Wis. Soldier's Leave With Dying Mom Ends

[Rose Siding]

ALTOONA, Wis. -- A soldier's emergency leave to be with his terminally ill mother came to an end Thursday, as she and other relatives gave him a tearful send-off.

Pvt. Joseph Wagner, 19, was initially granted a two-week leave after the family fought the military to allow him to spend time with his mother, Patrice Confer, because of her cancer diagnosis.

The leave eventually was extended twice, but after 81 days, Wagner had to head back to Iraq.
...
"This is tougher than I could have imagined," Confer said, her voice choked with emotion.

Wagner felt the same: "This is so hard, man, so hard. I've never had to do anything this tough."

Confer, 44, was diagnosed in April with terminal ovarian cancer that had spread to her liver. Doctors at the time gave her about a month to live.

She didn't know in recent days if she would be able to accompany her son to the airport for the final goodbye. She had spent much of the past week in bed, racked with the pain and fatigue of her disease.

But she decided Wednesday that it was a trip she couldn't miss...

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-soldier-dying-mother,0,4327073.story?coll=sns-ap-nationworld-headlines

[Skittles]

1. *sniff*

very sad.

[tnlefty]

2. This is so sad.

can't really respond to this.

[Rose Siding]

4. Some stories hit me like this

and I think I'll burst if someone doesn't share them with me.

They couldn't wait for him to go back- a few weeks? next year? Do they think they won't need him next year?

[rfkrocks]

3. Good Lord

How incredibly sad-more consequences of war-:cry:

[lakeguy]

5. that totally

and completely sucks. i don't ever want to know what that feels like and the Wagners shouldn't have to feel it either!

[Longhorn]

6. This is just too painful to even imagine.

How do you tell your mother or son goodbye when you know it's for the last time?

[Ilsa]

7. It's very hard.

My mom was dying in another town, and we were leaving to come back home. After we left I told my husband I didn't think I'd ever see her alive again. He was too stunned to say anything. It's very hard to leave knowing that; the hardest goodbye I ever made.

[liberalhistorian]

8. Un-fucking-believable!

And yet ANOTHER example of how much the repukes and the Boy King Impostor cares for and "supports the troops." When she dies, are they even going to allow him back home for the funeral? Probably not, although you better believe that if it were THEIR mother and/or THEIR kid, the story would certainly be different. What sick fuckers to force this!!!!!! Yep, there's another great example of repuke "family values" for ya!

[lostnfound]

9. That is so inhuman.

Glad they gave him 2 extensions, but how much longer could it really be? Another week or two at the most? God damn them.

[REVOLT823]

10. This is complete and utter bullshit,

they can't make do without this guy so he can be by his mother's side? When I was in the Marines in the 80's this would have got you sent directly back home, no quesitons asked. He is a private, he can be spared.

[DS1]

11. Hardship discharge

This is crap! Send a f*cking recruiter in his place.

[jackstraw45]

12. Pathetic....and sad

The Pentagon has NO heart.

[Bo]

bush is evil....

thats all

[Bo]

13. bush is evil....

thats all

[DemBones DemBones]

14. My mom died of cancer and

I certainly did not get 81 days off from my teaching job to spend with her while she was dying.

Just a reality check, guys.

I sympathize with the soldier and his mother -- who wouldn't? -- but the Army is not being as draconian as has been suggested.

The military is an employer and employers want employees at work. The military is pretty good about giving time off in such cases. In this case, they gave the soldier 81 days, the expected death hasn't occurred, and the Army decided it was time for him to report back. 81 days seems generous to me. As a teacher, I was entitled to only 4 personal leave days a year.

Many people can only get one day off work to go to a parent's funeral, no leave to spend time with a dying family member.

[DemOverseas]

16. However,

We all get a full week of funeral pagentry and a million dollar bill for it.. to send of an ex president and watch his wife in sorrow.

[Rose Siding]

17. I'm so sorry for your loss

It seems to me, though, that it's a very different circumstance than for this 19 year old, who's in a war with lots of killing and dieing going on. He's committed for an amount of time. What difference when it's served?

He won't even be able to be near a phone to be of comfort to her as she worries that she may yet outlive him.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

19. Reality check yourself....

Family and Medical Leave Act

Entitlement

Under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA), most Federal employees are entitled to a total of up to 12 workweeks of unpaid leave during any 12-month period for the following purposes:


the birth of a son or daughter of the employee and the care of such son or daughter; the placement of a son or daughter with the employee for adoption or foster care; the care of spouse, son, daughter, or parent of the employee who has a serious health condition; or a serious health condition of the employee that makes the employee unable to perform the essential functions of his or her positions. Under certain conditions, an employee may use the 12 weeks of FMLA leave intermittently. An employee may elect to substitute annual leave and/or sick leave, consistent with current laws and OPM's regulations for using annual and sick leave, for any unpaid leave under the FMLA. (The amount of sick leave that may be used to care for a family member is limited. See "Sick Leave to Care for a Family Member with a Serious Health Condition") FMLA leave is in addition to other paid time off available to an employee.




June 12, 2000

MEMORANDUM FOR DIRECTORS OF PERSONNEL

FROM:
JANICE R. LACHANCE
DIRECTOR

SUBJECT:
Final Regulations on Sick Leave to Care for a
Family Member with a Serious Health Condition


On Saturday, June 10, President Clinton announced that the Federal Government is establishing an expanded sick leave policy for Federal employees. To implement this policy, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) will issue final regulations tomorrow, June 13. The final regulations will become effective on June 20, 2000. Under the final regulations, an employee may use a total of up to 12 weeks of sick leave each year to care for a family member with a serious health condition. This benefit broadens the options available for employees to meet their family responsibilities.

The definition of "family member" for sick leave purposes remains unchanged. It includes the following relatives of the employee: (a) spouse and parents thereof; (b) children, including adopted children, and spouses thereof; (c) parents; (d) brothers and sisters, and spouses thereof; and (e) any individual related by blood or affinity whose close association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship. "Serious health condition" has the same meaning as found in OPM's regulations at 5 CFR 630.1202 for administering the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA).

You may view a copy of the regulations on OPM's web site at http://www.opm.gov/fedregis/index.htm. In addition, questions and answers on the administration of this new entitlement are posted at http://www.opm.gov/oca/leave/html/slQ&A. I also encourage you to share with your employees the fact sheet on "Sick Leave for Care of a Family Member with a Serious Health Condition" available at http://www.opm.gov/oca/.leave/html/12week.htm.

[Itchinjim]

15. I lost my mother to liver cancer,

it took one year from diagnosis to death. It was an unbelievably horrible and stressful year. May God be with and watch over this family. And may God damn George Walker Bush. Goddamn Bush, Goddamn that evil fucker.

[Mari333]

18. This is why I hate Bush and every goddamn Piece of shit

republican and every one of their goddamn criminal policies..
I have never ever hated anyone in my life, until now.
If there is a Hell, there is a special place there for Bush and his friends.
Goddamn them all.