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CNN Live At Daybreak
Family Over Country
Aired November 05, 2003 - 05:20 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: One soldier may face serious charges after refusing to return to her post in Iraq. But for her, it was a choice of family over country.
We get more on the story from Jeannette Hynes of CNN affiliate KKTV.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNETTE HYNES, KKTV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Specialist Simone Holcomb has been with the Army National Guard for six years and she just signed up for three more. She also has seven children.
SPEC. SIMONE HOLCOMB, U.S. ARMY: I believe in what the Army stands for. I believe in my country and I believe in my children.
HYNES: Both she and her husband were deployed to Iraq. In March, we told you about grandma taking care of the kids while they were gone. Now grandma has to take care of her husband and Simone has to follow a state court order or lose custody of two children. But the Army is demanding she go back to Iraq.
HOLCOMB: Rather than acknowledging the fact that I couldn't come back, you will be on a plane to Iraq by a certain date.
HYNES: She was told she's facing AWOL and desertion.
HOLCOMB: I did ask my command to call me, made sure they had my home phone number, asked them to fax me paperwork so I could complete some of the stuff they were asking of me, and was either ignored or denied.
HYNES: We contacted her command but got no reply. Army public relations did tell us, "She has a responsibility to her children a responsibility to the Army. The Army would like to see the issue resolved." And that, I'm told, is up to her commander.
HOLCOMB: All I got was be on a plane, be on a plane. Now I got we're stopping your pay.
HYNES: Her attorney is trying to help her through the paperwork.
GIORGIO RA'SHADD, HOLCOMB'S ATTORNEY: Hopefully when we lay out what's going on, they'll see the need for an exception. But if they don't, then that will require us to take different and separate action.
HYNES: For now, she'll tend to her seven kids and try not to worry about her husband in Iraq.
HOLCOMB: I don't know what's going on with my husband. I don't know where he is. And I have the same fears with a little more. I was there. I already know what he's really going through.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: That was Jeannette Hynes of CNN affiliate KKTV.
As for Simone, she'll find out in the next few days what action the Army will take.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired November 5, 2003 - 05:20 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: One soldier may face serious charges after refusing to return to her post in Iraq. But for her, it was a choice of family over country.
We get more on the story from Jeannette Hynes of CNN affiliate KKTV.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNETTE HYNES, KKTV CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Specialist Simone Holcomb has been with the Army National Guard for six years and she just signed up for three more. She also has seven children.
SPEC. SIMONE HOLCOMB, U.S. ARMY: I believe in what the Army stands for. I believe in my country and I believe in my children.
HYNES: Both she and her husband were deployed to Iraq. In March, we told you about grandma taking care of the kids while they were gone. Now grandma has to take care of her husband and Simone has to follow a state court order or lose custody of two children. But the Army is demanding she go back to Iraq.
HOLCOMB: Rather than acknowledging the fact that I couldn't come back, you will be on a plane to Iraq by a certain date.
HYNES: She was told she's facing AWOL and desertion.
HOLCOMB: I did ask my command to call me, made sure they had my home phone number, asked them to fax me paperwork so I could complete some of the stuff they were asking of me, and was either ignored or denied.
HYNES: We contacted her command but got no reply. Army public relations did tell us, "She has a responsibility to her children a responsibility to the Army. The Army would like to see the issue resolved." And that, I'm told, is up to her commander.
HOLCOMB: All I got was be on a plane, be on a plane. Now I got we're stopping your pay.
HYNES: Her attorney is trying to help her through the paperwork.
GIORGIO RA'SHADD, HOLCOMB'S ATTORNEY: Hopefully when we lay out what's going on, they'll see the need for an exception. But if they don't, then that will require us to take different and separate action.
HYNES: For now, she'll tend to her seven kids and try not to worry about her husband in Iraq.
HOLCOMB: I don't know what's going on with my husband. I don't know where he is. And I have the same fears with a little more. I was there. I already know what he's really going through.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: That was Jeannette Hynes of CNN affiliate KKTV.
As for Simone, she'll find out in the next few days what action the Army will take.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
