go on base at Mayport (Jacksonville area) they actually had little houses, or maybe duplexes, that belonged to a separate family.

I agree with the others that said it would have to be a spouse, someone on active duty, or a contractor (like someone who worked at a McDonalds or other non-government establishment on base). The bases that I've been to check IDs pretty thoroughly.

In Mayport, the majority of base housing is off base. There is one family housing and one officer housing available at Mayport on base. In looking at Ft Bragg's website, this doesn't seem to be the case.

I lean towards it being a military spouse who wasn't prego when her husband left on deployment. I don't know about Ft Bragg, but like you said, it's tough to get on most military bases.

I'm not a fan of privatization either Steadfast. Hate is a mild word for how I feel to be honest.

Thank you for the PDF~ OT I will be at FT Bragg in Jan 2010 for my oldest son's graduation from Basic. I'll take the tour :wink:

Another possibility, the young woman seen was either 1. Not as old as others thought she was and may have been a teen and the child of a soldier 2. May have been in the beginning of her 20's and still resided on post as a dependent of a soldier as a college student living at home. 3. May not have been connected to the child.

I am not a fan of the privatization either. Just thought I would mention it! The housing here at our tiny little base, is newly remodeled and practically empty. They are running specials trying to get people to move in. We are up for orders in January and if we get to go back to Jacksonville (not Mayport) like we want, then I hope to live on base.

There are so many options as to who this mother could be. It's a shame she didn't leave him at the fire station so that they wouldn't be hunting her. However, the State will now be responsible for finding out who the parents are (for TPR purposes) before this baby can ever be placed for adoption.

ETA: I found online that the Ste Mere Eglise is junior enlisted housing.
http://www.braggpicerne.com/index.php?pid=116

 

[jnTexas]

My thinking is maybe this is a teenage child of a military person, and her parents did not know she was prego. Maybe she thought if she took the baby to someone official like fire dept that these people would know her parents and tell. So that would only leave placing the baby there and leaving.
Do they take DNA from all military people? maybe they can run dna to track down possible matches?

 

[kittenish]

In Mayport, the majority of base housing is off base. There is one family housing and one officer housing available at Mayport on base. In looking at Ft Bragg's website, this doesn't seem to be the case.

I didn't realize that, about Mayport. I tried to stay away from the base as much as possible. Very weird and creepy part of town, at least near the entrance. I just remember there being housing near the entrance to the right, but I never went over that way to see how much was there.

 

[LaLaw2000]

My granddaughter and I were just talking about this case this evening. She is married to an Army SGT. stationed at Ft. Bragg. I can't say what he does. She is USAF Security Forces (Military Police), and is stationed at Pope AFB. Pope Air Force Base is right there in the area. They do not live on Post/Base.

Anyway, she tells me that housing at Ft. Bragg is on Post. She says that whomever left the baby on that doorstep got onto the base because the person was either a civilian contractor and worked on Post, or either is a military dependent and lives there. If a person is visiting on Post, they must have a visitor's pass and absolute proof of personal identification as well as who they are visiting. So, could be a civilian contractor, a dependent, or a visitor. Any visitor bringing an infant on Post would have to list that infant, tho. I think it would almost have to be someone who had the baby right there at Ft. Bragg.

I am not sure I should say this last part, but would this maybe be a girlfriend of the woman's husband where the baby was left?

I am looking forward to knowing just how that baby got there. I hope this little one is healthy and remains safe.

 

[SleuthyGal]

My opinion might be controversial, but with so many young mothers who kill their infants, I don't think this woman should be arrested/prosecuted for placing her baby on a doorstep of a home where it would definitely be found fairly quickly. No it wasn't the 'best' place because a hospital or fire dept would have been better, but at least she didn't harm the baby and in a day and age when so many would (and do), I say she shouldn't be punished.