Friday 17 Sept 2004: P.137-144 (CSME)

A Shipboard Request for Abortion (Rubel, Martini) (137)

• Background: A CO can grant emergency if an immediate family member is terminally sick or has been killed; the CO can reject a valid request (particularly if it interferes with operations); transportation logistics may take some time to get the person home
• Abortion: Supreme court has ruled it legal, but law does not allow military doctors to perform elective abortions
• SecNav Shipboard Pregnancy Regs: will serve until 20^th week; must return by 4mo. after delivery; pilots grounded
• The ship is nearing a foreign port visit in four days and a 3^rd class petty officer requests emergency leave to go back to the US and have an abortion (requested via chit)
• Chit approved by all below the CO who is deeply religious and opposed to abortion
• The CO tells her that the request doesn’t quite meet the regs and asks why she wants the abortion
• She says she is only 19 and wants to attend college and trying to raise a child alone would hurt her future

Altering the Uniform (Gunther) (139)

• An Air Force officer (orthodox Jew) sues to be allowed to wear a yarmulke with his uniform
• Supreme Court Justices reject his claims and forbid him to wear it, citing the fact the USAF made a decision not based on religion, but on uniformity and professionalism
• Other justices dissented, saying his yarmulke had no impact on those around, and therefore he should be allowed to wear it